Welcome back to More with Music!
The holidays are in full swing and I'm glad to be on break for a little while.
Today I wanted to share a song by Ella Jenkins that I like to use during the holiday season.
The song is called, "It's a Holiday". It features lots of call and response singing and vocables too (la la la, etc.)
The main songs lyrics are:
"It's a holiday." (students repeat)
"It's a holiday." (students repeat)
"It's a holiday and it comes once a year." (students repeat)
You can listen to part of this song here.
It's an incredibly easy song, and that's one reason why I like to use it with students. Besides teaching the call and response part of the song, you can have students play rhythm instruments during the "la, la, la" sections.
After the song is taught, I like to insert December holidays in the song.
So, the song might go something like this (after singing the beginning part as written above):
"It's Christmas"
"It's Christmas"
"It's Christmas and it comes once a year"
The possibilities are endless, as you could insert each December holiday most teachers talk about with the students (Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year's Day,etc.). One way to involve nonverbal students is to have pictures to represent each holiday and they can eye gaze, point to, find, or hand you the picture representing the holiday you mention each verse.
One more adaptation for this song would be to ask clients/patients (who are older, more mature) what are their fondest memories of Christmas, Winter, (Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, etc or whatever holidays they celebrate), and do some very basic song writing by inserting their answers.
It might sound like this...
"I like the family time"
"I like all the good food."
"I like the Christmas lights"
etc, etc...
How many ways could you use this song?
As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Christmas Lights
When I logged in this afternoon, I realized that it's been a month since I posted a song here on More with Music! I'll definitely have to increase posts as one of my goals for next year! :)
Today I'm sharing a song that I've been getting a lot of good use out of this month. It's called "Christmas Lights" and it features the following light colors: red, green, yellow, blue. It is sung to the tune of "London bridge is falling down" and I added a violin part to make it extra special. :) It is by far, one of many students' favorite songs for the holidays.
The tune, being so repetitive, leans itself to being a great song that students will quickly learn and begin to sing. Students can work in color identification, spelling of color words, and sequencing skills (which color was first, second,etc. in the song?), all in one simple song!
So, here it is, "Christmas Lights".
I hope you have a great week as we wind down to Christmas break. I know I'm ready for a break!
Be sure to come back soon for more song posts!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Veteran's Day
Welcome back to More with Music!
Veteran's day is this weekend and today's song post is a song about Veteran's day.
Whether you are for or against war, we are all very fortunate to have people serving in the military willing to protect us and our country.
I wrote this song below so students could say, "Thank You" to any and all veterans for their service. In some of the classrooms, we incorporate sign language for the word, "Thank you" and the students sign every time we sing/hear that phrase.
Veteran's day is this weekend and today's song post is a song about Veteran's day.
Whether you are for or against war, we are all very fortunate to have people serving in the military willing to protect us and our country.
I wrote this song below so students could say, "Thank You" to any and all veterans for their service. In some of the classrooms, we incorporate sign language for the word, "Thank you" and the students sign every time we sing/hear that phrase.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Pumpkin Pie!
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today's song post is about one of my favorite foods that I usually see at Thanksgiving dinner: pumpkin pie!
I have been having a lot of fun with this song this past week and the students have really enjoyed it as well!
Since I've been singing this song all week, I have found it to be a great song to practice sequencing skills. After introducing this song, you can ask questions like, "What happened first?", "What happened next?", etc.. You can also find pictures to represent each step in the sequence of this song and students can work to sequence the pictures in the correct order.
Isn't it catchy? I have had this song in my head every afternoon this week! :)
I hope your week has been a good one.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to hear a song for Veteran's day!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Songs for Turkey Day!
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today I'm posting the songs I use the most as we prepare for turkey day. The coolest part is that two of them are free if you would like to download them and use them too!
The first song I love to use is actually one by Hap Palmer. It talks about things we are thankful for. I created pictures to represent each answer in the song and in sessions, ask students to tell me what they are thankful for.
The next song I like to use is Ted the Turkey. Ted is a turkey who is running away for the dreaded Thanksgiving Day! I love to use this song because I get so many creative answers when we ask the question, "Where should Ted hide?" For some students, I have picture cards for them to choose a place for the turkey to hide (i.e. house, car, barn, truck, bale of hay,etc..).
The Pilgrims and the Indians is another song I use mainly with the high school-aged students.
Many times the middle school students like it too though!
It is a song that very simply tells the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians and the first Thanksgiving. I created picture cards to help tell the story and the song can be sequenced with the pictures, (in terms of the Pilgrims coming from Europe to America, the ship they traveled on, etc..).
And finally, the last song for today's post is The Turkey Flew.
I wrote this song based on an idea from a children's book.
In the story, the turkey falls out of the oven and the family has to "make do" with the food they have left for their feast.
I sing this song and then use this song to teach the food/dish names for Thanksgiving dinner.
I ask students what they would eat for Thanksgiving and have picture cards to represent the different foods mentioned in the song.
So, that's it for today! Whew!
What songs do you like to use for a Thanksgiving theme or Turkey theme?
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
The Back to School Batch, part 7
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today's post is the final post for my Back to School Batch series.
If you've missed any of the 7 songs included in this series, you can find them under the label, Back to School Batch, or just keep scrolling down under this post.
The song I'm posting today is about the shape of a circle. Many teachers and therapists everywhere go over shapes practically all year long. It takes a lot of teaching, reviewing, and application of using and interacting with shapes in order for many of our special learners to understand their similarities and differences.
Basically, a circle is a shape. We know that it is round. It doesn't have corners or sides, like other shapes we see. So, I wrote this song to reinforce all those attributes of a circle.
I've used this song in many different ways.
First, you can use the song and students can draw/trace circles.
You can have students sit in a circle and all have maracas or egg shakers. Students can shake to the beat, and when you think they're ready, you could try having them shake for three beats, then pass to friend on their right.
You can use a parachute and while all students are holding onto the parachute, everyone can move in a circle (this might be a good warm up to get everyone focusing on following directions, working together,etc..).
Also, it's very easy to hand out scarves and have students move their scarves in circular motions.
What other activities would you incorporate with this song?
Today's post is the final post for my Back to School Batch series.
If you've missed any of the 7 songs included in this series, you can find them under the label, Back to School Batch, or just keep scrolling down under this post.
The song I'm posting today is about the shape of a circle. Many teachers and therapists everywhere go over shapes practically all year long. It takes a lot of teaching, reviewing, and application of using and interacting with shapes in order for many of our special learners to understand their similarities and differences.
Basically, a circle is a shape. We know that it is round. It doesn't have corners or sides, like other shapes we see. So, I wrote this song to reinforce all those attributes of a circle.
I've used this song in many different ways.
First, you can use the song and students can draw/trace circles.
You can have students sit in a circle and all have maracas or egg shakers. Students can shake to the beat, and when you think they're ready, you could try having them shake for three beats, then pass to friend on their right.
You can use a parachute and while all students are holding onto the parachute, everyone can move in a circle (this might be a good warm up to get everyone focusing on following directions, working together,etc..).
Also, it's very easy to hand out scarves and have students move their scarves in circular motions.
What other activities would you incorporate with this song?
Stay tuned for more song posts here on More with Music!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
David starts with "D"
Welcome back to More with Music!
I hope you are having a great week!
I've had a good week so far and am still enjoying this cool fall weather.
Today I'm sharing a song about spelling students' names.
In many of the classrooms I serve, the students are in the early stages of learning to spell their names. Some of them are just starting to recognize letters in general, so one of the goals is to recognize the first letter of their name. This skill is reviewed daily and then students are asked to find their first letter of their first name from a choice of two letters.
Today's song was written to target that goal specifically.
I record this song for as many students that need it and then we use real letter visuals (letter cards or the letters that come from the puzzles at the dollar store), and I also create a visual using Smart Notebook software.
The first slide you see below on the left, is the slide where the student will see the first letter of their name, and the teacher can click a speaker icon on the page and the song will play. The next slide below on the right, features two letters, one correct and one incorrect, for the students first letter of his/her name. The song is inserted on this slide as well for repetition and then the student is asked to find/touch the first letter of their name. If they press the correct letter, they will hear applause (sound effect inserted), and if they are incorrect, they will hear a foghorn sound.
I've already seen several students improve their letter recognition with the first letter of their name using this visual/musical aide! The daily review the students receive in their classrooms combined with the song and interactive visual is spelling success for so many young students already. :)
If you would like this song personalized for a student or child you are working with, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com Each personalized song will only cost 1.00 and I will send you the download link.
