tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74907443373908506382024-03-13T14:52:43.855-04:00More with MusicAmanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-35054240004293805232020-08-23T19:54:00.004-04:002020-08-23T20:09:27.423-04:00Back to School...with Covid-19<p>Welcome back to More with Music! </p><p>I feel like I should be welcoming myself back. :). It's been a super long time since I last posted here (like around 2 years!). I hope to post more often this year, but am going to refrain from committing to posting a certain number of times per week/month, etc.. Trying to eliminate some stress! </p><p>One thing we can all agree on is that school is definitely different this year! As I sit here writing this post, I have spent around five hours today prepping for music therapy sessions-face to face and virtual sessions. Whew! It is very time consuming, but on the other hand the students are so worth it!</p><p>One of the new songs I recently wrote is "Who Wears a Mask?" I wrote this song to help students understand when they need to wear their mask (whenever they leave their homes), and how to wear their masks properly. </p><p>To listen to the song, click <a href="https://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/who-wears-a-mask" target="_blank"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>here</b></span></a>.</p><p><u>Who Wears a Mask?</u></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">Who wears a mask? I do. I do.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">Who wears a mask? I do. I do.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">Who wears a mask? I do. I do.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">I wear my mask when I leave my home.</span></p><p>My mask covers my nose.</p><p>My mask covers my mouth.</p><p>My mask covers my chin.</p><p>It keeps the germs from getting in.</p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">Who wears a mask? I do. I do.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">Who wears a mask? I do. I do.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">Who wears a mask? I do. I do.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">I wear my mask when I leave my home.</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);">What ideas have you come up with to support students during Covid-19? </span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 129, 142);">Stay safe and wear your mask!</span></p><p><br /></p>Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-61138119208966628192018-08-05T10:36:00.001-04:002018-08-05T10:37:47.150-04:00Music and Math Concepts<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a school based music therapist, I assist a lot of students with their academics. Whether it's breaking down a concept into steps or composing a repetitive jingle to help them remember facts or a certain process, music is very engaging and beneficial in the school setting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">With younger students, I always strive to include songs in music therapy sessions that address basic math concepts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">One major math concept that students learn in PreK and Kindergarten is counting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Students begin their experience with numbers through counting, number names and written numerals. Students learn to count objects and begin to understand one-to-one correspondence. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love to use my "Count with Fingers" song with young children who are just beginning to count and grasp one-to-one correspondence. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=165672785/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=7137dc/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/count-with-fingers-1-5">Count with Fingers #1-5 by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">The tempo of this song allows students time to use their fingers to count each number. As they count their fingers, they are also practicing fine motor skills and finger dexterity</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">. This song can easily be implemented by teachers as part of a morning group or circle time. The great thing about it is music keeps counting fun and engaging!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">As we're counting down the days until school officially starts, what songs do you use that help students learn to count?</span></span></div>
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-75420105681304345872018-07-25T08:00:00.000-04:002018-07-25T08:53:25.614-04:00The Back to School GrindIt's almost time to go back to school!<br />
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Every year around this time, parents and students start their back to school shopping. The new school calendar goes up on the fridge. It's time for new school clothes and shoes. Open house nights are just around the corner and mom and dad start creeping back the bedtimes as well.<br />
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For some students, it's an exciting time. However, there are some students that really prefer the relaxed schedule of summer. They thrive on all the attention given by mom and dad, grandma and other extended family members who are close to them. They wish they could go back to that week of vacation where they got to see and do so many fun things.<br />
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For these students in particular, the back to school grind is challenging. It takes awhile for them to get back into the swing of things.<br />
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What can you do to help these students? I like to use music as a motivator.<br />
I wrote the song, "It's Time to Work" precisely for this time of year (as well as anytime there is a long break from school).<br />
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You can sing this song, sign this song ( I sign the words "time" "to" and "work" when introducing this song to students). You can also get the group up to dance to this song. With older students, you can also have a discussion with them about work that is hard for them, frustration, how to handle those situations, etc..<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=3393676363/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=63b2cc/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/time-to-work">Time to Work by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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The song is catchy, it's fun and hopefully will motivate a student or two to recognize it's time to work!<br />
