Using music and lyrics to teach language arts
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Music is a common part of every day life in the 21st century. Research shows that 1/3 of teenagers own an iPod (more own other brands of mp3 players, CD players, or radios), and 3/4 of of them spend 2-3 hours downloading or listening to music every day. Using music in the classroom can be an excellent source of motivation for students, but can also serve as a learning tool.
Students may have prior knowledge of a song's lyrics, helping them to understand the meaning of the words and the message that the music is trying to portray. When the words are identified as print and heard through music, students can match the vocabulary in their auditory memory. Other features of music include rhythm, contrasts, and patterns; these aspects can aid in helping students recognize words and comprehend meaning while taking in new information.
Teachers can improve compliance from students with ASD through various motivating factors, and music has proven to be a positive reinforcer. This activity is also set up as a game-type situation, and students may be more willing to participate when the lesson does not feel like work, but appears to be play.
The following video demonstrates how students could use this activity on the computer, but teachers could also pass out handouts for students to write in the words rather than typing. Accommodations should be made for individual needs (i.e. larger print, fewer blanks, a song that interests the student, slower tempo, etc.).
Again, the video modeling is to teach you about using music and lyrics to help students, but is also an effective teaching tool in itself. Students with ASD learn best through visual representation and benefit greatly from video modeling. Video based strategies help students maintain and generalize new skills and information.
Copy and paste the following link into the search bar to view the video:
C:\Users\user\Documents\Methods\English\Multigenre Project\Pieces\Reading_fluency_and_comprehension.swf
Music is a common part of every day life in the 21st century. Research shows that 1/3 of teenagers own an iPod (more own other brands of mp3 players, CD players, or radios), and 3/4 of of them spend 2-3 hours downloading or listening to music every day. Using music in the classroom can be an excellent source of motivation for students, but can also serve as a learning tool.
Students may have prior knowledge of a song's lyrics, helping them to understand the meaning of the words and the message that the music is trying to portray. When the words are identified as print and heard through music, students can match the vocabulary in their auditory memory. Other features of music include rhythm, contrasts, and patterns; these aspects can aid in helping students recognize words and comprehend meaning while taking in new information.
Teachers can improve compliance from students with ASD through various motivating factors, and music has proven to be a positive reinforcer. This activity is also set up as a game-type situation, and students may be more willing to participate when the lesson does not feel like work, but appears to be play.
The following video demonstrates how students could use this activity on the computer, but teachers could also pass out handouts for students to write in the words rather than typing. Accommodations should be made for individual needs (i.e. larger print, fewer blanks, a song that interests the student, slower tempo, etc.).
Again, the video modeling is to teach you about using music and lyrics to help students, but is also an effective teaching tool in itself. Students with ASD learn best through visual representation and benefit greatly from video modeling. Video based strategies help students maintain and generalize new skills and information.
Copy and paste the following link into the search bar to view the video:
C:\Users\user\Documents\Methods\English\Multigenre Project\Pieces\Reading_fluency_and_comprehension.swf
The information on this page was found in the following resources:
Ganz, J. B., Earles-Vollrath, T. L., & Cook, K. E. (2011). Video modeling: A visually based intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(6), 8-19.
Hines, S. J. (2010). Name that word: Using song lyrics to improve the decoding skills of adolescents with learning disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(1), 16-21.
Ganz, J. B., Earles-Vollrath, T. L., & Cook, K. E. (2011). Video modeling: A visually based intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(6), 8-19.
Hines, S. J. (2010). Name that word: Using song lyrics to improve the decoding skills of adolescents with learning disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(1), 16-21.