Hope the rest of your week is awesome!
Stay tuned for more song posts here at More with Music!
I hope you are having a great week!
I've had a good week so far and am still enjoying this cool fall weather.
Today I'm sharing a song about spelling students' names.
In many of the classrooms I serve, the students are in the early stages of learning to spell their names. Some of them are just starting to recognize letters in general, so one of the goals is to recognize the first letter of their name. This skill is reviewed daily and then students are asked to find their first letter of their first name from a choice of two letters.
Today's song was written to target that goal specifically.
I record this song for as many students that need it and then we use real letter visuals (letter cards or the letters that come from the puzzles at the dollar store), and I also create a visual using Smart Notebook software.
The first slide you see below on the left, is the slide where the student will see the first letter of their name, and the teacher can click a speaker icon on the page and the song will play. The next slide below on the right, features two letters, one correct and one incorrect, for the students first letter of his/her name. The song is inserted on this slide as well for repetition and then the student is asked to find/touch the first letter of their name. If they press the correct letter, they will hear applause (sound effect inserted), and if they are incorrect, they will hear a foghorn sound.
I've already seen several students improve their letter recognition with the first letter of their name using this visual/musical aide! The daily review the students receive in their classrooms combined with the song and interactive visual is spelling success for so many young students already. :)
If you would like this song personalized for a student or child you are working with, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com Each personalized song will only cost 1.00 and I will send you the download link.
Hope the rest of your week is awesome!
Stay tuned for more song posts here at More with Music!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down
Welcome back to More with Music!
I'm so glad it's fall! Cooler weather, low humidity, leaves changing colors and bright, sunshiny days can stay around all year as far as I'm concerned.
Today's post is about fall and the leaves that fall down from trees during this season.
I love to sing this song during the fall season for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that the students absolutely love to sing this song and the repetitive lyrics make it easier for them to participate from the beginning. The second reason is that you can incorporate color identification and communication so easily within this song.
The main lyrics are:
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down.
Then the song sings about the following leaf colors: red, yellow, orange and brown.
I made a visual for this song that features a tree with the different colored leaves on it (all are laminated and leaves are velcro-ed on the tree).
With the more severe students I work with, our goal is to either give them opportunities to interact within the song like, "What color leaf falls down next?" (and the students would either eye gaze/point to the leaf they want. You can also give them a choice by pulling 2 different colored leaves off the tree for them to choose from. And yet another idea would be to assign leaf colors to different students and/or ask them, "Do you want a red leaf?" and let them answer Yes/No with an iTalk 2 voice output device. You can also ask questions like, "Is this leaf brown?" and possibly gauge their color identification skills like that. With other students, we use scarves and assign different colors to different students and when their color is being sung, they can move to the music as if they are fall leaves falling. Sometimes songs like this with scarves are very calming to students and help them stay focused.
The possibilities are endless with communication opportunities.
This song is definitely a favorite with many of the students I serve in a public school setting. I hear so much sing and vocalizing while when we sing this song! :)
What are your favorite fall songs to sing?
Stay tuned for more songs here at More with Music!
I'm so glad it's fall! Cooler weather, low humidity, leaves changing colors and bright, sunshiny days can stay around all year as far as I'm concerned.
Today's post is about fall and the leaves that fall down from trees during this season.
I love to sing this song during the fall season for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that the students absolutely love to sing this song and the repetitive lyrics make it easier for them to participate from the beginning. The second reason is that you can incorporate color identification and communication so easily within this song.
The main lyrics are:
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down.
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down.
Then the song sings about the following leaf colors: red, yellow, orange and brown.
I made a visual for this song that features a tree with the different colored leaves on it (all are laminated and leaves are velcro-ed on the tree).
With the more severe students I work with, our goal is to either give them opportunities to interact within the song like, "What color leaf falls down next?" (and the students would either eye gaze/point to the leaf they want. You can also give them a choice by pulling 2 different colored leaves off the tree for them to choose from. And yet another idea would be to assign leaf colors to different students and/or ask them, "Do you want a red leaf?" and let them answer Yes/No with an iTalk 2 voice output device. You can also ask questions like, "Is this leaf brown?" and possibly gauge their color identification skills like that. With other students, we use scarves and assign different colors to different students and when their color is being sung, they can move to the music as if they are fall leaves falling. Sometimes songs like this with scarves are very calming to students and help them stay focused.
The possibilities are endless with communication opportunities.
This song is definitely a favorite with many of the students I serve in a public school setting. I hear so much sing and vocalizing while when we sing this song! :)
What are your favorite fall songs to sing?
Stay tuned for more songs here at More with Music!
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Water Cycle
Welcome back to More with Music!
Yesterday, I posted a song pertaining to the water cycle: "When the Raindrops Fall"
If you missed it, just scroll down below and you will find it under this post.
Today's post is about the different parts of the water cycle: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Collection.
I found this song online, and after changing the key, and adjusting the tempo, I formed my own version. This song is only used for educational purposes and can be shared by clicking the Download button below.
When I sing this song with students, I teach them motions to go along with each part of the water cycle. Sometimes we stay in our seats, and sometimes it is great to get them up out of their seats and let them stretch within this song.
The motions are:
1. Water travels in a cycle: bend arms and hold fists in front of you, fists facing each other. Circle fists around each other, creating circles
2. It goes up as Evaporation: Hands out to sides, palms facing up, raise hands from sides and stretch up high
3. Forms clouds as Condensation: Hands still stretched high, curve arms and hands outwards to form a circular cloud shape on each side...arms look like this above head: ( )
4. Falls down as Precipitation: Arms straight up, and as you bring them down, fingers "spider crawl" down in the air to mimic raindrops falling down.
Stay tuned for more song posts here at More with Music!
Yesterday, I posted a song pertaining to the water cycle: "When the Raindrops Fall"
If you missed it, just scroll down below and you will find it under this post.
Today's post is about the different parts of the water cycle: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Collection.
I found this song online, and after changing the key, and adjusting the tempo, I formed my own version. This song is only used for educational purposes and can be shared by clicking the Download button below.
When I sing this song with students, I teach them motions to go along with each part of the water cycle. Sometimes we stay in our seats, and sometimes it is great to get them up out of their seats and let them stretch within this song.
The motions are:
1. Water travels in a cycle: bend arms and hold fists in front of you, fists facing each other. Circle fists around each other, creating circles
2. It goes up as Evaporation: Hands out to sides, palms facing up, raise hands from sides and stretch up high
3. Forms clouds as Condensation: Hands still stretched high, curve arms and hands outwards to form a circular cloud shape on each side...arms look like this above head: ( )
4. Falls down as Precipitation: Arms straight up, and as you bring them down, fingers "spider crawl" down in the air to mimic raindrops falling down.
Stay tuned for more song posts here at More with Music!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
When the Raindrops Fall
Welcome back to More with Music!
Here where I live in North Carolina, many elementary classrooms are talking about the water cycle. I love to sing about the water cycle with its various parts: Evaporation, Condensation, and Precipitation.
With the Water Cycle, many teachers discuss each part separately, and then put them all together to create and explain the cycle.
Often, I begin with songs about the rain first, because students usually have a lot of experience with that word. In many science lessons, students learn that rain makes everything wet. So, I created a song precisely about rain making everything wet, and added a few extras along the way.
"The Rain Makes Everything Wet" talks about raindrops coming from the clouds above and falling on various places as it comes down: on your head, on your shoulders, on ground, and on your shoes. You can ask students to touch different places as they are sung, or you can also use a visual of a pre made picture of a child perhaps standing under a cloud and give a raindrop picture to student/students and they can put the raindrop(s) in the correct places (on the cloud, on head, on shoulders, on ground, on shoe). Either way, following directions and listening are the main goals with this activity.
What are your favorite songs about the rain?
Saturday, October 13, 2012
The Back to School Batch, part 6
Welcome back to More with Music!
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Things are staying busy for me.
First of all, I have decided to share song sheets by request.
My focus in blogging here on More with Music is to share songs and ideas to help others.
If you would like song sheets for songs you hear on this blog, please send me an email at morewithmusic@gmail.com. As always, the songs sheets are free and give you the song lyrics with the chords used for each song.
Today, I'm sharing another song that is a part of the Back to School Batch. Today is your lucky day because this song is FREE! That's right, it's free! :)
The song is about the people in our communities: the Community Helpers. This song was written to help students identify the different roles of people in their communities. The following community helpers are in this song:
Firemen
Policemen
Librarians
Nurses
Doctors
Veterinarians
Teachers
Dentists
Principals
Construction Worker
Mailman
Many classrooms across the country study community helpers in order to learn about different jobs in the community as well as the different roles that people have within a community.
