Un Music Lesson Plan for Special Education TK-1st Grade (Moderate-Severe / Non-verbal)

 

 

If you are a music teacher new to Special Education, or need ideas for your lessons you've come to the right place.  The lesson plan below contains activities my youngest SpEd students have participated in and enjoyed.  These activities do not require extensive musical training.

TK-1st Grade Special Education Music Lesson Plan - 30 minutes

Materials:

1. Soft Rug
2. Gathering Drum (pictured above)
3. Ukulele, guitar, or autoharp (song recordings can be used instead if needed)
4. Projector, device with internet access, 
5. Bluetooth speaker  
6. Small instrument for each student such as a tambourine or scarf 
7. Small stuffed animals 
8. Classroom expectation posters (preferably laminated separately with magnets so you can have them on the white board and grab one to reinforce instructions when needed, i.e. "hands to ourselves") 

 

 Set up:

• Students should sit on the rug around the gathering drum and may play as soon as they do so.  You can also encourage them to feel the soft rug.
• Be mindful of what is within students' reach if they leave the circle.  For example, I cover my piano with its soft case and place stacked chairs around a large floor xylophone.
• Be mindful of how all the senses in your classroom can affect students: loudness of instruments, smell, brightness of lights, and even temperature. 
• If students are not wearing name tags, use either a roster or ask the teacher/paraprofessionals for their names to write them on the board. 

Gathering Drum 

Some students will likely start patting on the drum, other may try to lift it, and others may try to sit or stand on top of it.  It's important to let go of expectations that students will follow all instructions just by telling them to stop.  Instead, do not show any signs of disapproval, demonstrate how to tap on the drum using fingertips and gently ask them if they can do that too.  If you notice a student playing a pattern, acknowledge it non-verbally by echoing it back to them!

Class Greeting 

A class greeting with an instrument helps establish music time.  Sing "Time for music" with a doorbell "ding-dong" (sol-mi, sol mi) melody with the instrument, then again a capella (with no background music) while tapping on the drum. Encourage students to echo that rhythm on the gathering drum.

Hello Song  

Have students tap along for a "Hello" song of your choice.  My suggestion is: "We've Been Waiting for You" which can be sung a capella and include everyone's name.

Interactive Song 

 

Engage students with a song they probably know: if you are able to find out a song from their regular repertoire that you can lead, great!  If not, try “If You’re Happy and You Know It."  For this song, I include clap your hands, stomp your feet, and nod your head.  If you cannot play this on an instrument, don't worry!  Your voice is enough and you can always play a recording instead.  This can get the students up /moving and and enjoying the familiar group song.

Song with an Instrument 

Put away the gathering drum and offer students a small instrument (such as a tambourine) or scarf for the next activity.  You can transition this with another song that is appropriate for the season / cultural connections.  Since we are in December, I used "Feliz Navidad" and simply played/sang the song while encouraging students to follow the steady beat with those instruments.  Amazingly, my most rambunctious student relaxed into their paraprofessional's arms when I started the song. 😊

Listen and Move  

Students will be invited to stand and hold on to their instrument for "Listen and Move" by Greg and Steve.  Don't worry if some students don't participate fully and focus on positive reinforcement when they demonstrate a skill such as responding to a changing tempo, however that may be.  Some students will leave the instrument behind as they move and this is when you can begin collecting them.

Music Movie Time

 

Ask students to return to the rug to watch a cartoon about music and collect any remaining instruments.  I've been showing my students short segments (1-4 minutes) of "The Four Seasons" by Boston Baroque and offering them small stuffed animals to move along to the music.

 

 

Goodbye Song 

 

You can sing "Music Time is Over" in the same ding-dong (sol mi) melody you used at the beginning of class or another goodbye song of your choice.   Invite students to "say bye bye" (wave / hug) their stuffed animal before they are collected.

 

Here is an example of a "goodbye" song:

  

During the goodbye song, you can distribute hand sanitizer to students and other teachers present.  Finally, encourage the class to give themselves an applause for doing so well in Music Class.

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Did you try some or all of this lesson plan?  Let us know how it went!