Category Archives: Social Skills

“Conducting Exercise” for att’n span and social skills music therapy / special education lesson plan for children

  By Margie La Bella | October 20, 2012 - 3:35 pm | , ,
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Age: 6-12 (all ages, really)
Goal Area: Social skills: leading, following, attending, contributing
Name of Activity: Conductor
Objective: Kids will play their instrument when the conductor points to them.
Materials: Instruments interesting to the students.  I like to use tone bells or resonator bells with the fourth removed.
Method: Each student selects an instrument and one student is chosen to be the conductor.  The conductor points to the different instrumentalists and they play until he puts his arm down or behind his back to signal stop. 
Adaptations: Exaggerated movements can mean  to play loudly,  small movements can mean soft.  Related movements can signify  fast,slow, long and short (poking the air) music.  The game can also be done vocally, which is a blast and can help with expressiveness.  Try with pitched instruments to create a song and record. 
Submitted by:  Margie LaBella of music therapy tunes .com

“What I like” fill-in song writing music therapy activity for kids and adolescents

  By Margie La Bella | October 20, 2012 - 3:29 pm | , ,
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Age: 6-12
Goal Area: emotional expression and social skills
Name of Activity: Here’s my name and what  I like
Objective: Students will fill out a song form with their name and things they like/dislike.
Materials: Pages with song and blank spaces provided, pens, a variety of age-appropriate instruments.
Adaptations: Teacher takes down their answers and sings them if students are not able.
Method: Students fill out form, choose an instrument to accompany it with and perform their verse.
Submitted by:  Margie@musictherapytunes.com
Lyrics and Chords: Kids can rap this or jam to any popular chord progression. Examples: Em-C- D repeated.  Em-Dm repeated.  Blues progression.
 
   My name is ________________. I said _______________is my name.
               _______________________ is my favorite game.
               I like___________________ think____________________is bad.
               My song is _______________________ the best that I had.

“Musical Bingo” teaches music signs or instruments. Great for music education lesson plans.

  By Margie La Bella | October 20, 2012 - 3:28 pm | , ,
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Goal Area: cognitive and social
Name of Activity:  Musical sign Bingo
Objective: Clients learn about musical signs and notes. See adaptations. They play the game patiently and accept their own or someone else’s winning.
Materials: Home-made or prepared  music bingo cards and place markers.
Method: Play Musical Bingo and use a favorite song as the prize.
Adaptations: Use this format to teach rhythm instruments, or band/orch instruments!! Use to teach rhythm reading of simple patterns. Use to teach everyday environmental sounds. This is a big auditory discrimination goal! It takes some effort to prepare the sounds and cards, but it’ll be worth your while.
Submitted by: Margie labella at music therapy tunes

Mellow Good bye Song for music therapy / education

  By Margie La Bella | October 10, 2012 - 7:42 pm | , ,
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-Age: 6 to 10 and younger….
-Goal Area: closure
-Name of Activity: Goodbye song from the Bear in the Big Blue House
-Objective: Clients end session on a positive note. Reciprocal interaction. Participation and eye contact. 
-Materials: song and people
-Method: Sing and participate.
-Adaptations: You can adapt this by singing children’s names in the verses, perhaps incorporating session events also.
-Submitted by: Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC at “morewithmusic.com”
-Lyrics,chords, solfege, melody used: Bear in the Big Blue House on youtube
 
F                         F/A                 Bb(or Fsus is easier)               Bb-C
Hey this was really fun, we hope ………………you liked it too.
F                                F/A                             Bb                        G-C
Seems like we’ve just begun, when suddenly we’re through.
          F            Bb                  C                        F                                Bb        C
Goodbye, goodbye good friends goodbye. ‘Cause now it’s time to go.
        F        Bb           C      Dm                             Bb                      C          F
But hey, I say, well that’s Ok, cause we’ll see you very soon I know.
 
vs 2: Oh when we have to go away it’s kind of sad but then
it’s nice to know it won’t be long ’till we get to see each other again.
‘Till we meet again.   (same chords as verse 1)

“Move and Freeze” concept development activity for special education lesson plans

  By Margie La Bella | October 10, 2012 - 7:31 pm | , ,
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-Age: 6-12
-Goal Area: Cognitive thinking skills
-Name of Activity: Dance and freeze (problem solving, understanding prepositions.)
-Objective: children will follow the directions given during the game.
-Materials: Music that the kids are familiar with and enjoy (not too rowdy.)
-Method: Tell the children that they are to move to the music and then freeze in the stated position when the music stops.
-Adaptations: see below
-Submitted by: Margie La Bella
-Lyrics and Chords: Up to you and the needs/preferences of your group.
Here are examples of how to get the game going:
1. When the music stops, freeze behind your chair. ( Or other spacial relations.)
2. ………………………………. put your head (foot, elbow or other body part) on your chair
3. A combo version………. put your (part) under (or other preposition) your chair.
4. Another combo ………..put one foot under your chair and the other on top.
5. Freeze like a decided upon animal or character.
6. Freeze near something yellow (or other color.)
7. Freeze near something we eat at, or sharpen our pencils with, or where we hang out backpacks… or other object-function relationship.
8. Try whatever you and/or the kids think up.