What other songs do you use to help teach community helpers?
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Things are staying busy for me.
First of all, I have decided to share song sheets by request.
My focus in blogging here on More with Music is to share songs and ideas to help others.
If you would like song sheets for songs you hear on this blog, please send me an email at morewithmusic@gmail.com. As always, the songs sheets are free and give you the song lyrics with the chords used for each song.
Today, I'm sharing another song that is a part of the Back to School Batch. Today is your lucky day because this song is FREE! That's right, it's free! :)
The song is about the people in our communities: the Community Helpers. This song was written to help students identify the different roles of people in their communities. The following community helpers are in this song:
Firemen
Policemen
Librarians
Nurses
Doctors
Veterinarians
Teachers
Dentists
Principals
Construction Worker
Mailman
What other songs do you use to help teach community helpers?
Sunday, September 16, 2012
How I'm feeling today
Welcome back to More with Music!
I hope you had a good weekend.
I have to admit I've wanted to post so much more than I have so far this school year, but it's been quite a busy month full of expected and unexpected things to tend to.
So, while I continue to prepare the remaining posts and song sheets for The Back to School Batch, I wanted to share a song about feelings today.
I've joined two different (but similar) groups on Facebook where music therapists from all over ask questions, give ideas and share advice and information regarding music therapy. It is really interesting and helpful to read their group walls as I catch up with their posts each evening.
Last week on one of the Facebook group pages, a music therapist asked if anyone had additional songs/ideas to help students work on identifying emotions. There were several great ideas posted and the music therapist was already incorporating a great song with her group.
Today I want to share a windows movie I created using Google images (windows movie is used for educational use only) and a song about feelings I wrote a couple of years ago.
Many of the teachers I work with use this song and video with their students as part of their school day and after they sing/watch the short movie, they ask each student how they are feeling that day.
There are quite a few students that are verbal and/or nonverbal that have a very challenging time conveying their feelings to other students and their teachers. After learning to identify their feelings by name/picture, many students can learn to tell you/show you how they are feeling. The next step is to help students understand other students' feelings.
Once students can do this, imagine the lessons you can teach in class...respect, empathy, tolerance,etc..
I will post the song sheet for this feelings song later this week.
I hope you have a great week!
I hope you had a good weekend.
I have to admit I've wanted to post so much more than I have so far this school year, but it's been quite a busy month full of expected and unexpected things to tend to.
So, while I continue to prepare the remaining posts and song sheets for The Back to School Batch, I wanted to share a song about feelings today.
I've joined two different (but similar) groups on Facebook where music therapists from all over ask questions, give ideas and share advice and information regarding music therapy. It is really interesting and helpful to read their group walls as I catch up with their posts each evening.
Last week on one of the Facebook group pages, a music therapist asked if anyone had additional songs/ideas to help students work on identifying emotions. There were several great ideas posted and the music therapist was already incorporating a great song with her group.
Today I want to share a windows movie I created using Google images (windows movie is used for educational use only) and a song about feelings I wrote a couple of years ago.
Many of the teachers I work with use this song and video with their students as part of their school day and after they sing/watch the short movie, they ask each student how they are feeling that day.
There are quite a few students that are verbal and/or nonverbal that have a very challenging time conveying their feelings to other students and their teachers. After learning to identify their feelings by name/picture, many students can learn to tell you/show you how they are feeling. The next step is to help students understand other students' feelings.
Once students can do this, imagine the lessons you can teach in class...respect, empathy, tolerance,etc..
I will post the song sheet for this feelings song later this week.
I hope you have a great week!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The Back to School Batch, part 5
Welcome back to More with Music!
The school year is well on it's way and we're nearing the end of the first week.
It's so good to see all the students as they return, and to begin to get to know the new students that have moved here and/or started school this year.
I have a few more posts to share that are part of The Back to School Batch.
So far, I've shared the following songs that are part of the Back to School Batch:
Good Morning
7 days in a week
Bus Safety
Book Awareness
Today I'll be adding another song to that list: Safety Signs.
Safety signs are important and students see them all around town. Whether students are bus riders, car riders, or even bike riders, safety signs are everywhere, and can help keep us safe.
In order to follow the safety signs, teachers must first teach the meanings of each sign and the symbols shown on each one. This song addresses several commonly used safety signs and their meanings.
Stay tuned for the songs sheet for Safety Signs later this week.
Have a great day!
The school year is well on it's way and we're nearing the end of the first week.
It's so good to see all the students as they return, and to begin to get to know the new students that have moved here and/or started school this year.
I have a few more posts to share that are part of The Back to School Batch.
So far, I've shared the following songs that are part of the Back to School Batch:
Good Morning
7 days in a week
Bus Safety
Book Awareness
Today I'll be adding another song to that list: Safety Signs.
Safety signs are important and students see them all around town. Whether students are bus riders, car riders, or even bike riders, safety signs are everywhere, and can help keep us safe.
In order to follow the safety signs, teachers must first teach the meanings of each sign and the symbols shown on each one. This song addresses several commonly used safety signs and their meanings.
Stay tuned for the songs sheet for Safety Signs later this week.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The Back to School Batch, part 4
Welcome back to More with Music!
The countdown is on!
Students are headed back to school across the country and I'm preparing to return to working for a public school system as well. There are only two more days of "freedom" for me and I'm relishing the free time while it lasts!
Today's post is part 4 of The Back to School Batch. Today's song post is "Let's learn about books".
This song is a great one to incorporate in classrooms where students are learning about book awareness (pre-K, kindergarten, pre-literacy groups, early and beginning readers,etc.). If any of you are organizing your songs, and/or aligning them with the new common core standards for classrooms this year, this song would fall under the following standard:
RL.K.6. With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.
This song introduces the following book awareness components: cover, title, author and illustrator.
You can actually use any book you choose and point to the individual parts of the book while the song is playing (this would be great to do before you read a book to a group or classroom to review the parts of the book). I've seen some teachers have each student select a book from their "reading corners" and while the song is playing, each student finds each part of the book with his/her own book.
So, here it is: "Let's learn about books"
Stay tuned for the song sheet for this song and have a great Wednesday!
The countdown is on!
Students are headed back to school across the country and I'm preparing to return to working for a public school system as well. There are only two more days of "freedom" for me and I'm relishing the free time while it lasts!
Today's post is part 4 of The Back to School Batch. Today's song post is "Let's learn about books".
This song is a great one to incorporate in classrooms where students are learning about book awareness (pre-K, kindergarten, pre-literacy groups, early and beginning readers,etc.). If any of you are organizing your songs, and/or aligning them with the new common core standards for classrooms this year, this song would fall under the following standard:
RL.K.6. With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.
This song introduces the following book awareness components: cover, title, author and illustrator.
You can actually use any book you choose and point to the individual parts of the book while the song is playing (this would be great to do before you read a book to a group or classroom to review the parts of the book). I've seen some teachers have each student select a book from their "reading corners" and while the song is playing, each student finds each part of the book with his/her own book.
So, here it is: "Let's learn about books"
Stay tuned for the song sheet for this song and have a great Wednesday!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Another song sheet!
Welcome back to More with Music!
Yesterday I posted another song from The Back to School Batch: "Bus Safety".
If you missed it, you can listen to it by clicking here.
Today I'm sharing the song sheet for that song, complete with lyrics and chords.
The Back to School Batch album features a total of 8 songs for only $7!
You can purchase the entire album by clicking Buy under any of the songs I feature from this album. Once you click Buy, you will be directed to my Bandcamp site where you can choose to purchase the songs you want to use individually for .99 each, or the entire album of 8 songs for only $7.
Stay tuned for more song posts from The Back to School Batch!
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Back to School Batch, part 3
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today's post is another song featured in The Back to School Batch album. If you missed the other two recent song posts, just scroll down and you will see them and the song sheets as well.
Bus Safety is a song I wrote last year that was incorporated into many morning circle times and morning group times in the K-2 classrooms I work within. One of the teachers I work with explained that her kids love singing "The Wheels on the Bus", and wondered if I could incorporate that song with some of the bus safety rules she was trying to teach her students. So, I used "The Wheels on the Bus" tune, and added additional lyrics to teach each bus safety rule.
Here's the song:
Stay tuned for additional songs from The Back to School Batch this week! I will also be posting the song sheet for the Bus Safety song tomorrow.
Have a great week!
7 Days in a Week Song Sheet
Welcome back to More with Music!
