I’m always looking for new seasonal songs. This new counting song is a good tune to prepare for the winter months! With words and pictures related to snowflakes falling and blowing through the air, you can’t pass it up. Several of my clients are working on goals related to counting, math, vocalization, articulation, creating eye contact, following directions, and taking turns. This song naturally helps facilitate those goals. Clients have to listen for the number given at the end of the song then place the correct number off snowflakes on the ground or in the middle of the group. Clients can be instructed to count out loud, count the total number of snowflakes, count how many are left, or can be asked to pass the snowflakes to a friend depending on the specific goals of each client. This is a versatile counting song perfect for those winter months! Counting Snowflakes by On A Good Note Read More
Tag: Educational
Thanksgiving Resources & Songs
I cannot believe we have already arrived at the week of thanksgiving! Where has the time flown this year! Before you know it I’ll be posting about Christmas. All of the decorations are up, the turkey is soon to be thawing in the fridge, and families are getting ready to travel. If you’re anything like me though, you are still going to be working and doing sessions this week! So, in honor of Thanksgiving I’ve complied a few resources for music therapists. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! 1. Four Educational Thanksgiving Chants from Tuned Into Learning These four chants work on a variety of concepts including naming colors, counting, sharing, telling time, turn taking, and social skills. I love these adorable chants and FREE printouts! I’ll be using two of them today in my own sessions! 2. Thanksgiving Song Writing Activity from Music Therapy = <3 This song writing activity is a great opportunity for older clients (teens & up) to discuss what they are thankful for, work on expression, identify feelings, and understand what the holiday Read More
Blowing in the Breeze – Songs for Speech
“Blowing in the Breeze” is a new song I use with a couple of my clients working on speech and articulation goals. Practicing blowing through a straw or on a pinwheel are great oral motor exercises for my clients. Every time they hear the word “blow” in this song, they have to complete the action. It is a slower song with breaks for the client in each of the verses. This song can also help clients with attention, counting, following directions and many other goals, focusing on the song to find each time the word “blow” is repeated. I hope you enjoy this new song! Blowing in the Breeze by On A Good Note Read More
There’s an App for That! – Music Therapy Ed Course
This past summer we bought an iPad for my business. I was so thrilled!!! At the same time I was terrified! Technology and I have not always had the best relationship but I knew how much my clients would benefit from using an iPad within sessions. Because I had never used an iPad or iPhone before, I had no idea where to start. Thanks to the awesome team at Music Therapy Ed and their 2 iPad courses, I have become much more comfortable using the iPad! Bonnie Hayhurst of The Groovy Garfoose has put together two amazing courses detailing over 150 apps, best practices of how to use the iPad appropriately in sessions, tips on keeping your iPad in tip top shape, and ideas on how to choose the best apps for your clients! Within the courses Bonnie has divided the apps by category. So whether you are looking for an app to support sensory needs, expression, motor development/planning, instruments playing, or nearly anything else, Bonnie shows you that there is certainly an App For That! Bonnie walks you through how Read More
Apps I Love – Dust Buster
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts (DoReMemory, Piano Monkey, and Apps I love For Teaching), sometimes my students need a little extra help comprehending and practicing what we are learning in lessons. I use the iPad at the end of lessons both as a reward for doing good work and as an reinforcement of what we worked in the lesson. Dust Buster is an app both my students and myself love. Unlike the other apps I have posted, Dust Buster feels a little more like a game, uses full songs, can be used with or without a keyboard, and can be played by students who are not yet reading the staff. When you view the home screen you have the choice of using either an on-screen touch piano or using a real piano/keyboard. You will then be guided to a screen where you can chose from the simple “Germ Attack” game or the more advanced “Staff Master” game. In “Germ Attack” mode, the notes fall from the top of the screen on to the key that needs to be played. Read More