Share some strategies you have used to assure every child in your groups is successful.

[Meredith Pizzi]

[Emily Seymour]

Simple strategies I’ve used to engage clients in the past include making eye contact, using closer proximity, or verbally inviting them to participate in the music.  Having consistency and structure in your session is a great way help children be sucessful.  I commonly use adapatations in instrument play, movement, etc. so that everyone can successfully participate.  Sometimes these problems surprise you in sessions and you have to think of strategies fast!

[Vanessa Talbott]

To ensure that every child is successful in my groups, I focus first on safety. If the child is unsure of the environment, the child with or without the parent is welcome to observe outside the circle. I always give a child the choice to come to the circle. It normally does not take long but if it persists over the first session, I encourage the parent to each time come a little closer to the group.
Once a child feels safe and learning can occur, I focus on making connections between the parent and child, child to child, parent to parent and my relationship with all group members. Music is the way that I connect and connect others.
I also give lots of choices or options for ways to participate so that everyone feels a sense of belonging.

[Anonymous]

I try to provide an environment that is structured and familiar. I try to bring music interventions that will meet a variety of levels so that each child can participate successfully. I regularly assess the room to make sure each child is included and try to be flexible and make changes when needed. When I plan interventions, I try to make sure there is a good flow for energy and during each session watch for each child’s level of stimulation. Finally, I also try to improvise, to include responses from the children.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Great ideas, everyone.  I also try and find some time to encourage parent participation, since the more the grownup sings,plays and moves, the more the child usually sings, plays and moves.

[Kristen Macleod]

I like to make sure I have a structure and to make sure there is consistency in each session so that the children can feel safe in their familiar environment to explore their music fully. I try to make sure I am listening and assessing each child’s needs as we go along and to be encouraging and attentive to make sure I am meeting the levels of each child in the group. I like to include choice making  so that everyone can feel included, have a voice and feel that they are a part of the group as an individual.

[Lauren Bevilacqua]

I find that designing experiences with multiple levels of participation is really helpful in providing opportunities for everyone to be successful. I run integrated preschool groups with a large age range and maybe one adult staff for each two students. Having familiar experiences where the child can participate to their fullest extent is important. I try to create experiences that EVERYONE can participate in and feel successful and satisfied in whichever level they happen to be working through. 

[Lisa Klostermann]

As we learned in this course a good, age appropriate plan with a consistent structure and plenty of repetition is important.  As is constant assessment to see how the children are engaged.   If a certain song or activity isn’t working, cut it short and do something else.  I give the children lots of choices and follow their lead with their suggestions if I can.

[Megan Goddu]

I try my best to meet each child or client I am working with at their level of engagement as long as the child was being safe. I would bring the music to them while still maintaining the engagement of the others in the group. Usually the other children would try to help me engage the other child as well which was great to see. If the child was sitting in the corner, I would hold a drum out for him to play or not to play…still getting him the choice. Or if he was walking around the group in a circle…hold the drum in his path for him to decide to hit with his hand, head, arm or to walk around it.

[Meredith Pizzi]

These ideas are exactly why music therapists make the best providers of early childhood music experiences. Thank you to all!

[Michelle Muth]

Currently, I do not work with groups of young children so I will translate this to other groups I work with.  A school I work at I meet with a number of classrooms for a very short amount of time.  During that time I try to incorporate some 1:1 connection with each child (all with various levels of developmental delays and physical disabilities) while also trying to be aware of what is going on in the group at large.  There are typically many classroom supports in the room and I will coach them on how to hold an instrument that best helps the student; or some other element that will help the student to participate to their fullest.  It’s all about being aware of the room; connecting with the students AND adults and being flexible in the moment.  All these elements prepare me well for working with young children and their adults.  With parents/adult caregivers assistance or any “correction” I need to be conscious of helping and not criticizing as they could take it quite personally.  It’s all about collaborative education and providing the adult caregivers with tools to help support and enhance their parenting.

[Meredith Pizzi]

Nice thoughts, all.

[Courtney Fanello]

All these strategies are great, providing activities with multiple levels of participation, and commenting on the great things the children are doing. Also, modifying and gently redirecting children if they become upset or overwhelmed, and always monitoring the safety of the children. I love the opportunity to give choices, whether it is what song to sing, or where to shake the maraca. It is also important to notice certain children’s tendencies, ie: become overstimulated or to hit others with the instruments, and intervene before these things happen. Having structure is also key in helping kids to feel safe and secure in their environment. I believe Beth mentioned always having a maraca in a red bag, or instruments in certain places, and using transition songs to help children know what is ending, and what is coming next.

[Carla Carnegie]

currently, I do not work with young children either.  But, I have contracted with a lovely retail/resource family needs store with room to rent out to providers of many modalities: i.e., childbirth classes, lactation, massage, etc., to do some drum circles, music time!, and soon music therapy assisted childbirth classes.  The music time! idea was for me to gain some experience just being with young ones and parents in a group setting, in preparation for becoming a SM provider.  Last week, I held my first one.  I had a couple of young babies–6wks. t0 8 mos., and then 3 toddlers between 18mos, and 2, and a 5yr old.  I struggled with having songs that met needs of all these ages, and had questions about, “how long, or how many repetitions of these songs shall I do?  I found the parents got bored? and got up and wandered off, leaving their toddlers to continue to be engaged with an instrument, while they chatted among themselves.  It really wasn’t very successful.  But then, I didn’t prep the parents well when they came into the circle. Actually, my time slot was poorly designed, because I was following a person doing a “art” project with these children for an hour! she is a great artist, but I can see, lacks knowledge of developmentally appropriate  activities for 2 yr. olds, and the length of time to remain engaged in these various art projects seemed to be far too advanced for the little ones.  The 5 yr old was in her element.   By the time I was to do a musical experience with these little ones, they were pretty spent, I felt.   Anyway, what I wish to do is  for now, provide a music experience that will fit for all of the children and their caregivers/parents together in a group experience.  Once I have completed all the training, and become a member of SM, then I feel I will need to do things differently. So, my question is this:  I felt at a loss to fully utilize a song that would fit them all. But, I guess everyone was engaged on their own level, because even the 8mos. old was enjoying moving about playing an instrument.  The 6 week old wasn’t of course. I totally get the need to really share what and why I do anything with parents, and to encourage them to move and hum, if nothing else with their baby.  There is so much to share, but don’t want to overwhelm them or me right off!  Honestly, I felt like I did when doing my first practicum in a setting that was new!

 

[Carla Carnegie]

I have enjoyed reading everyone else’s comments about their experiences, though…..very helpful!

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