Yesterday I revealed another song added to the Back to School Batch album. If you missed it, you can find it here.
Today I am sharing the song sheet for the song, 7 Days in a Week.
In case any of you are wondering, when you see the F chord on the song sheet, I am referring to "easy F" which I use all the time (I will admit that I dislike bar chords).
To play an "easy F" chord, look at the picture below and try it out!
Stay tuned for additional song posts for the Back to School Batch!
Yesterday I revealed another song added to the Back to School Batch album. If you missed it, you can find it here.
Today I am sharing the song sheet for the song, 7 Days in a Week.
In case any of you are wondering, when you see the F chord on the song sheet, I am referring to "easy F" which I use all the time (I will admit that I dislike bar chords).
To play an "easy F" chord, look at the picture below and try it out!
Stay tuned for additional song posts for the Back to School Batch!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
The Back to School Batch, part 2
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today's post is another song to include in your Back to School Batch!
I sing this song A LOT during the school year, and across all grade levels. It is played and sung in many circle times and morning group times across the county here. It is the 7 days in a week song.
When singing this song, you can focus on one or several of the following:
*the names of each day of the week
*call and response to sing the days of the week
*recognizing the word for each day of the week
*counting 1-7 for each day of the week
I love to model counting with my fingers to students right before we begin singing this song. This way, they can count out the days visually with their fingers.
So without further delay, here is the 7 days in a week song.
Don't forget that I'm taking song requests to be included in the Back to School Batch!
What do you need a song for?
What topics would be easier to teach if you had a song to support the topic or parts of the topic?
Stay tuned for the 7 Days in a Week song sheet, as well as additional song posts as I continue to post more songs for the Back to School Batch!
Have a great week!
Today's post is another song to include in your Back to School Batch!
I sing this song A LOT during the school year, and across all grade levels. It is played and sung in many circle times and morning group times across the county here. It is the 7 days in a week song.
When singing this song, you can focus on one or several of the following:
*the names of each day of the week
*call and response to sing the days of the week
*recognizing the word for each day of the week
*counting 1-7 for each day of the week
I love to model counting with my fingers to students right before we begin singing this song. This way, they can count out the days visually with their fingers.
So without further delay, here is the 7 days in a week song.
Don't forget that I'm taking song requests to be included in the Back to School Batch!
What do you need a song for?
What topics would be easier to teach if you had a song to support the topic or parts of the topic?
Stay tuned for the 7 Days in a Week song sheet, as well as additional song posts as I continue to post more songs for the Back to School Batch!
Have a great week!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Let's say, "Good Morning!" Song Sheet
Welcome back to More with Music!
I shared the first song of my "Back to School Batch" earlier this week. It was a short and simple Good Morning song. If you missed it, you can find it by clicking here.
Today I'm sharing the song sheet that goes along with that particular Good Morning song. The song sheet features the lyrics and guitar chords for the song.
I shared the first song of my "Back to School Batch" earlier this week. It was a short and simple Good Morning song. If you missed it, you can find it by clicking here.
Today I'm sharing the song sheet that goes along with that particular Good Morning song. The song sheet features the lyrics and guitar chords for the song.
If you would like a copy of this song sheet via email, send an email to me at morewithmusic@gmail.com
Stay tuned later this week for another post!
Have a great week!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Back to School Batch!
Welcome back to More with Music!
I hope all of you had a great weekend!
I have been enjoying the summer. Although it seems to go by faster than the school year, I still enjoy it.
I enjoy receiving emails from so many of you who are teachers from a variety of grade levels. So, in light of that fact, I want to help by posting songs to get you ready to go back to school. Some are oldies and some will be new. I'll also be taking requests if you have any!
Today's post is the first of the Back to School Batch! :)
Many teachers across the country work on communication everyday of the school year.
Usually we hear several greetings each morning, such as "Hi", "Hello", or even, "Good Morning".
Today's song is about the latter, saying "Good Morning".
This song repeats the phrase, "Good Morning", several times, allowing the therapist or teacher ample opportunities to model speaking, signing, and/or use a voice output device to communicate the phrase. The song is intended to be sung in the morning when most teachers have circle time or their morning daily group.
So, here it is. Be sure to stop by tomorrow, when I post the song sheet (complete with lyrics and guitar chords), for this song.
Have a great day!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Welcome back to More with Music!
I hope you had a great weekend!
Today's post is related to a song I posted last week about My Hands. If you missed it, you can have a listen here. When I used this song in classrooms, I wanted to have visuals that featured the different textures mentioned in the song: soft, hard, rough, bumpy. When creating the visuals, I wanted to be sure they were small enough to carry around in my cart that comes with me from classroom to classroom.
I found a picture of the back of a hand via Google images. (Don't you just love Google images? :))
I made a book of 4 hands, each hard laminated and cut out. Here's an example of what one hand looked like laminated and cut out.
Next, I applied the different texture examples to the insides of the hands (where you would feel them). My examples were cotton for soft, puzzle piece for hard, sand paper for rough, and packing bubble wrap for bumpy.
Here's a pic of the finished "soft" textured hand.
These visuals worked great for me and were easy to get out and use. You could choose whatever textures you have on hand and keep them all together by hole punching the bottom of the hand and using a binder ring to clip them together.
Stay tuned this week for another song post!
Have a great day!
I hope you had a great weekend!
Today's post is related to a song I posted last week about My Hands. If you missed it, you can have a listen here. When I used this song in classrooms, I wanted to have visuals that featured the different textures mentioned in the song: soft, hard, rough, bumpy. When creating the visuals, I wanted to be sure they were small enough to carry around in my cart that comes with me from classroom to classroom.
I found a picture of the back of a hand via Google images. (Don't you just love Google images? :))
I made a book of 4 hands, each hard laminated and cut out. Here's an example of what one hand looked like laminated and cut out.
Next, I applied the different texture examples to the insides of the hands (where you would feel them). My examples were cotton for soft, puzzle piece for hard, sand paper for rough, and packing bubble wrap for bumpy.
Here's a pic of the finished "soft" textured hand.
These visuals worked great for me and were easy to get out and use. You could choose whatever textures you have on hand and keep them all together by hole punching the bottom of the hand and using a binder ring to clip them together.
Stay tuned this week for another song post!
Have a great day!
Friday, July 6, 2012
A video post!
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today I'm sharing a windows movie (video) I made to go along with my song, "Everyday I use my senses".
I posted the song yesterday, and if you haven't heard it yet, you can just scroll down below and have a listen to it. The video also features the song, with visuals to represent what the song is talking about.
I make my visuals with Power Point and then convert the slides into .jpeg files so that they can be inserted into Windows movie maker.
If you would like more info about using Windows movie maker, just send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com
Below is the video. I hope you have a great day!
Today I'm sharing a windows movie (video) I made to go along with my song, "Everyday I use my senses".
I posted the song yesterday, and if you haven't heard it yet, you can just scroll down below and have a listen to it. The video also features the song, with visuals to represent what the song is talking about.
I make my visuals with Power Point and then convert the slides into .jpeg files so that they can be inserted into Windows movie maker.
If you would like more info about using Windows movie maker, just send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com
Below is the video. I hope you have a great day!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Everyday I use my senses
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today I have another song to share about the senses.
This song is called, "Everyday I use my senses," and it is an introductory type song to introduce all the senses and what they help us do.
When introducing the 5 senses to students, you can ask each student to touch their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands while singing this song. Then you can break off into whichever sense you are talking about that day.
Another idea is to have pictures of the senses (eye, nose, mouth, ear, hand) via picture cards or on augmentative communication devices or voice output devices (GoTalks, Dynavox, etc.), so that students that are nonverbal can participate, identify and say the names of each sense also.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to see a windows movie I made for this song!
Have a great day!
Today I have another song to share about the senses.
This song is called, "Everyday I use my senses," and it is an introductory type song to introduce all the senses and what they help us do.
When introducing the 5 senses to students, you can ask each student to touch their eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and hands while singing this song. Then you can break off into whichever sense you are talking about that day.
Another idea is to have pictures of the senses (eye, nose, mouth, ear, hand) via picture cards or on augmentative communication devices or voice output devices (GoTalks, Dynavox, etc.), so that students that are nonverbal can participate, identify and say the names of each sense also.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to see a windows movie I made for this song!
Have a great day!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Our sense of touch
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today I have another song post for you. I'm sticking with the 5 senses theme and today's song post is about our hands and our sense of touch.
When working with students with special needs, the sense of touch is a very popular topic.