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What are some of your go-to back to school motivating strategies?<br />
<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-76025668237555774912018-07-21T21:14:00.000-04:002018-07-21T21:14:18.497-04:00The Importance of PlanningSummer is one of my favorite seasons. It is a time to de-stress, spend time with family and have time to yourself to do whatever you enjoy doing. Summer is also a time when many of us school-based music therapists do a lot of planning. <br />
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I find that planning ahead helps lessen my stress. Instead of pulling all-nighters and being in a rush the morning of, I give myself time to think of creative ideas. I take the time to research what other music therapists are doing and create my own ideas as well. Over the years I have found that if I procrastinate with planning, I feel more stressed and not as creative. <br />
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If you're a school-based music therapist and you are trying to plan ahead for the upcoming school year, you may be interested in my e-book: "<a href="http://www.musictherapyebooks.com/downloads/the-back-to-school-batch/" target="_blank">The Back to School Batch</a>". <br />
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The Back to School Batch is a digitally downloadable songbook designed with the music therapist and special education teacher in mind. It features 12 original songs that cover a variety of daily topics and routines that students learn in the classroom. <br />
With the purchase of the E-Book, you will receive sheet music for each song, ideas and suggestions for implementation for each song, as well as instrumental accompaniment tracks and mp3's of each song.<br />
These songs are ideal for groups as well as one-on-one clients and are appropriate for students with a wide range of diagnoses. This E-Book is guaranteed to help you teach More with Music!<br />
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To find out more and to purchase "The Back to School Batch", click <a href="http://www.musictherapyebooks.com/downloads/the-back-to-school-batch/" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.<br />
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-14682520856786839802017-05-17T22:58:00.004-04:002017-05-17T23:07:51.122-04:00Plants AdaptHappy Thursday!<br />
Many of the classrooms I serve in the public school setting have been learning about plants. We sing about the parts of a plant (find it <a href="http://www.morewithmusic.org/2013/06/plants-have-4-parts.html" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">here</a>), and the needs of a plant. For our middle and high school students, we also sing about photosynthesis, (<i>which I'll be sharing soon!</i>). Earlier this week I recorded two additional songs about plants. <br />
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Today I'll be sharing one of those songs: Plant Adaptation. <br />
Researching this topic was very interesting. At the same time, I found it challenging to keep the song short and simple. After many drafts, I finally finished writing the song and decided on a jazz chord progression for the accompaniment.<br />
(<i>Warning: This song is catchy and it may get stuck in your head!</i>)<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=4119669277/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/plants-adapt">Plants Adapt by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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The repetitive chorus is intended to help students learn the main idea: plants adapt in order to live. <br />
The chorus can also be used to engage students who use a voice output device. They can sing along with this repetitive part if it is prerecorded on their device.<br />
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Stay tuned for another song about plants next week!Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-19347316456111092622017-05-01T15:15:00.000-04:002017-05-01T15:17:08.859-04:00The Life Cycle of a ButterflySpring is in full bloom here! <br />
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I love this time of year because students can learn and observe so much while being out in the beautiful weather. </div>
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Many classrooms that I work with are learning about life cycles. The past two weeks in particular, we have been learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. Today I want to share a song I wrote about this with you!</div>
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=3081577768/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=2ebd35/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-life-cycle-of-a-butterfly">The Life Cycle of a Butterfly by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe></div>
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The vocabulary in the song includes the following key vocabulary words: </div>
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butterfly</div>
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eggs</div>
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caterpillar</div>
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chrysalis</div>
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I kept this song simple and allowed for repetition within almost all of the verses. I also searched and found signs (ASL) for the four key vocabulary words listed above, as well as the following words: fly, hatch, eat, spin. I use these signs while singing the song so students have a motion for each part of the life cycle. </div>
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The students have picked this song up very quickly and many of them are singing along on the repetitive phrases and mirroring the signs as well!</div>
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What other butterfly songs do you sing with your students or groups?</div>
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As always, thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-62885691724167551322017-03-20T13:12:00.000-04:002017-03-20T13:12:39.411-04:00Spring has Sprung (plus a giveaway!)Happy first day of Spring!<br />
While I like different aspects of each season of the year, I'm definitely looking forward to spring weather! Not too hot, not too cold and plenty of sunshine for everyone.<br />
