How to Teach a Song and Music for Special Needs TED 387 Music Methods Dr. Steve Broskoske This is an audio PowerCast. Make sure your volume is turned up. Sound will begin on slide #3.

How to Teach a Song

Before Teaching a Song Before teaching a song, remember that: –Content is the main focus of the activity. –Music is one (important, rich) medium used to enhance the lesson about the content.

Before Teaching a Song Before attempting to teach a song: –Discuss the song. Relate it to the lesson. –Allow the learners to hear the song.

How to Teach a Song Have the learners echo-sing the song in short segments. Then put short segments together. –Sing a line. Have the learners echo the line. –Sing a second line. Have the learners echo. –Put the two lines together to form a larger part of the song. –Ultimately, let the learners sing the song from beginning to end.

Alma Mater Misericordia, we’re proud of you. We love your murmuring pine trees, your groves and grottos too. You are our alma mater and to you we will ‘er be true. Misericordia we hail, dear Misericordia.

Finding and Using Music Online

What Types of Music Files Can I Use? Common usable music file types: –.wav –.mp3 –.mid Technology Tip Midi files are not recordings. They are like player piano rolls. They teach the instrument how to play. They contain no words/lyrics. Actual recordings

How Do You Find Songs Online? Search on iTunes (or other music service). Search at Google: –“Song Title in Quotes” “Artist Name”.mp3 Technology Tip Search at Google

Comparing File Types I’ve Been Working on the Railroad Technology Tip.mp3 and.wav.mid Free Midi Resources (kids.niehs.nih.gov/music.htm) Some.mp3 files are free. For most you have to pay. Many.wav files are free online. Tons of free.mid files online. Watch quality.

Don’t Forget about Video Technology Tip YouTube TeacherTube You can also search videos, which are a great source of music.

Music with Students with Special Needs (or Who Are Different)

Students with Special Needs Music is a successful inclusion tool, engaging special learners and typical peers together in an environment that is meaningful to all participants.

Students with Special Needs Research suggest that students with specific diagnoses (e.g., autism, Williams syndrome, Rett syndrome) may have elevated preference or heightened responses to music when compared to typically developing peers.

Students with Special Needs Music is an effective task motivator for many students. –Decreases non-compliant behavior. –Provides a means for increased attention and duration of on-task participation. Music functions as a mnemonic aid. Music cuing provides a means to structure auditory stimuli and speech output for students with cognitive or language delays. Source: tunedintolearning.com

Music Benefits All Students Music can provide strong metaphors and positive content while touching emotions to help students understand and accept diversity and differences. Music can help create a powerful lesson if incorporated with good teaching and other powerful metaphors by a skillful teacher.

It’s Not Easy Being Green Do you think Kermit is happy about his color and what he is? Why does he feel that it wasn’t easy to be green?

It’s Not Easy Being Green (4 th Grade) It’s Not Easy Being Green (video) It’s Not Easy Being Green (Midi file) music – no words

It’s Not Easy Being Green Do you think Kermit is happy about his color and what he is? Why did he feel that it wasn’t easy to be green? What is difficult about being a 4 th grader? What is easy about being a 4 th grader? What is easy about being you?

It’s Not Easy Being Green Write an essay (3 paragraphs) that answers the following questions: –What are the qualities about yourself that are “easy”? –What are the qualities about yourself that are “difficult”? –Pick a bright color and state why you are like that color.

Must Be Santa 1 st Grade Class Performance Must Be Santa Professional

Must Be Santa Beard that's white: Use one hand to make hat movement but under chin. Special night: Cross arms in middle and lift them out and around over head to sides. Suit that’s red: Run hands down both sides of body. Cap on head: Make a hand movement for a long hat with a point. Cherry nose: Pinch nose like you are wearing a clowns nose. Ho, ho, ho: Rub belly. Must be Santa, Santa Claus: Use right arm to punch air across body. Like you are saying “nuts, I got it wrong!”

Next Session Let’s start looking at how teachers can specifically incorporate music into teaching/learning.