Some students can tolerate many textures (sensory stimuli,etc.), while others are extremely sensitive (also known as hypersensitive), or appear to be under-responsive to textures and other sensory stimuli (also known as hyposensitive). There are also students who crave sensory stimulation and who can be very impulsive in seeking sensory stimulation.
When I wrote the song, "My hands", my main focus was to write a song that would allow students to explore various textures. I work with many young students (with a variety of disabilities), who appear to be under-responsive, but need tons of exposure and assistance in order to explore the world around them.
I selected 4 main textures to sing about: soft, hard, bumpy and rough. These 4 textures are also featured a lot in board books designed for infants and toddlers.
When I sing the song, the teacher and assistants graciously help by taking samples of the various textures mentioned around to each child and each child is assisted in touching and exploring each texture.
I would love to hear what you think and what other songs you've been able to use or write to help address sensory processing issues with the students you serve.
Stay tuned for another post next week!
Have a great weekend!
Today I have another song post for you. I'm sticking with the 5 senses theme and today's song post is about our hands and our sense of touch.
When working with students with special needs, the sense of touch is a very popular topic.
Some students can tolerate many textures (sensory stimuli,etc.), while others are extremely sensitive (also known as hypersensitive), or appear to be under-responsive to textures and other sensory stimuli (also known as hyposensitive). There are also students who crave sensory stimulation and who can be very impulsive in seeking sensory stimulation.
When I wrote the song, "My hands", my main focus was to write a song that would allow students to explore various textures. I work with many young students (with a variety of disabilities), who appear to be under-responsive, but need tons of exposure and assistance in order to explore the world around them.
I selected 4 main textures to sing about: soft, hard, bumpy and rough. These 4 textures are also featured a lot in board books designed for infants and toddlers.
When I sing the song, the teacher and assistants graciously help by taking samples of the various textures mentioned around to each child and each child is assisted in touching and exploring each texture.
I would love to hear what you think and what other songs you've been able to use or write to help address sensory processing issues with the students you serve.
Stay tuned for another post next week!
Have a great weekend!
Monday, July 2, 2012
I have 2 ears
Welcome back to More with Music!
Summer is off to a good start and I have several upcoming posts that I'm working on.
I've been busy taking a break (very, very busy :) ), organizing my songs into albums and reorganizing some of my songs and visual resources for the new common core standards for school.
But, today, I'm sharing a song about one of the five senses: our ears
Awhile back, I posted a windows movie featuring this song complete with sound effects. Today I'm posting the song in its original form.
I like to use this song in both forms-with and without sound effects.
When I use this song without the sound effects, I ask the students to make the sound effects. For nonverbal students, these sounds can quickly be put on voice output devices (BigMacs, GoTalks, and other switches), so that these students can readily participate as well.
When teachers use the windows movie with the sound effects, it has worked out well to have students identify the sounds they are hearing via pictures (a lot like instrument bingo games).
So, here it is, "I Have 2 Ears".
If you would like a song sheet complete with lyrics and chords for this song, just send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com
Stay tuned for more songs posts and have a great day!
Summer is off to a good start and I have several upcoming posts that I'm working on.
I've been busy taking a break (very, very busy :) ), organizing my songs into albums and reorganizing some of my songs and visual resources for the new common core standards for school.
But, today, I'm sharing a song about one of the five senses: our ears
Awhile back, I posted a windows movie featuring this song complete with sound effects. Today I'm posting the song in its original form.
I like to use this song in both forms-with and without sound effects.
When I use this song without the sound effects, I ask the students to make the sound effects. For nonverbal students, these sounds can quickly be put on voice output devices (BigMacs, GoTalks, and other switches), so that these students can readily participate as well.
When teachers use the windows movie with the sound effects, it has worked out well to have students identify the sounds they are hearing via pictures (a lot like instrument bingo games).
So, here it is, "I Have 2 Ears".
If you would like a song sheet complete with lyrics and chords for this song, just send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com
Stay tuned for more songs posts and have a great day!
Friday, June 22, 2012
A color song
Welcome back!
I hope you are all having a great summer and finding time to relax.
Today I'm sharing a song about one of my favorite colors-Blue!
It's not my top favorite, but it's definitely a pretty color.
When working with students on colors I use this song. We show the color as well as the color word. The song also mentions a few examples of things they more than likely see that are the color blue. I recorded the song, then created a powerpoint with the visuals displayed on it. I then converted the powerpoint and made a windows movie so that the visuals go along with the song.
That's all for now, but stay tuned for additional summer posts here at More with Music.
Thanks for stopping by!
I hope you are all having a great summer and finding time to relax.
Today I'm sharing a song about one of my favorite colors-Blue!
It's not my top favorite, but it's definitely a pretty color.
When working with students on colors I use this song. We show the color as well as the color word. The song also mentions a few examples of things they more than likely see that are the color blue. I recorded the song, then created a powerpoint with the visuals displayed on it. I then converted the powerpoint and made a windows movie so that the visuals go along with the song.
That's all for now, but stay tuned for additional summer posts here at More with Music.
Thanks for stopping by!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
My Ears
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today I'm sharing a windows movie I just finished this week. I was so happy with the way it turned out. :)
The song on the movie is "My Ears" and I wrote it for a classroom I'm working with who is learning about the 5 senses. In addition to writing the song, I wanted to have actual sounds that the students could relate to in their home and school environments. The students loved the sounds!
So, without further delay, here's the windows movie. Be patient-sometimes it takes a few moments to get going. :)
Stay tuned later this week for the song, My Ears, which will be available for purchase for only $0.99!
Have a great weekend!
Today I'm sharing a windows movie I just finished this week. I was so happy with the way it turned out. :)
The song on the movie is "My Ears" and I wrote it for a classroom I'm working with who is learning about the 5 senses. In addition to writing the song, I wanted to have actual sounds that the students could relate to in their home and school environments. The students loved the sounds!
So, without further delay, here's the windows movie. Be patient-sometimes it takes a few moments to get going. :)
Stay tuned later this week for the song, My Ears, which will be available for purchase for only $0.99!
Have a great weekend!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Fractions
Welcome back to More with Music!
It's almost the end of the school year and across the country, many students are getting ready for or currently taking their end of grade tests (EOG's). In many classrooms I serve, we've been reviewing various topics to help ensure the students will be able to do their best on the tests.
One topic we've been reviewing this past week is fractions. We use a lot of different manipulatives when working on fractions with students with special needs. Before we ask the students to work with the manipulatives or SMART board activities, we sing this song to help get them focused on what we are talking about.
So, I thought it would be a great song to share with all of you today.
If you would like a song sheet for this song, please send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Bugs, bugs, bugs!
Welcome back to More with Music!
Today I'll be sharing another song about bugs.
Earlier this week, I shared my song that goes along with the book, "5 little ladybugs".
Today I'll be singing about many bugs. When I think of bugs in general, I think of bugs that crawl and bugs that fly. There are also bugs who can do both, which make them even more annoying to catch!
So, for this song, I focused on bugs that crawl and bugs that fly. I kept the lyrics pretty simple and tried to stay with bugs that students are more likely to see and be exposed to in the great outdoors.
I hope you have had a good week so far! If you would like a song sheet for this song complete with lyrics and guitar chords, just send me an email to: morewithmusic@gmail.com
As always, if you have additional song needs/requests for topics you are working on with students, I'd love to hear from you and work on a song for your needs. Email me at the above email address with your requests.
Today I'll be sharing another song about bugs.
Earlier this week, I shared my song that goes along with the book, "5 little ladybugs".
Today I'll be singing about many bugs. When I think of bugs in general, I think of bugs that crawl and bugs that fly. There are also bugs who can do both, which make them even more annoying to catch!
So, for this song, I focused on bugs that crawl and bugs that fly. I kept the lyrics pretty simple and tried to stay with bugs that students are more likely to see and be exposed to in the great outdoors.
I hope you have had a good week so far! If you would like a song sheet for this song complete with lyrics and guitar chords, just send me an email to: morewithmusic@gmail.com
As always, if you have additional song needs/requests for topics you are working on with students, I'd love to hear from you and work on a song for your needs. Email me at the above email address with your requests.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The bugs are back!
Welcome back to More with Music!
The temperatures here are definitely warming up and I'm sure the humidity of summer is on its way!
Last week I posted a song about April showers bring May flowers and talked about the showers associated with the spring season. Today I'm changing the focus to something else that returns in the spring---the bugs!
Ladybugs are okay with me, but I'm really not a fan of ants, spiders, mosquitos, bees, etc. (yes, I know some of those are insects, but I call all of them bugs). :)
So, this week I'm going to post several songs that I like to sing about various bugs.
