Songs to Encourage Speech in Special Needs Preschoolers

Songs to Encourage Speech in Special Needs Preschoolers

 In Special Needs Preschooler
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Here at Books and Rattles, we know the importance of using music and dance to help special needs preschoolers grow and thrive. That’s why the arts are a part of our special needs programs. 

We wanted to share a few easy song activities that you can sing with your special needs preschooler at home. 

Coast Music Therapy put together five music activities for parents to use song and rhythm to encourage speech. They build momentum and anticipation by purposefully including elements of surprise to create opportunities for the child to want to fill in a word or sound to continue the song.

They provide these tips to build anticipation for song activities:

  • Progressively increase your voice volume and pitch up to the point where you want the child to fill in a word or sound such as “Ready, Set…GO!” or “and…STOP!”  
  • Place your hands or a puppet in front of the child, approaching to tickle but waiting for your child’s verbal initiation to follow through.  
  • Incorporate activities with high sensory, like bouncing, jumping, bubbles, water play, use of scarves, then stop the activity and wait for your child’s verbal initiation to continue.  
  • Do activities the child finds funny such as making silly faces, moving toy animals in silly ways, or engaging in silly dance moves. Create a ‘stop’ and ‘go’ theme to these activities to create your child’s desire to use communication to continue.  

A big thank you to Coast Music Therapy for sharing this resource! Check out these five song activities, from the classics: This Little Light of Mine, Five Little Monkeys, Brown Bear, Old MacDonald, and Five Green and Speckled Frogs.

Here is our favorite:

Five Little Monkeys

Target Sounds and Words 

  • Bed  
  • Head  
  • Said  
  • No  
  • More  
  • Ouch 

Materials 

Ball or trampoline 

Monkey props or photos 

Drum 

Lyrics

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. 

One fell off and bumped his head (ouch!) 

Momma called the doctor (put a hand to ear as if making a call) and the doctor said… (wag finger or shake head no) 

No more monkeys jumping on the bed! 

Four little monkeys… 

Source: Coast Music Therapy

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