Make Music A Meaningful Tool in Your Special Education Classroom

I am excited to introduce this week’s guest blogger, Elise from the Accessible Music Room to chat about using music in your classroom!

There are so many areas that can be used to further student learning.  We as adults often find ourselves having musical experiences and using music to further our own needs.  In the classroom, this also applies! 

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The Music and Brain Connection

Music is a true vulnerability in sharing and understanding feelings.  Many students- especially neurodivergent students- often express feelings and communicate in a different way. Utilizing this to build a  sense of community and further understand our own feelings is natural. Here are some ways to incorporate that into your classroom:

1. Use music as an ice-breaker: Start the day with a class song where students can enter the room with excitement.
2. Play songs for transitions- promote clear expectations! Allow the length of the song to provide the allotted length for transition.
3. Use student preferred music within activities; even just in the background.
4. Have students complete the steps of a procedural task to a song- such as tying your shoes to “Twinkle Twinkle”- to help build physical memory.

Music as a Means for Language and Memory

Music is also a great means of working on language and memory. The tempo (speed) of a song partnered with lyrics and repetitive nature provide a great basis for any learning! Here are some tips for integrating songs into activities to improve language and memory:

1. Fill in the blank songs: listen to a song or sing a song with students, and leave the last word out.
2. Add your own words: Have students learn a chant (like this one) and choose the words to add to the song.
   1. Further this by having students choose a rhyming word, or another word that fits into a category (such as “color” “number” “shape” or “emotion”).
3. Have students practice literary elements like syllables in sorting activities with rhythms (like this one)

Connect to Emotions

Music promotes memory, connection, and understanding.  Music can also be used to portray emotions.  If you are someone who uses the Zones of Regulation, consider utilizing sounds as a means to reinforce that concept.

Example Activity: Have students choose from a list of songs that they could use to support them when they are in the green, yellow, red, and blue zones (such as “Happy,” “Put on a Happy Face,” “Ode to Joy,” and more).

Extension Activity: Have students create a song to describe each zone using chrome music lab.

Looking for more ways to make your classroom environment welcoming, look here for more!

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