Movin' in the Right Direction!: Teacher's Handbook & Online PDF/Audio

This program succeeds because it weaves character education seamlessly into engaging music rather than treating the message as an add-on. Albrecht and Althouse deliver seven songs across distinct musical styles, which means you're not asking young singers to inhabit a single sound world for twenty minutes. The flexibility to perform individual songs or run the complete program with all 35 spoken lines gives you genuine programming options without requiring a massive cast or complex staging.

Movin' in the Right Direction! balances uplifting messages with genuinely enjoyable music. The seven songs span enough stylistic ground that singers experience variety rather than monotony, while the connecting narrations give structure and breathing room between musical moments. Young performers will feel the positive reinforcement built into every text and melody.

This program is designed for elementary and middle school choral directors serving grades 2 through 7. Teachers seeking an assembly program or concert piece that combines entertainment with meaningful messages about character and integrity will find the ready-made structure and diverse musical styles immediately useful.

• Assign the 35 narration lines to multiple speakers rather than one person. Sharing roles keeps energy fresh and gives more students a stake in performance.
• Let the variety in musical styles guide your rehearsal pacing. Move between contrasting songs to maintain singer engagement and showcase different vocal qualities.
• Use the recorded accompaniment during early learning phases to lock in melody and style, then gradually reduce reliance on it as confidence grows.
• Consider staging the connecting narrations with simple movement or positioning changes between song groups rather than treating them as static spoken passages.

This works exceptionally well as a spring concert centerpiece or end-of-year assembly program. You can program it as a complete 20-minute segment or extract individual songs to punctuate a larger concert that includes other repertoire. Teachers often use single songs from the collection to reinforce specific character themes throughout the school year.

• Singing across multiple musical styles and genres
• Ensemble blend and intonation in group settings
• Expressive communication of text and song meaning
• Basic stage presence and performance confidence
• Listening and responding to accompaniment
• Memorization and retention of musical material