For my first song about bugs, I'm sharing the song below entitled 5 Little Ladybugs. This song goes along with the 5 little Ladybugs children's book written by Melanie Gerth and illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith.
![Five Little Ladybugs [5 LITTLE LADYBUGS-MINI]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wESGFtvCL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/5-little-ladybugs">5 Little Ladybugs by More with Music</a>
If you would like song sheets complete with lyrics and guitar chords, just let me know by sending me an email at morewithmusic@gmail.com
As always, thanks for stopping by More with Music! Stay tuned for more song about bugs this week!
The temperatures here are definitely warming up and I'm sure the humidity of summer is on its way!
Last week I posted a song about April showers bring May flowers and talked about the showers associated with the spring season. Today I'm changing the focus to something else that returns in the spring---the bugs!
Ladybugs are okay with me, but I'm really not a fan of ants, spiders, mosquitos, bees, etc. (yes, I know some of those are insects, but I call all of them bugs). :)
So, this week I'm going to post several songs that I like to sing about various bugs.
For my first song about bugs, I'm sharing the song below entitled 5 Little Ladybugs. This song goes along with the 5 little Ladybugs children's book written by Melanie Gerth and illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith.
If you would like song sheets complete with lyrics and guitar chords, just let me know by sending me an email at morewithmusic@gmail.com
As always, thanks for stopping by More with Music! Stay tuned for more song about bugs this week!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
April showers bring May flowers
The inspiration for today's song came from a saying I hear each year in the spring: April showers bring May flowers.
A couple of weeks ago, I was brainstorming for more song ideas about spring. Spring is all about flowers, birds, bees, and....the changes in the weather! I decided to write a song about the weather in the spring.
I really wanted to incorporate an instrument for sound effects in some way, so I decided to concentrate on a spring storm. Many different instruments could be used to make sound effects for this song, but I have been having a lot of fun using the Remo hand drum within many different classrooms.
This song incorporates fine motor skills (pitter patter of the rain), and listening skills (each different sound effect).
Here are the lyrics:
Chorus: April showers bring May flowers.
It is Spring.
Pitter patter raindrops I can hear, Pitter patter raindrops I can hear.
(Chorus)
Wind is blowing, I can hear, Wind is blowing, I can hear.
(Chorus)
Thunder clapping, I can hear, Thunder clapping, I can hear.
(Chorus)
With the hand drum, I ask students to walk their index and middle fingers across the drum to make pitter patter (raindrop) sounds. For the wind blowing, I ask students to rub the drum with a flat hand in a circular motion. (Many of them love this movement for its sensory feedback!) Lastly, for "thunder clapping," I ask students to beat the drum with a flat hand for a few beats.
(I, of course, give plenty of time and repeat the verses while the students are taking turns playing the different sounds in the song).
What other songs do you love to sing with kids in the spring?
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
A couple of weeks ago, I was brainstorming for more song ideas about spring. Spring is all about flowers, birds, bees, and....the changes in the weather! I decided to write a song about the weather in the spring.
I really wanted to incorporate an instrument for sound effects in some way, so I decided to concentrate on a spring storm. Many different instruments could be used to make sound effects for this song, but I have been having a lot of fun using the Remo hand drum within many different classrooms.
This song incorporates fine motor skills (pitter patter of the rain), and listening skills (each different sound effect).
Here are the lyrics:
Chorus: April showers bring May flowers.
It is Spring.
Pitter patter raindrops I can hear, Pitter patter raindrops I can hear.
(Chorus)
Wind is blowing, I can hear, Wind is blowing, I can hear.
(Chorus)
Thunder clapping, I can hear, Thunder clapping, I can hear.
(Chorus)
With the hand drum, I ask students to walk their index and middle fingers across the drum to make pitter patter (raindrop) sounds. For the wind blowing, I ask students to rub the drum with a flat hand in a circular motion. (Many of them love this movement for its sensory feedback!) Lastly, for "thunder clapping," I ask students to beat the drum with a flat hand for a few beats.
(I, of course, give plenty of time and repeat the verses while the students are taking turns playing the different sounds in the song).
What other songs do you love to sing with kids in the spring?
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Stay tuned!
Welcome back!
Well, my 5 for 5 was almost complete until today. I just didn't have the time to get my next post online.
It was one of those days where I had the post all lined up, song ready, good intentions,etc., but zero time to execute and get it online.
So, be sure to check back Friday night, where I'll do a double post! :) You won't want to miss it!
I hope it's been a great week for all of you!
Happy Friday!
Well, my 5 for 5 was almost complete until today. I just didn't have the time to get my next post online.
It was one of those days where I had the post all lined up, song ready, good intentions,etc., but zero time to execute and get it online.
So, be sure to check back Friday night, where I'll do a double post! :) You won't want to miss it!
I hope it's been a great week for all of you!
Happy Friday!
A double post!
Welcome back!
After a busy week, I'm very glad to see Friday evening!
I've been posting about a variety of topics this week, and I have to admit-more variety is coming! :) I experience so many topics and themes during the workday, that I decided to share as I can and not worry about the randomness of it all.
Tonight's post will feature a double song post, as promised! The topics are Space and Gravity.
For a unit/theme about space, I like to start simple. The song below, Up, up to Space, briefly talks about the sun, the moon, and the stars. It is very basic and the main goal of the song is that the student learn that those three things are up in space. Many of the students I've worked with this past month have enjoyed pointing up high each time the chorus sings, "If we go up, up to space...". Students that cannot speak can also sing the chorus with the support of a voice output device.
The second song is about Gravity.
Gravity is a force and seems quite abstract to some students. My goals when writing this song about gravity were to: give students a better idea of what gravity is, explain what gravity does, and give examples of ways we normally experience gravity everyday.
If you would like song sheets for either or both of these songs, simply send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
After a busy week, I'm very glad to see Friday evening!
I've been posting about a variety of topics this week, and I have to admit-more variety is coming! :) I experience so many topics and themes during the workday, that I decided to share as I can and not worry about the randomness of it all.
Tonight's post will feature a double song post, as promised! The topics are Space and Gravity.
For a unit/theme about space, I like to start simple. The song below, Up, up to Space, briefly talks about the sun, the moon, and the stars. It is very basic and the main goal of the song is that the student learn that those three things are up in space. Many of the students I've worked with this past month have enjoyed pointing up high each time the chorus sings, "If we go up, up to space...". Students that cannot speak can also sing the chorus with the support of a voice output device.
The second song is about Gravity.
Gravity is a force and seems quite abstract to some students. My goals when writing this song about gravity were to: give students a better idea of what gravity is, explain what gravity does, and give examples of ways we normally experience gravity everyday.
If you would like song sheets for either or both of these songs, simply send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Safety Signs
Welcome back!
Today's song post is about Safety Signs.
When I wrote this song about Safety Signs, I thought about many students with special needs. Some of them drive, some of them don't. Some of them walk unassisted, some of them don't.
So, I decided to pick 5 main safety signs that all students, whether they walk or drive independently, will most likely see around town everyday.
The 5 safety signs in this song are:
Stop
Crosswalk
Railroad Crossing
Poison
Exit
I hope you'll take a moment to listen below. If you would like to request additional signs to be mentioned in this song, feel free to email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com with the additional signs you would like.
If you would like a song sheet complete with lyrics and chords for this song, feel free to email me at the same address above.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Here's another song for you!
This one is fun,upbeat and addresses comparing numbers for math.
Greater than, less than and equal to are all words we use when we compare numbers.
I can remember drawing an alligator to help learn how to tell if one number was greater than another when I was in elementary school (just a few years ago).
This song states the meaning of each separate sign we use when comparing numbers. It would be great to have picture cards of each separate sign and show them to students as the song plays.
Another idea would be to have several cards made of each sign, and pass them out to your students. Play the song and as each sign is mentioned, those students have to hold up their cards (if they have that particular sign).
I think it's a very upbeat song to introduce greater than, less than, and equal to for a group of students! What do you think?
As always, thanks for stopping by! Be sure to come back tomorrow for another song!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Spring is in the air!
Spring is such a nice and pretty season. I love the cool breeze mixed with warm sunshiny days. Very little sweat involved, not a lot of humidity, but all the benefits of the sun! :)
I wrote this song to use with students in a severe profound elementary classroom. I designed a couple of different visuals for this song, but the coolest part is that I added sound effects to illustrate the sounds mentioned in this song.
After hearing the song and seeing pictures of the wind in trees, bees and birds, I asked the students which sound they would like to hear. They could choose any of the three sounds (I had mp3 sounds of all three).
