Here in New Hampshire, school is still in session for a few more weeks. Many of my clients and students are preparing to move on to new classrooms, new schools, or are just getting ready for summer break, and often, a break from music therapy or music classes.
For the last session or class of the school year, I like to bring out all of the kiddos’ favorite songs we’ve done, and sometimes, children will even make requests for what songs they’d like to hear.
Below are a few of the greatest hits in my music therapy sessions and music classes for the 2018-2019 school year.
Some of the goals addressed in these songs:
- Improve impulse control
- Improve discrimination of loud and soft
- Increase hand-eye coordination
- Improve gross and fine motor skills
- Improve body part identification
- Increase sustained attention
My kiddos are instantly motivated by anything that involves the lollipop drum, and “Lollipop Bop” is no exception. This song has the added benefit of being LOUD! My clients and students love being loud, and when they are told to play loudly, they take it seriously!
The hardest part about playing loudly is using impulse control to stop or to play quietly, which makes this song so beneficial. Exercising impulse control when children are totally focused or maybe even totally caught up in playing their instrument is such a challenge and might take some practice, but luckily, my clients and students LOVE practicing this skill!
Scarves are always a crowd pleaser, so when my kiddos requested “Put the Scarf on Your…” for the last music therapy sessions and music classes of the year, I was not surprised. This song is great for identifying body parts, but also practicing mimicking.
“Put the Scarf on Your…” is also a great song to focus on sensory regulation and awareness. I encourage clients to feel the scarves, appropriately squeeze the body part identified in the verses, and visually track their scarves when they throw them up in the air (in a special verse that I added).
Since I introduced this song this past winter, the “Warm Up Song” has been a massive hit with my clients and students. It’s catchy and easy for my kiddos to learn, plus it’s fun and upbeat.
“Warm Up Song” has been a great way to begin my music therapy sessions and music classes, plus it’s the perfect song to prepare and focus the children for the rest of their session or class.
I love taking a look at the school year and celebrating all the ways my clients and students have grown and all they’ve learned in that time. Let me know in the comments below: What songs have been the biggest hits with your clients and students?
You can listen to all of these songs in their entirety right here. Lyrics, chords, mp3, and instrumental track for these original songs are available for download. As is the case for all Listen & Learn Music creations, we invite you to adapt these songs as needed to best serve your students and/or clients.
