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Practically
Speaking NEW
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Makes
Me Want to Sing
By Rachel Arntson, MS, CCC-SLP
A Musical Conversation
By Rachel Arntson, MS, CCC-SLP
Tips for Enhancing Speech and Language
Reviewed by Dora Campbell, MA, CCC-SLP
By Rachel Arntson, CCC-SLP, co-founder of Kids’ Express Train,
LLC
How should you use the modified picture
sheets of our PUZZLE?
Click here to open and
print these picture sheets…
A few weeks ago,
I had an excellent suggestion from a customer to create a
picture sheet of just the outlines of the objects that are
illustrated on our Push-Pull-Puzzle and 60 piece magnet set.
Matching tasks involving detailed pictures and outlines are more
challenging than just identical picture matching.
When customers offer their ideas, I take them very seriously and
always try to figure out a way to fill the needs requested. This
idea was very do-able for us and practical for practicing
clinicians, educators, and parents working with young children.
So, here it is friends, 2 “freebie” pictures for all of you to
enjoy. Thank you to all who have offered ideas on how to improve
and expand our products. Please keep your ideas coming.
How should I use this picture sheet?
There are so many things you can do with this sheet. Here are
some ideas.
1. If you don’t already have our Push-Pull Puzzle, I would
encourage you to view the video we have created to explain a few
of its uses. Click
here to view video. The magnets in the puzzle
are the same ones on this outline picture sheet. Your child can
simply match the correct outline to the magnet pieces. Tape the
sheet to a cookie sheet, the refrigerator, or other metal panel
so that the magnet pieces can stick to it.
2. Inside each outline, print the name of each object that it
represents. Point to those names as your child matches the
objects. Exposing your child to the printed word and teaching
him/her sight vocabulary is always a wonderful thing to do.
3. Because these pictures are just outlines, you can draw
details in each of the pictures, have your child color them, or
glue pictures of your family in the plane, train, or boat.
4. There is another product that you may want to consider that
relates directly to the pictures on these picture sheets. Our 60
piece KET Magnet set contains 5 each of the 12 objects on these
pictures. $15.99 for 60 magnets? What an amazing deal! Not only
that, but it comes with a CD-ROM of additional picture sheets as
well as songs and poems to print out and use with your child.
The uses of these magnets is never ending. These magnets are
replacement pieces for the Push-Pull-Puzzle. You will NEVER have
a puzzle that is missing a piece. You will always have
replacements through our company.
5. Try this song – Share the puzzle pieces with your child or
children in your class. Sing this song as the children find the
pieces you are asking for.
Who Has It?
Who has the apple, the apple, the apple?
Whoever has the apple, say, “I do.”
Johnny has the apple, the apple, the apple.
Now find it on the picture and put it on there, too.
(continue with all 12 objects)
Shop for our Puzzle and Magnet Set...
OUR PRODUCTS
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Rock 'n' Roll and Speech
Therapy
Rachel Arntson, MS, CCC-SLP
Posted on: June 29, 2010
Vol. 20 • Issue 13 • Page 18
Clinicians in the Classroom
When you listen to rock 'n' roll songs by groups like the Beatles, you
hear something contagious-something that makes
you want to move and sing along at the same
time. That "something" is often what I call
"chains of three." The Beatles do it: "She loves
you, yeah, yeah, yeah!" The Beach Boys do it: "Ba-ba-ba, Ba-Barbara
Ann." You frequently hear it in songs played on
oldies rock 'n' roll stations. We can use these
chains of sounds in our work.
Chains of three are vocally contagious.
Having observed adults and children singing over
the years, I always smile when I see vocal
participation during a robust rendition of a
simple "na na na" or "la la la." Although they
are not words, these chains of sounds give
children the chance to sequence sounds together.
Maybe they sing more with these songs because
they don't have to worry about lyrics. Anything
goes with a "la la la"!
These chains also are bridge-to-phrase
productions. I have found that practicing words
in chains of three prepares children for
production of two- and three-word phrases. These
chains appear to close the gap between single
words and phrases. They offer the practice of
sound sequencing without the grammatical and
semantic complexity that happens when words
change.
When stacking blocks, for example, I may
say, "Up, up, up" before I progress to "Go
up." When playing cars, I might model, "Go,
go, go" before I say, "Go car." Kids are
enticed to imitate these chains.
Chains of three teach children to move
and vocalize simultaneously. When rocking
and rolling with simple chains-of-three
songs, I notice that children have an easier
time vocalizing and moving at the same time.
I love classics like "The Wheels on the Bus"
and "Itsy Bitsy Spider," but children often
cannot combine the finger plays with the
words of the song. Even children who speak
normally may have trouble doing both.
I challenge you to branch out a bit on
the types of songs you sing with your
students. Think about the goal of your song.
