ContextLearning songs is a central element of music education in schools. Auditory memory and pitch accuracy generally develop naturally over time (Guerrini, 2006; White et al., 1996). However, different teaching strategies help students develop their vocal and musical skills. The effectiveness of several of these strategies has been tested on short melodic-rhythmic patterns. Yet, research shows that reproducing a short melodic pattern is easier than memorizing an entire song, as errors increase with the length of the stimulus (Demorest et al., 2018). This raises the question of whether the conclusions obtained still hold true when learning longer excerpts or complete songs.ObjectivesSome literature reviews (Svec, 2018; Hinkley, 2024; Rosborough et al., 1972) partially addressed the topic, targeting different populations, but no systematic review identifies strategies teachers should prioritize for teaching songs in preschool and elementary school. Therefore, our research aimed to answer the following question: which strategies are most effective for teaching songs in school settings for children aged 4 to 12?MethodologyWe completed a systematic search in four databases (Education Source, ERIC, Érudit, PsycINFO) which yielded 3,086 studies. References were centralized in the application Rayyan, and two reviewers independently screened the abstracts. Studies were included if they focused on song learning in neurotypical children aged 4-12 who were not speakers of a tonal language. All research designs were accepted, provided that the articles were peer-reviewed or derived from theses/dissertations, written in English or French, and reported results based on learning songs or musical fragments of at least four measures. Sixty-nine articles met these inclusion criteria.ResultsOur in-depth reading of these studies already reveals some preliminary findings: accompanied singing does not provide significantly more in tune singing than a cappella, although a slight positive trend is observed (Guilbault, 2004; Hedden & Baker, 2010). Likewise, using a neutral syllable promotes pitch accuracy (Gault, 2000; Levinowitz, 1989; Pereira & Rodrigues, 2019). In contrast, learning a song by full immersion versus phrase-by-phrase yields contradictory results. Finally, the use of electronic applications providing immediate feedback seems to be associated with positive effects.ConclusionThese initial steps point to promising avenues such as integrating individual practice, using neutral syllables, and leveraging immediate feedback. Many articles remain to be reviewed, which will provide a more complete understanding for a presentation at the conference. We believe that compiling all these strategies will help teachers to diversify their pedagogical approaches.