Help with planning music for special needs (secondary level but low ability)?

Question

I have recently started a new job and as part of this, I have to lead music for a group of children with Severe Learning Difficulties. I am going to train as a music teacher so the music part does not bother me. However, my job is at a mainstream school that has a department for SLD children and this is where I will be doing the sessions. They are aged 11-16 but are low ability with a lot of them working at approximatley KS2 Sats Level 2.
I have experience of working with special needs but not running workshops for the children and need some advice on what level to pitch my work. I don't want to make it too babyish as I appreciate that they are 11-16 and do intergrate with the mainstream children of the school and I don't want to cause them distress in eth playground, however, I also don't wnat it to be too hard.
PLease can somebody give me some advice on what the best route to take is. I know basically what I want to do with them, I just need some help with how to do it.

Any advice or help will be greatly received and if anyone could give me the website or email addresses of anyone that could help me, I will be very grateful.

Answer 1

I would suggest a lot of singing, which is accessible to all. African songs, with some added percussion are particularly effective. Use movement to give awareness of pulse.
Perhaps you could get some guitars and do some strumming and learn a basic chord or two.
Learning to play a melody you know on the keyboard is also very rewarding but steer clear of nursery rhymes with this age group! I would teach by modelling rather than from notation and have a backing track/recording to play along to at the end of the session.
Also very effective is using ICT to record and manipulate their voices. This will be very popular. Audacity is a free program you can download to do this (if you have access to a computer in the school).
If you wish to avoid it seeming babyish be careful about how you use glockenspiels and percussion!

Answer 2

The first thing you want to do is address their likes in music, what they and their friends listen to. Secondly, make it fun. If you use their interest and make it interractive, they will never know that you are "watering" down the curriculum. If they are non readers you can have them draw pictures to replace certain words in the songs that they are not familiar with. you can start by having them try to write down the lyrics fro their facortie songs, they can do this independently or in a group, depending upon ther abiity. Group work is better as long as they take it seriously because it takes the onis off of one person, and many times it is helpful because they work together providing each other wtih assistance. They can then act out the song, make a video. You may find a talent music writer in the group, and he can rewrite the music, or reproduce the musical notes he believes are used in the song. Many students who are LD in reading, writng or math, have other talents. They may be disabled only in one area, and you can rely upon their strengths rather than weaknesses to make them feel successful.

Answer 3

Whenever I have taught music to special needs children I have always incorporated a lot of movement activities, both guided by me or directions in the music, or free dance. I use props such as shakers and dancing scarves also, which can be motivating to some students who might feel a little self conscious about dancing and movement. With activities like this you can choose music that doesn't seem to babyish, and you can choreograph movements that are appropriate for your students. Best of luck!!!

Answer 4

My husband is a special needs specialist...in English. He's out at the moment....I'll ask him when he gets in.

In the meantime.....percussion, recorders, simple chime instruments....colour coded flags on the chime instruments.....something instantly rewarding like '3 Blind Mice'

Those songs that 1 starts, then the next joins in with the same tune.......Frere Jacques....London's Burning......Row the Boat....

Hope this helps.

Hello 123456......my husband says.....the first session......karaoke. It breaks the ice....builds confidence.....etc.
You may have to explain to your employers the reason why, but my husband gets excellent results from unorthodox methods.

Drumming is a good one.

Excellent idea from your other answerer though.

I've seen these guys in Brighton....wow.

Don't want the 10 points....just want to help.
Good luck.

Answer 5

Create a drumming cicrle and watch them bloom.