Relating this information to them with the sound effects was very neat! Many of the students were very attentive and interested in the sounds. Several of the students quickly made choices (via picture cards, and using eye gaze, hands, and/or Big Mac switch programmed to answer, "I want to hear that one.").
I left a good amount of space after each spring sound so that visuals could be shown, sound effects could be played, and or signing could be done to represent each item.
I'll post the lyrics below. If you like this song and would like to use it with children and/or students you work with, the song can be downloaded for just $1! Click on the download button under the song and after you log in payment info, an mp3 can be sent to your email inbox. It's that easy!
Sounds of Spring
There are many new sounds in the Spring.
And I can hear them all around with my ears.
I can hear the wind in the trees,
And I can hear the busy, busy bees.
I can hear the birds in the trees.
There are many new sounds in the Spring
and I can hear them all around with my ears.
When I hear the wind in the trees,
and the busy,busy bees,
when I hear the birds in the trees I know it's Spring! (Repeat)
© 2010 Amanda Ellis
Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!
I wrote this song to use with students in a severe profound elementary classroom. I designed a couple of different visuals for this song, but the coolest part is that I added sound effects to illustrate the sounds mentioned in this song.
After hearing the song and seeing pictures of the wind in trees, bees and birds, I asked the students which sound they would like to hear. They could choose any of the three sounds (I had mp3 sounds of all three).
Relating this information to them with the sound effects was very neat! Many of the students were very attentive and interested in the sounds. Several of the students quickly made choices (via picture cards, and using eye gaze, hands, and/or Big Mac switch programmed to answer, "I want to hear that one.").
I left a good amount of space after each spring sound so that visuals could be shown, sound effects could be played, and or signing could be done to represent each item.
I'll post the lyrics below. If you like this song and would like to use it with children and/or students you work with, the song can be downloaded for just $1! Click on the download button under the song and after you log in payment info, an mp3 can be sent to your email inbox. It's that easy!
Sounds of Spring
There are many new sounds in the Spring.
And I can hear them all around with my ears.
I can hear the wind in the trees,
And I can hear the busy, busy bees.
I can hear the birds in the trees.
There are many new sounds in the Spring
and I can hear them all around with my ears.
When I hear the wind in the trees,
and the busy,busy bees,
when I hear the birds in the trees I know it's Spring! (Repeat)
© 2010 Amanda Ellis
Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Elements of a Story
Welcome back to More with Music!
This week I'm starting another weekly topic post about different elements of a story.
Today's song will focus on the setting of a story.
I wrote this song to help students identify what a setting is and also introduce some examples. Sometimes the elements of a story can be rather abstract for some students
A setting is a place (or time) where (or when) the story takes place.
So, when I wrote this song, I wanted to mention that exact definition and try to give some examples along the way.
The lyrics are posted below. This song is also available for purchase by pressing the "Buy" button below the song. All songs here on More with Music are only $0.99!
Hope you have a great Monday! Stay tuned for a song later this week! :)
Setting
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right. (Repeat)
A house, a car, a cave or a mine
Read the story to find the place or time.
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right.
Yesterday, tomorrow, or on a certain date
Read the story to find the time or place
Because...
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right.
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right!
This week I'm starting another weekly topic post about different elements of a story.
Today's song will focus on the setting of a story.
I wrote this song to help students identify what a setting is and also introduce some examples. Sometimes the elements of a story can be rather abstract for some students
A setting is a place (or time) where (or when) the story takes place.
So, when I wrote this song, I wanted to mention that exact definition and try to give some examples along the way.
The lyrics are posted below. This song is also available for purchase by pressing the "Buy" button below the song. All songs here on More with Music are only $0.99!
Hope you have a great Monday! Stay tuned for a song later this week! :)
Setting
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right. (Repeat)
A house, a car, a cave or a mine
Read the story to find the place or time.
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right.
Yesterday, tomorrow, or on a certain date
Read the story to find the time or place
Because...
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right.
The setting of a story is a place or time, where or when the story takes place, that's right!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Gettin' ready for Green!
Here's a song to help you celebrate the day of green-St.Patrick's Day!
It's a simple song that I wrote to explain St.Patrick's Day and what students should expect to see for this holiday.
If you know of any other St. Patrick's Day songs that are cool I'd love to hear about them!
What songs do you like to sing to help celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
Lyrics:
Shamrocks and 4 leaf clovers too.
Leprechauns with gold and rainbows too.
These are all things that we'll see today,
On St. Patrick's Day!
I will wear something green today.
Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Green's the only color that can guarantee-
No one will pinch me!
Shamrocks and 4 leaf clovers too.
Leprechauns with gold and rainbows too.
These are all things that we'll see today,
On St. Patrick's Day!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Getting ready for Valentine's Day
Get ready for Valentine's Day!
Today I will be sharing a song about a heart to get you ready for Valentine's . I'm posting it a little early so you might have a chance to hear it and use it! :)
A Heart Stands for Love, addresses the shape of a heart and who we give hearts to on Valentine's Day. It also states that a heart stands for love.
In a few of the classrooms I serve, the students have been putting their hands on their hearts (chest), and other students have enjoyed trying to make the heart shape in the pic above with their hands while we sing the chorus of the song. Many of the students are quite good at it!
(Chorus)
Here is a shape and it stands for Love
This shape is called a Heart. (Repeat)
We give hearts to the people in our family.
We give hearts to our teachers and friends.
Valentine's Day is a special day when we say,
"I love you" to all of them.
(Chorus)
What are your favorite Valentine's Day songs?
As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Pin It
Friday, January 27, 2012
Get ready to go!
Welcome back!
I'm excited to share another song today!
The song is titled, Get ready to go.
I collaborated with a teacher on this one. The teacher asked for help writing a song that she could use with her students (she teaches elementary students with autism), when they are getting ready to leave the classroom. Sometimes the class leaves to go to a special (music, art, PE, etc.), and sometimes they leave the classroom to go to assemblies in the school, outside for recess, for a walk, or for field trips off campus too.
The teacher gave me the following list of things they do/check before they leave the room as a class:
Tie shoes
Tuck in shirts
Sanitize hands
Wipe faces
Get lanyards (with picture IDs on them for off campus trips)
So, I put all of those in a song and repeated each of them to give the teachers and assistants ample time to assist the students while the song was playing.
The kids really like it and it helps keep everyone in the classroom (even the adults) aware of what needs to be checked before they leave the classroom.
I hope you have a great weekend! As always, if you have questions and/or comments feel free to write them below or email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com
Thanks for stopping by!
Pin It
I'm excited to share another song today!
The song is titled, Get ready to go.
I collaborated with a teacher on this one. The teacher asked for help writing a song that she could use with her students (she teaches elementary students with autism), when they are getting ready to leave the classroom. Sometimes the class leaves to go to a special (music, art, PE, etc.), and sometimes they leave the classroom to go to assemblies in the school, outside for recess, for a walk, or for field trips off campus too.
The teacher gave me the following list of things they do/check before they leave the room as a class:
Tie shoes
Tuck in shirts
Sanitize hands
Wipe faces
Get lanyards (with picture IDs on them for off campus trips)
So, I put all of those in a song and repeated each of them to give the teachers and assistants ample time to assist the students while the song was playing.
The kids really like it and it helps keep everyone in the classroom (even the adults) aware of what needs to be checked before they leave the classroom.
I hope you have a great weekend! As always, if you have questions and/or comments feel free to write them below or email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com
Thanks for stopping by!
Pin It
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Therapy Tool
Welcome back!
Every now and then, I receive an email from a More with Music reader who asks questions, and or suggests topics I should blog about here on More with Music.
So, today's post is in response to a question from a reader.
Last week, I received these questions: "How do you clean/sterilize your rhythm instruments? How often do you clean them and what products have you found to be easy to use, yet good at cleaning too?"
Great questions! I'm sure we all have our own recommendations for cleaning rhythm instruments we use on a daily basis with students and clients.
I personally recommend Chlorox wipes. They are easy to keep in the car or in a session room and they have a very fresh, but not overly perfumed scent.
If an instrument comes in contact with any bodily fluid (i.e. snot, saliva, blood, etc..), I always clean it. Other instruments are cleaned biweekly (if I wait that long). I make sure to clean instruments more frequently when I'm aware of stomach bugs, viruses, colds, flu,etc.. going around.
The picture above is of the coolest things I found at the store. They are Chlorox wipes made in a travel size! They are so convenient and fit right in my cart that I carry from school to school. I love them!
