[Jorden Liteplo]

That is everything as a new parent.

[Jorden Liteplo]

This is so important! when parents see the ways their child does NOT engage its so wonderful to be able to point out the ways they DO. I suspect this can help reduce parent coping with a diagnosis and feel better equipped to support a child.

[Jorden Liteplo]

Absolutely! Parents want meaningful ways to engage with their babies and most of what we get is out them on their tummy a whole pot or buy this toy that helps their development. I always ask parents to bring back stories if they use songs.

[Jorden Liteplo]

I think that the material we create is tailored to them also!

[Jorden Liteplo]

RIGHT?! Parents are so surprised when they find out I wrote most of my tunes, but I think that also brings value when we can explain we wrote them to support development, not just to entertain or teach them to count. I also feel it adds value for parents who are sick of itsy bitsy spider and mary had a little lamb.

[Jorden Liteplo]

I don’t know about you, but maybe this is because I am a singer so I take it for granted?? I feel like I spent the first few years so busy trying to strengthen my “weak” areas that I forgot the power of ones own voice!

[Jorden Liteplo]

I feel like this was huge for me as an intern. I would become frustrated when a client didn’t engage as intended, rather than pivoting and appreciating that they HAD engaged.

[Jorden Liteplo]

Thanks Angie! I usually announce it to parents at the beginning of the class so it helps them relax about their child participating the “right” way. Especially since the vast majority of my clients are first time parents.

[Jorden Liteplo]

I once had a child with ASD that cried any time I played anything in a minor key. I don’t know about everyone else but I feel like many of my neuro divergent kiddoes are more sensetive to these musical tones and modes. Anyone else see this?

[Jorden Liteplo]

I think the main thing that sticks out to me is that I have gone from using engagement to gauging whether an activity is successful to whether an activity is developmentally appropriate, as sometimes a lack of obvious joint attention is not indicative of success, and that’s the measure I generally used prior to this. I think having more language about music development has been so helpful, and the point that music development IS development (not separate) is so useful. I have also appreciated some of the points made about how to point these moments out to parents in the moment while running a group so so helpful.

I am already encouraging my second instructor to take this course and I plan to integrate my teachings into my yearly presentation at my alma mater. I am already involved in a number of group0s/ committees, etc. which I’m sure will benefit. I like the idea of offering open houses/ info nights to families now that covid has calmed down. I think I also need to get a bulletin board in our studio so parents have an awareness of what’s happing.

You guys, the points about this taking two or three years is SO spot on but I agree its worth it. I don’t know about your area but I have found that prior to having a space there was endless amounts of work to be had in daycare programs in my area that allowed me to develop a bit so that I felt I had much more experience and authority when I opened my own program at my own location.

[Jorden Liteplo]

I think what excites me most is having some new material to bring to my own classes, because not only do I have the songs presented here, but I’ve been having to write down a number of ideas I have had as I go. When I signed up for this class I was just feeling a bit…well stuck quite frankly and now I feel like I’ve had a bit of a jump start. As an added bonus I’ve got some new language and a revamped developmental framework to offer/ teach to parents that I have already been integrating for a few weeks. I feel like I have a lot of practical things specific to my practice I can use right away and I don’t always feel this way when attending conferences. As my business is really growing, I’m really excited to integrate some of the marketing. community building strategies that were touched on.

[Jorden Liteplo]

When a child is distracted or counterproductive, evaluate whether your activity/ies are over or under stimulating for the child. First try to redirect, using a calm and firm voice with minimal language. Failing that you can use a gentle physical prompt such as a hand on the knee or back to redirect a child to join to group. Get down on their level so you are talking to them not at them. Stay calm and relaxed so parents know you are not intimated by the behavior and everyone feels safe and supported. Failing this meet with the parents to check whether this is happening in other environments and make a plan to put some strategies in place to help them as well as their child. Logistically you can make sure to be seated nearby to make prompting/redirecting easier and more seamless while leading group. Let parents know a bit of pushback or distraction is normal and developmentally appropriate.

[Jorden Liteplo]

Fun, independent, purposeful, choices, intention, leadership

Ok so same things with hello song but I’m more intentional about secondary hello. I might do one where we shake our body parts and older sib can shake themselves or help a younger one. or parents can shake a younger one. Then I might do an instrument song and I find that stop and go instrument songs are engaging and doable for multiple developmental levels, only I would be more intentional about which instruments I hand out. I then like to do a movement song where we move in a circle, as adults can carry smaller children and older sibs can move themselves. I also like jump and stop songs for the same reason, they are engaging for multiple levels. I would then break out my trusty scarves because they target gross motor for older kids and sensory stimulation for younger ones. I would then bring everybody back to do an engagement song like a puppet/ animal song or actions song, because older sibs can do actions for younger, or help them. I love doing if you’re happy and you know it the emotions song, because older kids learn to identify emotions and can make funny faces for younger ones. I would cap it off with a lap ride/ bonding song and a cool down song before I sing goodbye.

[Jorden Liteplo]

High-energy, joyful, intentional, sensory, autonomy

Always I start with a hello song and a secondary hello song. Then with this age group I like to go right into instruments or movement depending on the age of the groups. For instrument songs I like stop and go songs or songs where they play high/ low/ loud quiet/ or call and respond with simple beats. Since they can imitate simple actions now I love motor songs where we do animal actions, jump and stop or play follow the leader. I would then usually trade materials for props like scarves. I love using scarves for sensory integration at this age. This is the time where I would begin to incorporate more concept songs such as counting, colors and props like sing along or interactive books into my class. I still use wiggle car at this age but often the kids will take themselves on a pretend car ride. And I always always end off with a cool down/ self regulation song. like a breathing song or tapping song or even a relaxing song about bubbles when I’m running these groups. Funnily these are standard in music therapy groups but whenever I try this with a new group at the daycare, preschool or studio the grownups are always surprised at how effective these methods are with this age group. I think we don’t give this age group enough credit with their own skills to calm themselves down. Plus its nice after all that jumping and stimulation to bring the energy down! Then I sing goodbye.

[Jorden Liteplo]

In my personal experience this is even harder if you have a small group. I have to be so intentional that my music choices hit multiple developmental levels and multiple points of engagement. There are way more challenging group dynamics with potential personality or logistical conflicts with the older kids, or with sibling dyads. I didn’t only find this with my “family sprouts” program, I also found this when I had tinier newer babies with older mobile babies which Is why I wound up making a choice to have a separate class for 0-6 month babies. I like what Elizabeth pointed out about having older siblings guide younger siblings or offer leadership to younger kids in the class. I will often utilize this tecnique in my school district groups when I have an older more verbal child in a group with younger/ less verbal/ lower developmental level kids, so that they don’t feel left out. I had also never considered things like placing an older child closer since a younger is not used to having a parent to themselves anyways, I will definitely be taking that into consideration going forward.

I always liken running a music therapy group to driving car; simultaneously paying attention to multiple incoming pieces of information at the same time. I would say that this is even more true of multi- age groupings because of the additional group dynamics, varied developmental needs/levels and also sensory tolerance, as these groups defininitely have the potential for more background noise and general chaos.

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