Music Therapy

My impression of music therapy is that it is intended to assist as well as keep everyone positive. I say this because it provides an encouraging way for students to learn new skills and can be used to address many of the goals targeted in IEPs. New skills learned in music therapy can easily be transferred to other parts of a student’s life. I think music therapy would benefit students in Reading/Literacy because they can learn new vocabulary words, learn pronunciations, practice using their voice, with correct tone and pitch, and learning to read by making connections between the words being said in the song and the lyrics at hand, this could also lead to stronger fluency. I think music therapy would benefit students in their development of Social Skills because they are able to practice communicating with others in a fun and exciting way. Music also encourages participation so everyone has the opportunity to do their part. When talking about incorporating music with social skills I think of morning songs that many younger students learn in their classrooms and sing to start the day (for example some sing a hello song as a way to greet one another). These morning songs help break the ice when starting the school day. Younger children can sometimes be shy or tired in the morning and songs help get them to start communicating with each other.