With the holiday season now in full swing, I recently started utilizing holiday-themed sessions with my students at a specialized school for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
This won’t be the first time I have used Listen & Learn material in this setting. These songs provide great opportunities for growth and learning, and have truly shown to be effective for the students there.
One huge plus of using Listen & Learn material in this setting is that each song is unique, and many are repetitive and memorable. The uniqueness of each song is truly special, as they are written with specific goals and objectives in mind.
Repetition and memorability are very important during therapy sessions. There have been multiple times when I walk out of a session and a student is singing one of the L&L songs I sang earlier in the session. If the song sticks in their head, the skills should follow close behind.
Listen & Learn also makes the planning process simpler. It can be difficult to find songs to use in a specialized school setting. The age range can sometimes span many years just in one classroom. Age-appropriate music is so important, and L&L provides lots of options to choose from.
As I prepare for specialized sessions during the holiday season or for a new quarter, I have a general session template that I use:
- hello song
- season song
- instrument song
- singable story
- movement song
- life skills song
- goodbye song
Listen & Learn has a multitude of material to choose from for use in my sessions. Here are two of my favorite holiday-themed songs that I am using through the end of this month!
Season Song: Winter’s on the Way
The transition from fall to winter can sometimes be a confusing one. Often, there is snow on the ground before the season of winter is even here! This song identifies things that happen during late autumn and the holiday season, while educating when winter actually begins.
Life Skills Song: Other Eight Reindeer
Counting is a skill that we address frequently in the school setting. This song brings together academic skills and the fun of Santa’s reindeer. You can also add even more magic by having the students “act out” each reindeer flying away through movement or instrument play.
Listen & Learn Music has been a wonderful resource for my sessions in the specialized school setting. My students and I are having so much fun singing these holiday tunes! What are some of your favorite songs to use where you work?
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