Today I'm re-sharing a song that I use a lot in classrooms.<br />
It's called the Sounds of Spring.<br />
<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=564656508/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=7137dc/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-sounds-of-spring">The Sounds of Spring by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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When I sing this song, I first teach the signs for the three sounds mentioned in the song: wind, bees and birds. We sign the sounds as we sing. I have a visual of each sound as well as sound effects (prerecorded on voice output devices), so the students can see and hear each sound. <br />
If you have any students who are nonverbal, they can participate in the song with either the sign language or by using the voice output devices to play the sounds as they are sung in the song.<br />
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Now for the giveaway! I'm giving you my visuals for this song <i>for free</i> today! <br />
Click on the link below to grab the free visuals!<br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kmsjpmzcjosv0ea/AADZpOMWItgQaCT2dIONW71va?dl=0" target="_blank">SoundsofSpringVisual</a><br />
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As always, thanks for stopping by!Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-59677252964883123902017-03-16T23:13:00.000-04:002017-03-16T23:13:51.599-04:00A song for St. Patrick's Day!Today I'm sharing a song that I just recorded this week! <br />
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One of the elementary teachers I work with requested a song to further help the students understand the following motions: straight, around, fast/slow, zig zag and back and forth. <br />
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As I sat down to brainstorm some ideas, I quickly thought that a couple of the motions are really abstract if you don't already have prior knowledge or experience with them (zig zag, back and forth). Next I remembered that St. Patrick's Day was just days away and decided the song would be about a leprechaun. <br />
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In this song, the leprechaun puts on his hat ("<i>pulls it straight down</i>"), walks <i>around</i> his pot of gold, slides up and down the rainbow (<i>fast and then slow</i>), <i>zig zags</i> through the garden and dances <i>back and forth</i> to the music. I then created a visual to go along with the song and incorporated the smart board so students could come up to the board in between verses and practice those motions with their fingers and/or smart board pen. <br />
<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=5193008/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=2ebd35/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-leprechaun">The Leprechaun by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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What songs do you love that teach motions?<br />
Happy St. Patrick's Day!Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-79524451936171189172017-03-13T05:00:00.000-04:002017-03-13T05:00:16.967-04:00Special Olympics<i>Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.</i><br />
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Many students I work with have been learning and singing about Special Olympics this month, as it is quickly approaching in my neck of the woods. <br />
It's always a great day of celebrating abilities instead of disabilities. I love to see all the families and volunteers who come out to support and cheer on the athletes.<br />
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I wrote the song below to help celebrate this special day. <br />
The song is based on the special olympics motto.<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=340732081/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/let-me-win">Let Me Win by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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In many of the classrooms I serve, we have been discussing the meanings of the words brave and attempt. There have been a lot of great responses. Many of the students shared that they understood brave to have something to do with being scared of something. I was particularly impressed when one student raised his hand and said, <i>"When you are brave, it means you believe in yourself." </i>What a great definition! I couldn't help but think about how many of the students have to be brave everyday to accomplish basic tasks and get through their day. Sometimes that really puts things into perspective.<br />
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I encourage all of you to support the athletes in your local Special Olympics. <br />
Stay tuned for more song posts!<br />
Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-6904348780348109032017-02-23T05:00:00.000-05:002017-02-23T05:00:33.336-05:00Exposure FirstHappy Thursday, (also known as "Friday eve")!<br />
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Today I'm sharing a brand new song and giving you the inside scoop as to why I wrote it the way that I did.<br />
To give you a little background, a teacher that I work with asked if I could write a song to help the students celebrate 100 days of school. Her school was having a celebration for the 100th day of school and all kinds of activities were planned for that day. <br />
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After discussing this concept for a few minutes, the teacher shared that a few of her students were still working on counting from 1-10 and the rest of her students were working on counting 11-20 and 20-30. The idea of 100 was not really a concept they had spent lots of time on so far this school year. This is pretty much reality in any classroom. There are students functioning on a variety of different levels, strengths and weaknesses.<br />
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So, as I set out to write this song, I decided that if this was for a celebration, it should definitely sound upbeat. Furthermore, I wanted to keep it simple, and I didn't want to count to 100 during the song. :) <br />
I asked myself questions (i.e. What do the students need to know to celebrate 100 days of school?,<br />
What will the students grasp quickly? How do I explain 100 to a student that is not able to count that far yet?)<br />
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I decided to give the students <i>exposure first</i>. I wasn't going to teach them to count to 100, but I was going to expose them to the concept of what 100 is all about.<br />
