Tips to Use Music for Teaching Special Needs Students

Music has a unique way of touching souls and impacting the learning process. For students with special needs, music can be a particularly effective and efficient tool. Music therapy and structured activities can help students in developing their understanding and enhance their communication. If you are in search of the best ways to use music with special needs students, this blog is exactly what you need.

Benefits of Music for Special Learners

Music-based lessons or classes offer a wide range of therapeutic and educational benefits for students with special needs. You can learn about those advantages in the following:

• Improved Communication Skills: Including melodies and rhythms in your lesson plans can help the students in overcoming their difficulties while speaking and enhance their vocalisation.
• Sensory Stimulation: Music-based lessons provide a stimulating yet calming and soothing experience for your students. This enhances their ability to be attentive during your sessions which eventually builds a better understanding. 
• Increased Focus: Integrating music during your sessions can help your students stay focused and engaged. This can especially work when your students are tasked with difficult topics.
• Stress Reduction: Soothing melodies can assist your students in relaxation which decreases their anxiety. This will help them in developing a better understanding of their academic topics.

Start with Assessing and Understanding Your Students

Every student has different likes and dislikes, therefore not all music will work the same way for everyone. So, before incorporating music into your lessons, consider the following factors:

• Individual Needs and Preferences: As a teacher, you must know what type of music your students prefer. You can do this by observing their reactions or finding out the tempos, styles, and instruments that they enjoy. This will help you in developing your lessons as per their needs.
• Music Sensitivities: Some of your students might be highly sensitive towards loud or complex sounds. Therefore, you should always start with gentler and soft music options before gradually introducing more dynamic tunes.
• Musical Abilities: You must assess if your students are able to understand their current musical skills. This will help you as a teacher to choose the most appropriate music activities to maximise the effectiveness of your lessons.

Music Activities for Special Needs Students

Below, you can find out some of the easiest but most efficient ways to implement music-based activities into your sessions:

• Structured Listening: Play a short piece of peaceful music and ask your students to draw an image inspired by what they hear. You can also ask them to describe their feelings in response to the music.
• Songwriting: Motivate and encourage your students to create their own songs as a form of self-expression. You can help them by providing some prompts or themes to get them started.
• Rhythmic Exploration: You have the flexibility to use drums, shakers, or simple body percussion such as clapping or stomping to explore rhythms and patterns.
• Music and Movement: By playing upbeat music and dance or leading students through simple movement routines. This is a fun way to promote physical development and build coordination among your students.

Technology and Music Resources

Technology opens up a world of possibilities for integrating music into your lessons. You can learn about the top techs that can help you enhance your session's quality in the following:

• Music Apps: As a teacher, you can explore apps designed for creating music, research instruments, or learn how to incorporate basic music theory into engaging your lessons.
• Adaptive Instruments: You must find specialised musical instruments designed for specially-abled individuals. This will simplify their learning process and ensure their development.
• Online Resources: Platforms such as YouTube and Spotify offer diverse music playlists, educational music videos, and interactive musical games. You can utilise them to make your lessons engaging.

Expanding Your Musical Toolkit

As you become more comfortable integrating music into your teaching sessions, you can explore the different ways of doing it. Some of these include:

• Instrument Exploration: Even without formal music lessons, you can offer opportunities to your students by exploring different instruments. Provide them with simple musical instruments such as keyboards or flutes to promote new adventures. This will make your sessions engaging and enhance student participation.
• Group Music Making: You, as a teacher, must create opportunities for the students to experience playing music together as a group. This will develop their social skills, teamwork, and a sense of winning by collaboration.

Patience and Positive Attitude

Remember, the progress of your students will be gradual when working but will have a big impact on their development. Therefore, celebrating their small victories and maintaining a positive and encouraging classroom atmosphere is essential to maximise effectiveness. 

You don't have to be an expert musician to integrate melodies into your lessons. Proper planning, passion, and belief in the process are enough for you to successfully integrate music into your sessions.

Conclusion

By finding the best ways to use music with special needs students, you can help them reach their potential, build connections, and make their learning journey joyful. By incorporating music in thoughtful and innovative ways, you can create an engaging, supportive, and enriching learning environment for all your students. As a teacher, you should not hesitate while experimenting because it can provide your students with fun and a completely new experience.