
Below are specific sound clips (MP3) that I will have recommended for extended use outside of Music Therapy sessions. This is to help implement your child's/student's music therapy intervention techniques outside of therapy.
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Songs/activities recommend here for use outside of therapy
will be ones that are fairly SIMPLE AND EASY TO DUPLICATE
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Client names are withheld in sound clips below to protect confidentiality. Names that are implemented here are made up.
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SONGS
Songs © written by Jessica Grooms unless otherwise specified
"I Have a Snowman/It's Time to Build a Snowman 1, 2, 3!"(PMD school group session)
- for use with snowman PECS, picture, or puppet/stuffed
- remember to touch items named (snowman, boots, mittens) each
time specific word is sung ("snowman", "boots", "mittens")
"Earl the Snowman" Picture - (I used this on a PECS board)
Other Ideas:
1) add items named (boots, mittens, etc) as they are sung
2) let child (hand over hand if necessary) 'build' the snowman (after singing) by having snowman made of three seperate cirlces (balls) of paper (you can also work on small/medium/large concepts here)
"My House" (part 1, table and chair)(for PMD school group session)
- remember to establish pat/clap first (for attention, interest, and prep)
- for use with PECS/pictures (table and chair)
- point to appropriate PECS/pictures when singing "table"/"chair"
- have client visually (and/or physically) identify each (table/chair) at the end of the activity (or as appropriate to each child)
EXTRA: Depending on the child, you may want to use hand over hand for child to pat/clap as this could allow for additional work in gross motor, fine motor, midline work, etc. NOTE: Involving both sides of the body to establish beat helps to engage both hemispheres, and often leads to higher cognitive attention.
"The Rain Song"- for use alongside My Rain Story (below)
* NOTE : This song was written for and perscribed to a certain client specific to her situation/circumstance
"Can you find it?"* for individual client
Materials needed:
1) FIND IT! game
(local chain bookstore carries this or you can make one like I did)
2) Picture cards to match items in game (items to be found)
(This is optional, but is especially important if your main goal here is to work on increasing cognitive skill such as matching items)
Activity:
* First demonstrate how to slowly and carefully turn the container in order to see all the hidden pieces (I demonstrated this in session, but he'll need a reminder).
1) Sing song in call and response fashion
* This means that you sing, "Can you find it, can you find it?" AND then
child sings (answers), "Yes, I can, Yes, I can"
2) Child draws picture card, and then turns the container (as mentioned
(above) until he locates the item (that matches the item on the picture
card) ... reward him with a high five (this is what we did in session, and
he got a kick out of it!)
3) Repeat process (steps 1 and 2) until all items are found (only do
about 5 pictures/items maximum per game or the game will be
too long). Be sure to sing the call/response song (as indicated in #1
between each turn.
Goal areas for this activity:
* Increase impulse control
* Decrease anxiety/frustration over performing task (not being able
to find item immediately)
* Increase cognitive skill
* Increase cognitive attention/attention to task
* Increase duration of cognitive attention
* Participation for the duration of a given task ("finishing")
* Increase auditory attention/following auditory cues
* Increase social communication (call and response)
* Decrease echolalia
Pumpkin, PumpkinHere's a simple little song and activity to help teach/reinforce certain theme/holiday related cognitive concepts (colors/black & orange, shapes, etc). This activity may also be used with these goal areas:
Use props for this activity (a real or toy pumpkin and black cat AND/OR pictures of a pumpkin and black cat).

My Heart Goes Thump, ThumpThis song is set up in the same fashion as The 12 Days of Christmas in that you go back and say all the words said previously in the song. I typically use word cards for each 'heart rhythm' ("Tap, Tap"), and lay these out on the floor as we intro each. This gives added visual aid. Also, I demonstrate (or we come up with ideas for) a coordinating movement for each heart rhythm (i.e., stomp your feet for "boom, boom", pump your muscles for "pump, pump"). This involves not only memory recall of words, but also of movements (and sequencing). When word cards are present, this helps with association as well in that you are recalling associated movements with words you are reading. I even have the word cards out for children who cannot read them. This is a good visual either way, and is a good pre-reading concept. Speech develpment and verbal clarity can benefit from this as well as there are various speech sounds represented here (blends, nasals, plosives/stops, etc). You may choose to change/add some heart rhythms to cover the speech sounds needed. Have fun!
POSSIBLE GOAL AREAS:
* See February 2010 and February 2009 MT Newsletters for more Valentine related activities
Sometimes I feel ... (sad, mad, sleepy, excited, happy)FOR USE WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
* Allow discussion of each emotion and circumstance that results in having that emotion (can relate this specifically to a recent/specific circumstance).
NOTE: This song starts out with "SAD" emotion and then moves through emotions, ending on "HAPPY". This was purposeful and appropriate for the client for which this was intended/recommended. This allows you to meet the client where they are (sad, i.e.), gives opportunity for the client to identify/express the emotion as well as to identify the scenario that lead to this emotion, and then moves them past this (onto contentment). Again, this is appopriate for certain situations, but not for others. Feel free to contact me for info on appropriateness/implementation.
Also, I sometimes will start out with "MAD", and follow with "SAD". I will rewrite the verse for "MAD" to say:
"Sometimes I feel Mad,
Mad, mad, mad!
(but) sometimes when I'm mad,
I'm really feeling sad.
Do you ever feel Mad like this?"
I will implement this when appropriate to a given scenario if I think the client is masking sadness with anger (often times anger is a 'safe' emotion). Following this then with "SAD" often helps the client to recognize if they are really feeling sadness or anger. This helps with identification and expression.

The Lunchtime Song