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I came up with three ways to describe the concept of 100 (of anything):<br />
<i>100 is big</i><br />
<i>100 is a lot</i><br />
<i>100 is a large amount</i><br />
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Then I added activities they can relate to doing everyday, like reading, writing, counting and learning to work together. This essentially became the "meat" of the song. I then added one more thing: an opportunity for the students to cheer, "Hooray!" during the song. <br />
When I sang this song with students very recently, the "Hooray" part was definitely an attention grabber! :)<br />
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Here's the song below. What are some ways that you provide students exposure first?<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=4254014371/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/100-days-of-school">100 Days of School by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-50764828513749950672016-12-20T15:46:00.001-05:002016-12-20T15:47:00.308-05:00Happy Holidays plus a freebie!This has been a busy semester for me. I realize I haven't posted often, but I've been busy recording songs for many different subjects and topics. I hope to get back on a somewhat regular blog posting schedule in the new year. <br />
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Today I'm sharing an oldie but a goodie! I seriously get lots of use out of this song around this time of the year. The kids love it and they learn it pretty quickly!<br />
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"Christmas Lights" is sung to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down". When I sing this song, I also incorporate sign language(ASL) for the following words:<br />
bright<br />
night<br />
red<br />
green<br />
yellow<br />
blue<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=1185810434/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/christmas-lights">Christmas Lights by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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Today I'm giving away a freebie also! <br />
By clicking on the link <span style="color: red;"><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6yHKJbVuiU3M2VPRzRaTzl3dEk" target="_blank">here</a></b></span>, you can access a power point presentation that goes along with the song "Christmas Lights". Each slide features colorful pictures of Christmas lights and the lyrics to the song. <br />
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I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-24371775606520880032016-10-17T05:00:00.000-04:002016-10-17T05:00:14.148-04:00Rhyming WordsThe reading bug bit me!<br />
If you read my last post, I wrote about skills students need to acquire in order to learn to read.<br />
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Lately I've been working on several songs to help students with pre-reading skills in a fun way. <br />
Today I'm posting a song that was adapted from an old nursery rhyme, "A tisket, a tasket". <br />
In this song, I focus on students learning that rhyming words sound the same.<br />
<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=1973510994/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/rhyming-basket">Rhyming Basket by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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While singing this song, students select word cards (note cards cut in half or quartered are good sizes), from a basket. You can also make word cards with clip art representing each word as well.<br />
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Each student takes a turn reading or sounding out their word (Remember-start simple. Word families are great for this!), and the other students can listen and try to figure out if they have a word that rhymes with the word that was read. This activity could be repeated on different days so that students would have more practice with rhyming and reading the words. <br />
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What songs do you use to help students learn to rhyme?<br />
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I hope you have a great week and as always, thanks for stopping by!Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-63986394708590255422016-10-11T16:58:00.000-04:002016-10-11T16:58:18.602-04:00Sticking Words TogetherStudents can have a variety of challenges when it comes to learning how to read.<br />
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In order to learn how to read, students must:<br />
*recognize the letters of the alphabet, uppercase and lowercase letters<br />
*learn the sounds associated with the letters of the alphabet,<br />
*encode letters for the sounds heard for the initial, ending and medial sounds heard in words<br />
*recognize word families and build words (word building)<br />
*increase sight word vocabulary, develop word sense<br />
*decode (learn phonetic rules that tell us how to pronounce sounds of letters in conjunction with each other)<br />
*learn punctuation and capitalization<br />
*recognize spelling patterns<br />
*comprehend<br />
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The song I'm sharing today is one of many that I use to help students learn how to read. This song identifies the five vowels: A, E, I, O and U. The song also defines vowels as letters that "stick words together. They also have two sounds-long and short. You have to listen for the difference in vowel sounds. <br />
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I work with one student in particular who inspired some of the lyrics in this song. He is a very energetic student who is always eager to sing in music therapy and can often be heard saying, "Come on! Let's do it!" or "Here we go!" as each session begins. See if you can hear the extra lyrics I added to honor his spirit and energy! :) <br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=2973717526/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/vowels">Vowels by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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What are your favorite songs for reading and the skills involved in learning how to read?<br />
Please share or comment below!<br />
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Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!<br />