“Bear in the Big Blue House” mellow music therapy goodbye song for kids

  By Margie La Bella | October 6, 2012 - 3:47 pm | , ,
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-Age: 6 to 10 and younger….
-Goal Area: closure
-Name of Activity: Goodbye song from the Bear in the Big Blue House
-Objective: Clients end session on a positive note. Reciprocal interaction. Participation and eye contact. 
-Materials: song and people
-Method: Sing and participate.
A-daptations: You can adapt this by singing children’s names in the verses, perhaps incorporating session events also.
-Submitted by: Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC at “morewithmusic.com”
Lyrics,chords, solfege, melody used: Bear in the Big Blue House on youtube
 
F                         F/A                    Bb(or Fsus is easier)               Bb-C
Hey this was really fun, we hope ………………you liked it too.
F                               F/A                             Bb                        G-C
Seems like we’ve just begun, when suddenly we’re through.
          F               Bb                C                 F                                      Bb        C
Goodbye, goodbye good friends goodbye. ‘Cause now it’s time to go.
        F        Bb           C      Dm                              Bb                  C        F
But hey, I say, well that’s Ok, cause we’ll see you very soon I know.
F
Very soon I know.
 
vs 2: Oh when we have to go away it’s kind of sad but then
it’s nice to know it won’t be long ’till we get to see each other again.
‘Till we meet again.   (same chords as verse 1)

“I’ve Got a Feelin’ ” Goodbye Song to teach social skills

  By Margie La Bella | October 6, 2012 - 3:41 pm | , ,
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-Age: 6-12 and younger/older
-Goal Area: language and social skills
-Name of Activity: It’s time to say goodbye now
-Objective: Clients will give eye contact to the therapist, sing the word “goodbye”, and wave.
-Materials: adapted version of “I got a Feelin” ‘ by Black Eyed Peas  (You can hear the melody on youtube)
-Method: Sing and do 
-Adaptations: Mellow it up for preschool kids. The song is also good for sign language and to help kids give eye-contact and wave. Change the words to reflect the specific needs of your particular group. 
-Submitted by:  Margie La Bella
 
Lyrics and Chords:
C                                           F
I’ve got a feelin’ that it’s time to say goodbye now.
             Am
Yes it’s time to say goodbye now.
         F                              C
It’s time to say good, good bye goodbye.
 
 
 

“Acting Out Feelings” music therapy song intervention for children (and all ages)

  By Margie La Bella | September 23, 2012 - 3:14 am | ,
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Goal Area: Emotional expression and language
-Name of Activity: Singing with feeling
-Objective: Kids name feelings and then act out bodily , facially, and vocally.
-Materials: Any familiar kids song  (ABCs, We all live in a yellow submarine, Bingo- it’s up to you and/or the kids.)
-Method: Kids can pick a face or feeling and then sing the song while acting out the emotion
-Adaptations: (optional) 
-Submitted by: (optional name and email) MARGIE LABELLA
This activity works well with younger kids too.  We don’t get to express certain emotions much in our culture-in a positive way. This activity  also tends to engage and focus a figity bunch of kids. 

“Leader-Follower Musical Conductor game” music therapy with children

  By Margie La Bella | September 23, 2012 - 3:12 am | ,
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-Goal Area: Social skills: leading, following, attending, contributing
-Name of Activity: Conductor
-Objective: Kids will play their instrument when the conductor points to them.
-Materials: Instruments interesting to the students.  I like to use tone bells or resonator bells with the fourth removed.
-Method: Each student selects an instrument and one student is chosen to be the conductor.  The conductor points to the different instrumentalists and they play until he puts his arm down or behind his back.
-Adaptations: Exaggerated movements can mean  to play loudly,  small movements can mean soft.  Related movements can signify  fast,slow, long and short (poking the air) music.  The game can also be done vocally, which is a blast and can help with expressiveness. 
-Submitted by:  Margie La Bella 
-Source: unknown

 

“Lead and Follow” music therapy activity for social skills lessons

  By Margie La Bella | September 23, 2012 - 3:03 am | ,
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-Age:  6-12 and younger
-Goal Area: social skills (but also physical and language skills, too.)
-Name of Activity: Two step directions
-Objective: Clients will take turns naming ways to move and then moving in those ways- two movements per verse.
-Materials: “ Two-step directions” adapted from  “I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair,” from South Pacific
-Method: Ask two children to think of a way to move and incorporate their suggestions into the song lyrics.  Give everyone a turn.
-Adaptations: provide an entire verse for one child/motion.  Make different classifications of movements such as “how can you move your hands,” or
“Show me a slow way to move,” or “how do you move when you’re sad.”  Of course you can pick a different melody if you like. 
-Submitted by: (optional name and email) Margielessonplans@gmail.com
-Lyrics,chords, solfege, melody used:  An example of this would be: (providing you reflect the childrens answers.)
     (G)       C            C/B             C/A     C/G                                                         Dm                     G7
I’m gonna clap my   hands and  turn     around. (repeat two more times.) Good job Manuel and James.
So la it      do   do    do       do    domi    re  do                                              mi   sol   sol fa     la   so