Make your visual symbols. There is not enough room on a typical flannel board to lay out all of the lyrics. Utilize symbols to represent each line in a song. For example, a bus, a man and a coin can be used to represent the lines in the song, "The Wheels on the Bus." You can order flannel templates online from which to cut your pieces. (See References)
Lay the template over your piece of flannel. Draw around it with a marker pen. Use a Stanley knife to cut out the shape. Print out a color version of the template and glue it on to the felt template. Glue a piece of Velcro to the back of the flannel piece.
Plan out your song board. The flannel pieces and their order on the board depends entirely on the type of song you are going to teach. For example, you need flannel numbers to teach multiplication songs. Make a rough sketch of where you are going to put the flannel pieces.
Organize your flannel pieces on the board. For example, if you are teaching multiplication for five, place the number five on the top row, the number 10 on the second row and a number one and five to make 15 on the third row.
Practice the first line of the song using hand gestures. Point to each flannel piece on the board at the beginning of each line. This shows the children which line to sing and gives them a visual clue to the subject.
Set a rhythm for group singing. Clap a slow rhythm and sing the first three or four words of each line with the children. As the children begin to learn the words, don't sing along. This encourages them to associate the flannel piece on the board with the words in the song.