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-84772962234539385192016-10-03T19:43:00.000-04:002016-10-03T19:43:55.163-04:00Shaping BehaviorHow many of you remember the golden rule?<br />
It goes something like this: <br />
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.<br />
If all of the students we work with did just that, life would be amazingly easy! <br />
Many students that I work with in the public school setting are working on impulse control. This looks different from classroom to classroom, because it includes verbal, nonverbal, physical and social and emotional behaviors.<br />
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Today I'm sharing a song that helps remind students to think about their behavior. <br />
This includes anything they may say or do. I've been singing this song the past two weeks with students and they quickly learned the song lyrics. A lot of the students are also able to pair sign language to key words in the song (I sign the following key words: think, speak, do, want, them and you).<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=3030667387/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/think-before-you-speak">Think before you Speak by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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What other behaviors do you shape through songs?<br />
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-34227974908664088172016-09-24T12:51:00.001-04:002016-09-24T12:51:04.358-04:00Fall is Here!Happy Fall!<br />
Sunny days with cool breezes are definitely something to get excited about! <br />
Things have definitely been busy in my neck of the woods! This school year has gotten off to a great start and I've enjoyed seeing all of my little and not so little friends again. :)<br />
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Today I have a song about apples to share. I recommend using this song with younger groups (I work in special education classrooms and use this song with students who are PreK-5), and it focuses on color identification (red, yellow & green), and following directions. <br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=590665159/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/apples-in-the-basket">Apples in the Basket by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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I had so much fun recording this one! I added a violin part to give it something a little special. I think it really made the song sound good! I'd love to hear your thoughts!<br />
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I have already implemented this song in a couple of classrooms and the students are digging it. For visual aides, I've used printed apple clip pictures art that have been laminated and then students put them in a basket. I've also used a large picture of a basket with velcro dots on the front of it and the students place their laminated apple picture on the basket. Both ways have worked well!<br />
How could you incorporate this song in your sessions? <br />
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As always, thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more posts!<br />
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-21211808915906171902016-07-15T01:00:00.000-04:002016-07-15T01:44:45.726-04:00Songs with PropsHappy Friday!<br />
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Today I'm sharing a song that is sure to be a favorite among your younger students! <br />
Why am I so sure? Well, let's just say one word: Trains!<br />
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If you read my last post, you are already aware of the awesome train track tape that I stumbled upon at the store. (<i>I'm still excited that this product even exists!</i>) If you missed my last post, you can scroll down or you can find it <a href="http://www.morewithmusic.org/2016/07/songs-with-props.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Well, I decided to write another song that I could use with younger students while incorporating the train track tape (the prop for this song). So, before you begin the song, ideally you would have the train track tape on the floor before the students/group enter the session area. You can even use this as part of your structure to the beginning of the session, "Everyone find a spot around the train track."<br />
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This song features a chorus that repeats after each verse:<br />
"Choo-choo, choo-choo,<br />
Chugga, chugga, chugga<br />
Chugga, chugga, chugga<br />
Choo-choo, choo-choo"<br />
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The verses call on the students to follow directions and participate in 3 movements: <br />
Stomp our feet<br />
Pump our arms<br />
Raise one hand high and pull down<br />
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Click on the link below to hear the Choo-Choo Train song.<br />
(This song is also available for purchase via the link as well.)<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=431904480/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/choo-choo-train">Choo-Choo Train by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></p>
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I can't wait to use this song! How about you? A song lyric sheet is available upon request for this song. Please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com</p>
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Have a great weekend! </p>
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I can't wait to use this song with some of my younger groups! How about you?<br />
A song lyric sheet is available upon request for this song as well.<br />
Please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com to request a song lyric sheet.<br />
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Have a great weekend!Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-88249246224294354532016-07-01T00:08:00.001-04:002016-07-01T00:14:37.581-04:00Songs with PropsHappy Friday! <br />
I've been busy going through my vault of songs and making lists of new song topics to work on and spending time creating new ways to implement oldies but goodies too. <br />
Today I came across a song I shared awhile back called "<i>Clickety Clack</i>".<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=2806450417/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/clickety-clack">Clickety Clack by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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Many of the students I work with <b>love</b> trains, so I wrote this song to implement one of their favorite toys while addressing counting goals (<i>specifically counting and recognizing numbers 1-5</i>). <br />
