One of the skills I am most proud of in my career is my ability to teach any student to read music competently. But it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, I spent the first few years of my career glossing over the subject—admittedly due to my own incompetence. I knew how to read music myself, but I didn’t yet have the skillset to pass it on. Thus, I had to work twice as hard on the podium to make up for what my students couldn’t read!

At some point, I became determined to bridge that gap. I’d love to say I was motivated solely by my students’ success, but honestly? I was trying to work smarter, not harder. Now that I have a method and routine that has proven 100% effective (yes, EVERY student learns to read!!), I’ve seen firsthand that committing to music literacy has only positive benefits. Rehearsals are more efficient, students are more independent in their music making, the repertoire has a deeper sense of artistic expression, and these are skills they will carry for a lifetime. Music literacy isn’t just a habit for me anymore; it is a foundational pillar of my entire teaching philosophy!

All this to say—without judgment—it truly blows my mind how many directors do their jobs with little to no reinforcement of literacy. I want to be sensitive to the wildly diverse environments we work in; I know the expectation to teach every student to read can feel more daunting in some settings than others. That challenge is valid, and it doesn’t mean we skip the skill. While I have a specific step-by-step approach (linked HERE!), my goal today is to show why literacy belongs in every rehearsal and why that is a realistic expectation for every teacher. Though I don’t have all the answers, here are some nuggets of wisdom I’ve picked up along the way:

1. Be realistic with your goals.
When I lived in Massachusetts, I taught at a school that valued music primarily as a way to give the “real” teachers their lunch breaks. I saw my students for maybe two hours a week. In contrast, here in The Woodlands, my students are part of a system where they’ve had band every day since 5th grade. Naturally, my goals for what these two groups master look vastly different. However, the expectation for excellence remains the same. Just as we learn about differentiating instruction in general-ed classes, the goal is modified, but the expectation of growth is not.

2. TEACH LITERACY EVERY DAY.
This is the #1 thing I do that makes the biggest difference. Kids need constant reinforcement! If you teach one enthralling music theory lesson in August and never mention it again, they will forget it by September. Just like developing a characteristic tone or technical facility, literacy needs to be reinforced daily for the skill to stick.

For the first month or two of school, I spend 10–15 minutes on literacy with every class, every day. I need to ensure that every student has the same foundational vocabulary and that nobody is left behind. We move slowly, using informal assessments to check for understanding. By October, we’ve whittled it down to five minutes or less: ~30 seconds of note identification and ~60 seconds on rhythm reading. Like vitamins, we take our “literacy dose” as part of the warm-up and move on. A little goes a long way!

3. Identify the stragglers ASAP
When people ask how I get 100% of students to read, this is the secret sauce. There will always be kids who try to fly under the radar. It’s important to understand their motivations. In my experience, the students who do this most are often ESL learners. It’s not a lack of understanding; it’s that they already know how exhausting it is to learn a second language. They know the frustration and the feeling of hopelessness without a bridge.

The second group is the wallflowers—students who have made it this far by ear or by watching their neighbor’s fingers. Regardless of why they are avoiding the page, they need to be identified and pulled for small-group instruction. Talk to them (and listen to them), scaffold the work, and be their biggest cheerleader. It’s the most cumbersome step, but it is so worth it. You aren’t just filling academic gaps; you’re building trust and confidence.

4. Draw from your lived experiences…
I wish I could attribute my literacy pedagogy to being a naturally stellar educator… LOL! My own music literacy education began with Suzuki flute (no reading), and everything after that was just picking up whatever was in the method book. I magically passed AP Music Theory, but I didn’t feel truly confident in my literacy until I became a teacher. It wasn’t until I had to put myself in my students’ shoes that I could truly empathize and create a plan of action.

As a former undiagnosed AuDHD student and now a professional educator, I draw on my lived experiences to address my students’ needs. The idea of counting and clapping a rhythm line with syncopated sixteenth-note structures in front of the entire class as a middle schooler would have sent me spiraling… now, as a teacher, I reflect on what middle school me would have needed to feel confident in my musicianship to do that, and I try to pass those tools on to my current students so they can! AND BEING ABLE TO LAND ON THEIR FEET WHEN THEY DON’T!

5. …and steal the rest!
My approach is based on my experience, but my tools are all borrowed.

The 9-page packet my kids do every August? I Googled “Treble Clef Worksheet PDF” and used the first link.
The rhythm charts? Purchased from Darcy Vogt Williams’ Teaching Rhythms Logically. They are the best out there!
The note-naming sheets? Inspired by a director I observed in Aldine ISD.

You aren’t expected to recreate the wheel. Work smarter, not harder…but give credit where it’s due!

6. Keep them on their toes!

When teaching literacy, I am constantly reinforcing vocabulary by peppering students with questions.

“Everybody touch the ‘4/4’ symbol at the top left of your page… Ty’Shawn, what is that symbol called?”*
“What do we call the five lines and four spaces?”*
“What are those vertical lines between notes that help organize the music?”*

I ask these questions almost ad nauseam. It’s not about checking a box; it’s about internalizing concepts so students feel truly confident. If my kids are annoyed with me because the questions I’m asking are too easy, win!! That said, this isn’t an opportunity to shame anyone—the goal is to build them up. Every student should be called on equally (unless someone needs a sudden incentive to stay focused ;), but questions must be tailored to their individual level.

If I have one student who reads music as well as I do, I’m going to toss them a high-level question that challenges their interpretation. But for the student I’m fighting tooth and nail just to get them to look at the page? I’m asking a foundational question like, “How many beats is a quarter note?” We are building musicians, one win at a time.

Additionally, make literacy loud, obnoxious, and funny. Engaging students means breaking the mold. When we’re reinforcing 3/4 time with rhythm charts, I’ll have the band SCREAM at the top of their lungs every time they count “Beat 1” to break the habit of wanting to add beat 4. As long as they scream accurately on the beat, I don’t care how bloodcurdling it is! Kids need healthy dysregulation from the routine of sitting and being talked at. They need to release energy, and having fun means they’re engaged and learning! Keep them mentally, physically, and emotionally locked in!

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At the end of the day, teaching music literacy isn’t about checking a box or following a curriculum for its own sake. It’s about equity. It’s about providing students with the tools they need to unlock their own musical potential.

Think of it like an adult who never learned to read (I’m talking about books and texts) — they can certainly navigate the world and may even find ways to thrive, but their journey will always be significantly more difficult. By giving our students the gift of literacy, we are giving them the keys to the kingdom. We are ensuring that long after they leave our band rooms, they have the power to pick up a piece of music and bring it to life all on their own. That independence is the greatest gift we can give them!!