Why I Write Educational Songs (and Why They Work!)

It all started with Psalm 91.

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to memorize it. I tried again and again, but I could never get past a few sentences before feeling overwhelmed and giving up. The mental load was just too much. Then one day, I had an idea: What if I set it to music?

I didn’t even know if I could do it. I opened the recording app on my phone, started humming, and gave it a try. About 30 minutes later, I had a song. By the end of the evening, I knew Psalm 91 by heart. Twelve years later, I still do.

That moment changed the way I think about learning.

(FREE song links at the bottom of this page!)

Teaching Seven Kids (and Finding a Lifeline)

At the time, my husband and I had just adopted three boys from Bulgaria—ages 6, 10, and 13. We already had four other children, ages 4–11, and I decided to homeschool all seven of them.

It was, without question, the most challenging classroom I’ve ever taught in. I had children at vastly different academic levels, three with cognitive impairments who were also learning English as a second language. It was even more demanding than my years teaching 27 first-graders in an underprivileged school setting.

Writing that first song had come naturally, so I decided to take it further: I started writing songs for history, geography, science, math, and Bible. For each new topic, I gathered the information my kids needed to learn and turned it into a catchy song.

Why Songs Became My Go-To Teaching Tool

Using songs became the most effective and enjoyable way I found to teach content—without forcing my kids to painfully memorize facts. All the key information was embedded in the lyrics, and the music made it stick.

The benefits went far beyond memorization. My English Language Learners improved their pronunciation and naturally picked up grammatical structures. Even when they didn’t fully understand every word, I encouraged them to sing along. Simply listening and participating helped support their language development, something research also confirms (Kumar, 2022).

One of my favorite parts was how flexible the songs were. While I taught math and language arts at each child’s individual level, I could teach history, science, geography, and Bible as a whole group. I adjusted the follow-up assignments, but the song anchored everyone to the same core content.

And we didn’t stop singing when the lesson was over. We kept singing them throughout the year. That repetition reinforced learning in a way workbooks never could.

Bringing the Songs Back to the Classroom

Today, my kids are grown, and I’m back in the classroom teaching fourth grade. I’ve introduced many of these songs to my students—and their reaction has been incredibly affirming.

They love them.

Students often ask to play the songs just for fun, and many have memorized them from start to finish. For my English Language Learners, the songs support both content understanding and language development. They’re exposed to academic vocabulary, pronunciation, and phrases they might not encounter otherwise—all in a low-pressure, engaging way.

I’m currently in the process of publishing my songs, and the collection on this website is just a small preview of what’s to come.

What’s Included with Each Song

All of the songs on this website are originally written, recorded, and sung by me, with simple piano accompaniment. I intentionally kept the arrangements straightforward so the lyrics—and the learning—stay front and center. These versions work especially well in classrooms where teachers want something clear, calm, and easy for students to sing along with.

Recently, I’ve also started creating AI-enhanced versions of each song using Suno.com. These versions feature full instrumentation and polished vocals, giving the songs a more dynamic, modern sound that students love. To give teachers flexibility, both versions are included with every song purchase. Some teachers prefer the simplicity of the piano version for instruction, while others enjoy using the full AI version for review, motivation, or enrichment.

In addition to the audio files, each song purchase includes a complimentary set of supplemental worksheets designed to support deeper learning. These materials help students engage with the content beyond the music and give teachers ready-to-use resources for vocabulary practice, comprehension, and writing activities—without adding extra planning time.

What the Research Says About Learning Through Songs

My experience with educational songs is strongly supported by research.

Studies consistently show that students who learn content through songs demonstrate stronger vocabulary acquisition and better long-term retention than students taught through traditional methods alone. For example, Tomczak and Lew (2019) found that students who learned through songs not only mastered the material more effectively but also retained it longer. Other studies with English language learners show similar gains in vocabulary recall and comprehension when songs are used intentionally (Tilwani et al., 2022).

Songs work because they provide repeated exposure to academic language in a meaningful and engaging context. Lyrics naturally contain multi-word phrases that students can reuse, helping reduce cognitive load and improve fluency (Nie et al., 2022). In simple terms, songs make learning stick—and they make it enjoyable.

How I Use Learning Songs in the Classroom

Songs are not meant to replace instruction—they’re meant to anchor it. Here are a few ways I use them:

1. Introduce the topic with a song
Before starting a new unit, I play the learning song. Older students read along with the lyrics, while younger students move to the beat. We talk about the lyrics and preview key vocabulary, then build on that foundation using books, videos, and discussion.

2. Reinforce vocabulary with interactive practice
I often use Kahoot!, Quizlet, matching games, or fill-in-the-blank activities to reinforce essential vocabulary from the song. While songs are powerful, research shows that explicit vocabulary instruction alongside songs leads to deeper understanding and stronger long-term retention (Mannarelli & Serrano, 2022).

3. Assess learning through narration and writing
After engaging with the song and related materials, students explain what they’ve learned. Younger students might record their responses orally, while older students write narrations, incorporating vocabulary from the song. My fourth graders write in journals, which allows me to track both content understanding and writing growth over time.

Why I’m Sharing These Songs

These songs help address several teaching challenges—limited time, diverse learners, and the need to make learning meaningful. They are practical, research-informed tools designed to support teachers, engage students, and make content learning stick. They have catchy tunes that kids love to sing!

Below is a link to one of my history song videos (free on YouTube!) You’ll also find a link to the audio version of the song, supplemental worksheets, and a sample interdisciplinary lesson plan that integrates language arts and social studies, which I wrote for my Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving song. (Free items...must check out at register before downloading)  

YouTube link to Texas and the Alamo History Learning Song AI Version 

YouTube link to Texas and the Alamo History Learning Song Original Version

Free Audio Version, Worksheets, & Sample Interdisciplinary Lesson Plans

I hope these songs encourage you, inspire you, and make teaching even more joyful!

*Mannarelli, P., & Serrano, R. (2022). “Thank you for the music”: Examining how songs can promote vocabulary learning in an EFL class. The Language Learning Journal, 52(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2092198

*Tilwani, S. A., Amini MosaAbadi, F., Shafiee, S., & Azizi, Z. (2022). Effects of songs on implicit vocabulary learning: Spoken-form recognition, form-meaning connection, and collocation recognition of Iranian English as a foreign language learners. Frontiers in Education, 7, 797344. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.797344

*Tomczak, E., & Lew, R. (2019). “The song of words”: Teaching multi-word units with songs. The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies, 25(4), 16 – 33. https://ejournals.ukm.my/3l/article/view/32023?utm_source=

*Kumar, T., Akhter, S., Yunus, M. M., & Shamsy, A. (2022). Use of music and songs as pedagogical tools in teaching English as foreign language contexts. Education Research International, 2022(1), 3384067. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3384067

*Nie, K., Fu, J., Rehman, H., & Zaigham, G. H. K. (2022, May 17). An empirical study of the effects of incidental vocabulary learning through listening to songs. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(1). https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.891146/full