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In terms of implementing this song, I typically use laminated cut outs of different color trains with the numbers on the sides of them. <i>(Sometimes I also have the number word on the other side of each train and this allows me to address another goal with some students who can already identify the numerals but not the number words themselves)</i>. <br />
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As I sing the song, students either hold up their train or place it on the floor and we put them in order after all the numbers have been identified.<br />
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Well, today while I was out shopping, I saw the coolest prop for this song!<br />
Train Track Play Tape! (They have it at Wal-Mart for $9.33!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq9OHFKSsd6D-kEUqNv4NZG67Ff9pmgsc4M6TY8TU0ajQkmgIk-Uvla89Mavw9s8nBpVDAmrioBQVbLQZ_RBC0IQWkZUZoZTxvFqEwyxzx6VJ82BfWkwwe82RlqH1wdC0ztJ3Daj1F1Ps/s1600/Traintaperoll.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCq9OHFKSsd6D-kEUqNv4NZG67Ff9pmgsc4M6TY8TU0ajQkmgIk-Uvla89Mavw9s8nBpVDAmrioBQVbLQZ_RBC0IQWkZUZoZTxvFqEwyxzx6VJ82BfWkwwe82RlqH1wdC0ztJ3Daj1F1Ps/s200/Traintaperoll.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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It's a roll of tape that easily sticks to flat surfaces and comes off with no sticky residue leftover to clean up. <br />
How cool is that?!?<br />
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So now, I can place a piece of tape on the carpet or table and the students can place their trains on the tape. What a cool prop! It also functions as a visual number line when we place the trains in order from 1-5 also. <br />
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How could you implement trains and/or train tape within your music therapy sessions? <br />
Do you have song props that you just love? Please comment below and share!<br />
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-29723605976114970592016-06-20T12:35:00.000-04:002016-06-20T12:35:26.623-04:00Summer is here!It's officially the first day of summer!!!<br />
I'm posting an old song that's one of my "go to" songs for the summer season. <br />
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The repetitive chorus ("<i>It's hot, hot, hot!"</i>), is an easy one that kids can quickly learn. It's also an easy one to sing into and record onto a BigMac, or any voice output device, for students who are nonverbal. In most sessions, I cue the kids to sing this part by themselves. I have pictures of all the items mentioned in the song and the kids love labeling each picture as we sing the song. <br />
A couple of years (<i>and many sessions ago</i>), I quickly learned that anytime you incorporate food within songs it's a definite win with the kids (and most adults too!) :) So, I purposely included popsicles and ice cream in this song too. <br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=910490388/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=7137dc/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/summer-is-hot-hot-hot">Summer is Hot, Hot, Hot! by More with Music</a></iframe><br />
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What other songs do you sing in the summer? <br />
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I hope you are having a great summer so far. </div>
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Stay tuned for more song posts here at More with Music!</div>
Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-81542582170989598822016-05-21T05:00:00.000-04:002016-05-21T05:00:08.461-04:00I Can Pour A CupJust reading that title made you thirsty, didn't it? :)<div>
Well, today's post is not about an actual beverage, but instead it's about measuring with cups.</div>
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Many of the students I serve are learning about different methods of measurement.</div>
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So, I wrote a song to help students learn about liquid measuring cups specifically.</div>
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I wrote this song in order to help students understand three things: </div>
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1. the action of measuring with a measuring cup-you pour from the bottom to the top</div>
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2. you measure as the liquid moves up-you look for the lines on the cup</div>
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3. fractions are used in measurement (identifying 1/4, 1/2, and 1 cup)</div>
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=2969814385/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=e99708/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/i-can-pour-a-cup">I Can Pour A Cup by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe></div>
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I've been singing this song a lot the past two weeks. The rhyming in the repetitive chorus has helped students pick it up quickly. I also added some simple actions to the chorus.</div>
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The chorus lyrics are below along with the actions I added.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Oh, I can pour a cup</span> (<i>pretend to hold a cup and make a pouring motion with your hand</i>)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">from the bottom to the top</span> (<i>point to floor, then point to ceiling</i>)</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">and measure all the way up </span>(<i>extend arms straight out, palms up, and hands rise up in front of you as you sing, "all the way up"</i>)</div>
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Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for more songs about measurement!</div>
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Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-15764592639000282832016-04-24T20:33:00.000-04:002016-04-24T20:33:19.820-04:00The Sounds of SpringIf you take a walk outside in the morning you will definitely hear Spring everywhere!<div>
There are birds tweeting, bees buzzing, the breeze blowing and many more sounds we can hear.</div>
