a "sweet" little song

Sweet, indeed!  In fact, upon some first encounters with this particular instrument some kiddos have (pretend) licked it.  The picture gives it away, but I'm talking about my trio of lollipop drums! (Any other MTs experience a similar reaction with your clients?)  It's fun to be able to offer an instrument that looks like a sweet treat  : )

In my arsenal of activities, I try to keep at least one "instrument-specific" song handy.  That is, a song that can be used to accompany playing, describe the instrument, or instruct how to play (ie: "Rub the Cabasa" or "The Clatterpillar Goes Click-Clack") while a client is manipulating the specific object.  I have a few songs about drums, but not one for the specific lollipop variety.  And... one of my kiddos has been working so very hard on articulation of /L/ and /th/ sounds...so... yahoo- a song with more than one use!  (gotta love multi-purposing an activity :) )  I tried hard to include a variety of initial, medial, and final (occuring first-in the middle-at the end of a word) placements of both sounds, as well as plenty of opportunities to practice throughout the song- we don't just want to include 2 /L/ words and call it a day!  When using this song to target articulation, we also practice the words without music before/after, as well as use a mirror to watch placement of the tongue (when not holding and playing a drum, of course!)

I hope you may find this useful for one or both of my intended purposes.  Let me know if you can think of another : )
Oh- and the /L/ and /th/ sounds we're working on are both sounding lovely!

THE LOLLIPOP DRUM

/th/, /th/, /th/, the lollipop
Play the lollipop drum

/th/, /th/, /th/, the lollipop

Playing is so much fun

Round like a circle

Sweet as can be

Sing along,

Play this song,

With me

/th/, /th/, /th/, the lollipop

Play the lollipop dru-um

/th/, /th/, /th/, the lollipop

Play the lollipop drum

waaaaay up high

When I think about it, I can remember times I desperately wanted be called on during class as a youngster...and then there were also times I equally as desperately tried to avoid eye contact with a teacher in hopes that would make me invisible and unable to be called upon! Something else that sticks out is the way teachers would make it known that if you raised your hand wildly, waving it around like you're trying to land an airplane, would most definitely not get you chosen. Conversely, if a student would sit quietly, tall in her chair, with her arm raised nicely, she stood a great chance of being the lucky one to venture an answer.
It's been a looooong time since those memories [: )], but I'd imagine similar situations still exist in schools today. So what's the right way to go about raising your hand? When should you do it? How long does it stay up there? When do you get to talk?! Read (and listen at Bandcamp ) on...

~do you have any fun[ny] hand-raising memories?~

RAISE MY HAND UP
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I know the answer!
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I have a question!
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I have something to say!
But before I yell out words-
Stop…think…wait…

When I want to tell something,
Raise my hand up!
If I need to ask a question,
Raise my hand up!
If I know an answer,
Raise my hand up!
Raise it up high
Up to the sky
Reach up where the planes fly

Leave it up there and quietly wait
Until my name is called
Then it’s your turn to speak
And down may hand can fall.

But….when I want to tell something,
Raise your hand up, up, up
Raise your hand up!

bursting with fun

Music Monday has taken to the air- it's all about bubbles today! A combination of a session plan, the spurt of warm weather, and a jar of bubbles sitting in my work bag pushed me toward this song...and I'm glad it did : ) Not many kiddos I know refuse bubbles, and I have seen lots of faces light up when a "bubbles" picture card has appeared on session schedules during the last week. I also love songs and activities that can serve multiple purposes. This can be used to: accompany blowing bubbles- why not take turns with a friend?; help work on breath support as those cool, clear circles are formed magically; request- from one word signs to 5 word phrases, it's always a great idea to practice asking for something fun; this one just (sorry for the pun) popped in my head: remember those gigantic bubble wands? Super way to target gross motor movement for upper extremities. Do you have any other ideas or have you used bubbles in another sneaky "this-is-fun-but-we're-still-working" sort of way? If so, please share!
ps: my lovely helpers are my doggies, Tess & Ellie- their first time with bubbles, and I have to say- kiddos are much more excited to see bubbles than the girls were : )


---Yes, there's something missing- it's not you! I'm not great at handling computer issues, and am not sure if I'm experiencing a problem with the music player or the blog; I can't seem to get the music player in this post...so...I hope you'll take the extra step to visit my Bandcamp page to listen or check out "Bubbles" posted on facebook---


BUBBLES
Take the lid off, open the jar
Pull the wand out….we are…
Gonna blow bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.
Take a deep breath, in through your nose
Now blow on the wand- and out the air goes…we are…
Making bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.

Magical, wonderful, beautiful
Circles floating in the air
Large and small-
I love them all
I love to play and watch without a care…
Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.

So clear, I can see through
Lovely and shiny, too
Floating up and down; all around!
Landing, and when one goes “pop”
And the bubbles stop…I say, "I want more ..."
Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.
Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.

just accept it

A compliment, that is : ). Fellow music therapist and super blogger Rachel Rambach at Listen Learn Music has a great "Compliment" song that you can listen to here; I found it very appropriate to use with one of my students. However, after some non-music reading that I've been doing lately about Asperger's and social skills, especially conversations, I realized that a complement to the Compliment song (nice use of a homophone, huh?) could be a good thing. That is, someone gives you a compliment- great!- but how do you respond? That's where "Smile and Thank You" comes in. I used both songs, followed by opportunities to make flash card examples of compliments, and discuss variations of saying "Thank you." Take a listen and see what you think!
ps: after recommendations from colleagues, songs will now be hosted at Bandcamp, so here's to successful posting and listening!

my english teacher would be proud

English was one of my favorite subjects when I was younger. In high school, I was on the English team of the academic team, and two terms stick out at me when I think of this new song....get ready...."alliteration" and "onomatopoeia." The first refers to the repetition of the same initial consonant sound of at least two words in close proximity to each other; the second refers to a word that imitates a sound it represents. Within "Pop-Pop-Popsicle" the /p/ sound is being alliterated (although I think I may have made that term up : ) and the "pop" sound is the example of onomatopoeia. Something different for you, but enough of the English lesson...
I've used this song as an accompaniment to instrument play- ie: drums, and playing 'pop-like' sounds during the chorus- but it's original intent is as a speech-sound song, to address initial and final productions of the /p/ sound---within a fun, summer-time song. I've also thought to target color identification with visual aides of colored popsicles. Another fun idea would be to move around with colored scarves and 'pop' the in the air during the appropriate times.
Do you have any other suggestions for this song's use? I'd love to hear them!



POP-POP-POPSICLE
When I feel the summertime heat
The sun beating down so hot
I want to enjoy a nice cool treat,
You know I really love it a lot
Red, orange, blue,
Purple and green, too
Different colors and flavors to eat
When I enjoy this summertime treat.

In my mouth, icy and cold
Pop, pop, Popsicle
Fun to enjoy if you’re young or old
Pop, pop, Popsicle
Unwrap it, push it up, or eat it off a stick
So tasty it’ll be gone quick

Popsicle, Popsicle, pop, pop, pop,
Popsicle, Popsicle, pop, pop, pop.
Popsicle, Popsicle, pop, pop, pop,
Popsicle, Popsicle, pop, pop, pop.