Elementary Music Lesson - Nonverbal Special Education

 

Special Education students who are nonverbal or have limited speech abilities can learn, participate, enjoy, and reap the many benefits of elementary music class.  Even when students don't sing along or repeat the poems you teach out loud, they are still learning them and enjoying the experience of making music as a class.  Adding movements and sign language to the songs you want to teach is a great way for students to participate and enjoy various selections.  The lesson plan below contains activities my students have not only participated in and enjoyed, but that do not require a musical background to lead.

Special Education Music Lesson Plan - 30 minutes

 

Materials:

1. Instrument (such as a tambourine or glockenspiel)
2. Bluetooth speaker
3. One beanbag per student
4. One tambourine (or other shaky instrument) per student
5. Hand sanitizer
   

 Set up:

• Students should sit in chairs in a semi circle
• Block easy access to your instruments (i.e. with a desk) 

Class Greeting 

A class greeting with an instrument helps establish music time.  Sing "Time for music" with a doorbell "ding-dong" melody. 

Hello Song: Have students play along with an instrument such as a drum or tambourine while you sing/lead all the singers in the room in a "Hello" song using their name.  Hello song suggestion: "We've Been Waiting for You" which can be sung a capella (with no background music) and include everyone's name.

 

 "Hey There, Friend"

 

 

 

Announce that we are going to play a fun game called "Hey There Friend."  You will be reciting the poem and teaching the movements.

First we say "Hey there, friend!" and wave.

"What do you say?" with question mark arms

"It's gonna be a marvelous day" clapping your hands (in, out, in, out, in, out, in out)

"Shake my hand and boogie on down"

"Jump jump jump and turn around!" 

 Practice the full poem a couple of times, then begin calling volunteers to be your partner in front of the class.  Not all students will want to come up, but they will enjoy watching their peers participate.

 

 "Seven Jumps" with Bean Bags: Model the movements before distributing one bean bag to each student.  Give them a choice of two colors.

Humpty Dumpty: Students love this activity that challenges them to keep the bean bag on their head until we recite the word "fall!" and they lean their head forward to catch it.  Below is a wonderful example using egg shakers (this is more challenging and I would recommend it for a longer class).

Transition: collect bean bags and distribute a shaky instrument.

Shake and stop + Freeze dance: This song is fun and challenges students to freeze / follow along, and can also be played as a freeze dance game with or without the recording. 

"Carnavlito": This recording has two sections that are easy to follow with a tambourine.  Encourage students to tap the rhythm in the first section, then "party" (shake) during the B section.

 

 

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 the song of your choice.  Here is an example:

  

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!