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Lately I've been singing a lot about the sounds of Spring with the students I serve. I added sound effects to this song via the smartboard (<i>wind, buzzing, tweeting</i>), and the students were even more interested!</div>
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The students love making their own sounds as well. We also learned the sign language for each sound (<i>wind, bee, bird</i>), and we sign as we sing. Signing has helped many of the students focus on the particular words we are singing in the song greatly!</div>
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Here's the song below. If you like it, you can purchase it for just $1 by clicking on the song title. </div>
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=564656508/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=7137dc/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-sounds-of-spring">The Sounds of Spring by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe></div>
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What songs about Spring have you been enjoying lately? </div>
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As always, thanks for stopping by!</div>
Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-91156398213109956242016-04-06T13:55:00.001-04:002016-04-06T13:55:45.334-04:00All things SpringHappy Spring!<br />
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Last week was spring break for us and I enjoyed a break from the busy schedule of each weekday. I was disappointed that I was sick most of last week and lost my voice (<i>along with many other music therapy friends I correspond with</i>), but I was so glad to not have to use up sick days at work as well. <br />
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So far, this week has been a week full of songs about spring! <br />
I'm putting together a collection of songs I have written along with songs I'm working on currently for an album entitled "All things Spring". My next few blog posts will feature songs from this collection.<br />
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Today I'm sharing one of my favorites. It's a song about the parts of a plant: the roots, stem, leaves and flower. This song includes short explanations of the job of each part of the plant also. <br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=866868398/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=2ebd35/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/plants-have-4-parts">Plants Have 4 Parts by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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<u><b>Lyrics:</b></u><br />
Plants have four parts<br />
Count them "1, 2, 3, 4"<br />
The roots and the stem, the leaves and the flowers.<br />
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The roots absorb water and nutrients underground. The roots help hold the plant in the ground.<br />
The stem moves water to the rest of the plant. The stem helps the plant to stand up above the ground.<br />
The leaves make food for the plant. The leaves need air, sunlight and nutrients too.<br />
The flower is the pretty part of the plant that we can see. The flower produces seeds that form new plants.<br />
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When I sing this song with students, I incorporate the counting aspect of the song to motivate the students to participate. With younger students, we use our fingers to count while we sing the song. With older students, we sing each number, and I pause after each number to highlight the counting. Using a pause in the music is a great idea if you want to assess and motivate a student participating in an academic skill such as counting, labeling, spelling,etc..<br />
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I highly recommend using a visual with this song. The students learn so much when music and academic information is paired with a visual that they can see and touch. If you don't want to use a real plant as an example, you can use an artificial plant or a picture of a real plant as well.Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-60945807367264300222016-03-19T16:57:00.000-04:002016-03-19T16:57:04.661-04:00Celebrating Special OlympicsWelcome back!<br />
Today I'm sharing a song I just finished. It's literally hot off the press...or guitar and computer if you will. :)<br />
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Special Olympics is quickly approaching next month and I wanted to write a song to help celebrate it.<br />
I read the motto for special olympics and instantly got to work on writing out a few verses to go with it. <br />
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The Special Olympics motto is:<br />
<i>Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.</i><br />
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I know several special olympics athletes here in my town, and I know that they definitely have to have courage to show the world what they can do. Each year, Special Olympics is a great day of celebrating abilities instead of disabilities. I really enjoy seeing the athletes receive their medals as each one of them loves being told that they are a winner!<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=340732081/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=de270f/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/let-me-win">Let Me Win by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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I encourage everyone to go and volunteer your time at a Special Olympics day near you. You will see pure joy and appreciate every ability you have at the same time.<br />
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-61221291633489454012016-03-09T05:30:00.000-05:002016-03-09T05:30:05.684-05:00Green DayGreen day (<i>not the band :)</i>), is right around the corner! <br />
I'm posting this a little early so you can check out this song to sing with the students you serve before St. Patrick's Day happens this year. <br />
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I wrote this song a couple of years ago, but I sing it with students each year. Singing songs about holidays is a great way to help students learn about the different holidays throughout the year. I also use visuals so the students can see the objects the song mentions (in this case: shamrocks, leprechauns, gold, rainbows,etc..). <br />