I'd love to hear what others use to clean rhythm instruments and your opinions on products, methods of cleaning them, etc..
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Stay tuned for a song post soon!
Every now and then, I receive an email from a More with Music reader who asks questions, and or suggests topics I should blog about here on More with Music.
So, today's post is in response to a question from a reader.
Last week, I received these questions: "How do you clean/sterilize your rhythm instruments? How often do you clean them and what products have you found to be easy to use, yet good at cleaning too?"
Great questions! I'm sure we all have our own recommendations for cleaning rhythm instruments we use on a daily basis with students and clients.
I personally recommend Chlorox wipes. They are easy to keep in the car or in a session room and they have a very fresh, but not overly perfumed scent.
If an instrument comes in contact with any bodily fluid (i.e. snot, saliva, blood, etc..), I always clean it. Other instruments are cleaned biweekly (if I wait that long). I make sure to clean instruments more frequently when I'm aware of stomach bugs, viruses, colds, flu,etc.. going around.
The picture above is of the coolest things I found at the store. They are Chlorox wipes made in a travel size! They are so convenient and fit right in my cart that I carry from school to school. I love them!
I'd love to hear what others use to clean rhythm instruments and your opinions on products, methods of cleaning them, etc..
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Stay tuned for a song post soon!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I had a Dream-for FREE!
Welcome back!
Today I wanted to share a song that I've shared once before. I sing it this time of the year in many classrooms and it works great.
Just in time for January 16th, I'm re-sharing my song "I had a Dream" to help celebrate Martin Luther King day. The best part-it's FREE to share!
I came across a very nice poem about Martin Luther King online a couple of years ago, and I quickly put it to music.
The poem was written by Esther Yost, a former preschool teacher.
Here is the poem:
I have a dream, said Martin Luther King
We're gonna make that dream come true.
Let freedom ring, said Martin Luther King,
It's up to me and you.
It's not the color of your hair,
It's not the color of your skin,
It doesn't matter what you wear,
It's the character within.
I have a dream, said Martin Luther King
We're gonna make that dream come true,
Let freedom ring, said Martin Luther King
It's up to me and you.
I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do. It's not too complicated, and if you would like to see the visuals I created to go along with this song, simply email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com and I'll be happy to share them.
I'd love to hear what songs you like to use for this topic, activities you do,etc.. Feel free to leave a comment below.
I hope all of you have a great Friday and enjoy the long weekend as well!
Monday, January 9, 2012
I Dress for the Weather
Welcome back!
It's winter, but it doesn't feel like it everyday here. Some days are cooler than others, but we've had only a few really cold days.
Even though our outdoor temperatures don't always cooperate, we're still singing about Winter and cold around here.
Awhile back, I shared a song entitled, I Dress for the Weather. It's a song about clothing you wear in the winter to help you to stay warm. You can have a listen to it below.
I'm also sharing a visual I made via Windows movie maker.
I create windows movies for most of the songs I use in classrooms so that the teachers have the support when I'm not physically in the classroom different days/times,etc.. This provides the teachers with many opportunities to provide repetition for the students and give them more exposure to the songs.
I mainly use various images I find on Google images for my visuals, so these windows movies are used for educational purposes only.
I hope you had a great Monday! I'm excited about the upcoming 3-day weekend myself!
Be sure to stop back soon!
It's winter, but it doesn't feel like it everyday here. Some days are cooler than others, but we've had only a few really cold days.
Even though our outdoor temperatures don't always cooperate, we're still singing about Winter and cold around here.
Awhile back, I shared a song entitled, I Dress for the Weather. It's a song about clothing you wear in the winter to help you to stay warm. You can have a listen to it below.
I'm also sharing a visual I made via Windows movie maker.
I create windows movies for most of the songs I use in classrooms so that the teachers have the support when I'm not physically in the classroom different days/times,etc.. This provides the teachers with many opportunities to provide repetition for the students and give them more exposure to the songs.
I mainly use various images I find on Google images for my visuals, so these windows movies are used for educational purposes only.
I hope you had a great Monday! I'm excited about the upcoming 3-day weekend myself!
Be sure to stop back soon!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Wait a minute! part 2
Welcome back!
Now that the holidays are over, everything is back in full swing. I've been busy writing songs, singing songs, designing visuals and the most important thing-seeing lots of cool kids!
My last post (see below) briefly discussed a wait time and covered a couple of definitions of the concept itself.
Today I want to post more about this topic and more specifically, how you can incorporate it within a music therapy session.
A wait time is a therapy tool.
As I wrote previously, a wait time is defined as "the duration of pauses separating utterances in a conversation, (i.e. the time a teacher waits after asking a question and after receiving a response)."
Another definition I found online for wait time is "the amount of time that elapses between a tutor-initiated (teacher) question and the next verbal behavior (e.g., a student response)."
Many students have wait times (sometimes written in specific increments of minutes), in their IEPs and it is important for the music therapist to ask and/or read the student's IEP to find out if this is true.
A wait time gives the student time to process what was said (by therapist) and gives them time to respond (whether it is verbally, physically,etc..).
Within a music therapy session, there are several ways to give appropriate wait time, while at the same time providing feedback and validating the students. I always keep in mind that each student is an individual, and what motivates one, may not always motivate another.
When you ask a student (who requires a wait time) a question (i.e. What do you want to play today? What comes next?, etc.), I recommend you try the following ideas:
1. Ask other students the same question first. This gives students time to process what is going on, what is expected, giving an answer is modeled to the
students, etc.
2. Make eye contact with the student whom you want to answer the question.
3. If the student is nonverbal, be sure to represent choices with picture cards or
the real choices (instruments, stuffed animals, etc.)
4. Watch the students' eyes. Look to see if they gaze at one choice longer than the others. If this happens, verbally validate it "I see you are looking at the maracas. Great job! Matthew wants to play the maracas!"
5. Verbally (and musically)provide feedback to the student while waiting for their answer.
This can be incorporated into a song/chant "Matthew's thinking. Matthew's
thinking. Thinking about the choices today." or another idea to motivate (to
the tune of "Hey good lookin'"), "Everybody's lookin', everybody's lookin, lookin
at their pictures to tell me what they want to play".
Keep playing to support the student. Be patient. Strum in between verses, try decreasing tempo, and try to limit other distractions.
What are your thoughts? Are there other ways you motivate students during a wait time?
Feel free to leave additional comments below!
Now that the holidays are over, everything is back in full swing. I've been busy writing songs, singing songs, designing visuals and the most important thing-seeing lots of cool kids!
My last post (see below) briefly discussed a wait time and covered a couple of definitions of the concept itself.
Today I want to post more about this topic and more specifically, how you can incorporate it within a music therapy session.
A wait time is a therapy tool.
As I wrote previously, a wait time is defined as "the duration of pauses separating utterances in a conversation, (i.e. the time a teacher waits after asking a question and after receiving a response)."
Another definition I found online for wait time is "the amount of time that elapses between a tutor-initiated (teacher) question and the next verbal behavior (e.g., a student response)."
Many students have wait times (sometimes written in specific increments of minutes), in their IEPs and it is important for the music therapist to ask and/or read the student's IEP to find out if this is true.
A wait time gives the student time to process what was said (by therapist) and gives them time to respond (whether it is verbally, physically,etc..).
Within a music therapy session, there are several ways to give appropriate wait time, while at the same time providing feedback and validating the students. I always keep in mind that each student is an individual, and what motivates one, may not always motivate another.
When you ask a student (who requires a wait time) a question (i.e. What do you want to play today? What comes next?, etc.), I recommend you try the following ideas:
1. Ask other students the same question first. This gives students time to process what is going on, what is expected, giving an answer is modeled to the
students, etc.
2. Make eye contact with the student whom you want to answer the question.
3. If the student is nonverbal, be sure to represent choices with picture cards or
the real choices (instruments, stuffed animals, etc.)
4. Watch the students' eyes. Look to see if they gaze at one choice longer than the others. If this happens, verbally validate it "I see you are looking at the maracas. Great job! Matthew wants to play the maracas!"
5. Verbally (and musically)provide feedback to the student while waiting for their answer.
This can be incorporated into a song/chant "Matthew's thinking. Matthew's
thinking. Thinking about the choices today." or another idea to motivate (to
the tune of "Hey good lookin'"), "Everybody's lookin', everybody's lookin, lookin
at their pictures to tell me what they want to play".
Keep playing to support the student. Be patient. Strum in between verses, try decreasing tempo, and try to limit other distractions.
What are your thoughts? Are there other ways you motivate students during a wait time?
Feel free to leave additional comments below!
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