Pairing visuals with songs <b>really</b> helps students learn to label objects-especially new objects, new vocabulary, etc..<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=1639491951/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=2ebd35/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/st-patricks-day-2">St. Patrick's Day by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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Here are the lyrics:<br />
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Shamrocks and four leaf clovers too<br />
Leprechauns with gold and rainbows too<br />
These are all things that we'll see today on St. Patrick's Day.<br />
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I will wear something green today.<br />
Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.<br />
Green's the only color that can guarantee no one will pinch me.<br />
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Shamrocks and four leaf clovers too<br />
Leprechauns with gold and rainbows too<br />
These are all things that we'll see today on St. Patrick's Day.<br />
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What songs do you sing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?<br />
<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-68667754698284542372016-03-07T06:00:00.000-05:002016-03-07T10:27:42.604-05:00All things Winter, part 5Welcome back!<br />
Today I'm posting my final post of implementation ideas for songs from my All things Winter album. If you want to check out all the songs on this album without scrolling through the blog posts below, you can click <a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/album/all-things-winter" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The two songs below are very similar and target the same goals and objectives. They both target students understanding appropriate clothing for the weather (in this case, Winter). Each song also identifies where each article of clothing is worn. <br />
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"<i>I Dress for the Weather</i>" identifies the following winter garments: a hat on my head, a jacket, a scarf around my neck and gloves on my hands. I recommend having visuals or real objects to show the students as you sing this song. <br />
<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4197866216/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=1856859505/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/album/all-things-winter">All things Winter by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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"<i>I wish I was a snowman</i>" helps students identify parts of the face (eyes, nose, mouth), and winter clothing (scarf and mittens). This song is for younger students and has a repetitive chorus with each verse. You can easily create a small or large "snowman" with white paper plates and as you sing the song, students can help dress the snowman. A great tip I recently started implementing is to use the solo plastic plates and you can attach velcro easily to them. You can print two eyes, a nose, and a mouth and the students can put them on the right places for the face. <br />
<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4197866216/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=1132996111/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/album/all-things-winter">All things Winter by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
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This wraps up my implementation suggestions for the songs from my album, All things Winter. <br />
If you have any questions, please comment below or email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com<br />
I would love to hear how you use these songs and how you implemented them with students you serve. <br />
Stay tuned for new song posts! Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7490744337390850638.post-18038014123121191652016-03-06T06:20:00.000-05:002016-03-06T06:20:32.634-05:00All things Winter, part 4In today's post, I'm continuing my love of polar bears with another song!<br />
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This song goes along with a great singable story:<br />
<i>Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear? </i>by Eric Carle.<br />
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I have found that many students (and adults) love the Eric Carle books. The stories are interesting and the illustrations are very engaging. <br />
This song goes right along with the text of the story. <br />
<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4197866216/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/track=3972262382/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 42px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/album/all-things-winter">All things Winter by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a></iframe><br />
I opted to use finger picking on the guitar so that students could focus on the book and story and not be distracted by louder chord strumming. I encourage the students to sing along with the chorus each time. We sing, "<i>Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear? I hear a...</i>", and then we look at each page of the book and see what comes next. Many times the students are very good at imitating the sounds of each animal too! <br />
A great way to implement this song/book activity with students who are nonverbal is to prerecord the chorus onto a BigMac (voice output device). A picture of a polar bear placed under the switch cover is also a great idea. You can let that student be the leader for the chorus each time and encourage the other students to sing with the student who is nonverbal each time she/he presses the switch (BigMac)<br />
Another idea is to have pictures of each animal mentioned in the song and work towards students being able to sequence the animals in which they occur in the story. Students can either hold up their animal as it is mentioned in the story or you can sequence the animals after the story has been read.<br />
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What other stories do you like to sing?<br />
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I hope these posts are helpful to you. My next post will conclude the implementation ideas for my album, <a href="https://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/album/all-things-winter" target="_blank">All things Winter</a>. More new songs posts are in the near future so come back soon!<br />
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<br />Amanda Ellis, MT-BChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17853135830235616260noreply@blogger.com0