If it is verbal practice and you are not
getting output from children, switch to an
easier song that encourages simple movements
and verbalizing. Chains of three may be the
ticket. My motto is "Sing a simple song that
kids can simply sing."
The skill of moving while talking or
singing is important to any child trying to
speak. Children with speech and language
delays often are painfully quiet during
play. Perhaps it is too complex to do the
motor planning of playing with a toy and
saying a word or phrase at the same time.
Randomly singing in chains of sounds or
simple words during play contributes to the
goal of communicating with words while
moving and playing.
Sing your own words to any tune. I
occasionally use a rock 'n' roll song like
"Rock Around the Clock" to help students
vocalize. Recently, I sang, "Ball, ball,
ball. Roll the ball," with one of my
students while he played ball with his mom.
After giving repetitions of "ball, ball,
ball," he began saying the words.
Chains of three can promote consonant
blends. This technique works for children
who simplify consonant blends. If a child
has a final /s/ but omits the /s/ in a word
like "smile," I recommend using a
consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word with a
final /s/, such as "mess." Saying it three
times in one breath ("messmessmess") results
in /sm/ blending. Blends such as /pl/ also
can be practiced with a word like "lap" ("laplaplap").
This chain of three can be used for a
variety of consonant blend work.
Explore music and chains of three in your
speech and language work with children. Age does
not matter. If you listen to rock 'n' roll, you
will get a number of ideas, from articulation
drills to grammatical error identification. Let
your imagination run wild as you motivate
students to practice.
In order to teach a child to say "yes,"
I've used the Beatles song "She Loves You,"
which includes the phrase "yeah, yeah,
yeah." A boy's father wanted him to be able
to answer yes and no, so I encouraged them
to sing that little phrase on the way to day
care every day. By the end of the week, the
boy was answering "yeah" to questions. He
didn't have the final /s/ yet, but we worked
up to that. You don't mess with Beatles
lyrics.
Rachel Arntson provides services in
an early intervention program in Maple
Grove, MN. She can be contacted at
kids@expresstrain.org.
Visit the Kids' Express Train
product line... |
By Rachel Arntson, CCC-SLP, co-founder of Kids’ Express Train,
LLC
Music for Children with Apraxia of Speech or Other Severe
Articulation Disorders
 Children with
apraxia of speech have particular difficulty blending sounds to
produce words. With the children on my caseload, I often start
with vowel imitation, using those vowels to create functional
words as quickly as possible. (Ah for on, uh for up, etc.) Those
of you who are speech-language pathologists know the typical
sequence of building vowels, vowel combinations,
consonant-vowels (CV), CVCV, CVC structures, and so on. The
consonants and vowels we emphasize depend on which sounds are
easier for a particular child to produce.
I am thrilled in my work as an early intervention
speech-language pathologist when I hear a child able to finally
sequence 2 syllables for the first time, especially when the
vowels and consonants both change such as in the words, tummy
and potty. The ability to motor plan these words is nothing
short of running a marathon for us.
Once children are sequencing 1-2 syllable words, the difficulty
children with apraxia have is certainly not over. I notice that
there are certain patterns that need special attention. Children
with apraxia of speech may show these patterns:
1. Taking breaths and pauses between words when talking in
phrases.
2. Putting stress on the wrong syllables in words and phrases.
3. Shortening vowel sounds which usually creates a more abrupt
and jerky manner of speaking.
4. Omitting smaller function words like articles a and the.
To work on these skills, I find that music can be a useful tool.
When singing words and phrases, the vowels can be so easily
lengthened and also blended from one sound to the next. The
proper stress can be put on the correct syllable. The melody of
a song can be the cue needed to add the smaller function words
that can be so easily omitted in speech.
Many of our songs can be excellent practice materials for
students who need to work on sound blending. I have listed some
of my personal favorites for you.
From KET Set 1:
1. Bye song – This song repeats the word “bye” in chains
of 5 to give children the practice of blending simple
consonant-vowels. It then progresses to 2 word phrases. The
rhythm of the song will help children blend these 2 words
together without taking a breath of a pause.
2. Yee Haw – This song practices the functional phrase,
“Where are you?” When I am working with children I love giving
children simple phrases that they can practice blending together
and “Where are you?” is an excellent one. You can practice this
phrase with the Yee Haw song or when playing a hide and seek
game.
3. Owie song – This song has a very slow pace, and the
phrases, “Owie, owie day. Owie go away” are excellent for
practicing the blend of consonants and vowels. Use these phrases
with or without the song to create an “owie” activity of placing
bandaids on a baby doll. Or draw a picture of a child on poster
board and place bandaids on the child’s knees, arms, elbows,
chin, etc. as you say the “owie day” phrases.
From KET Set 2:
1. Cheese and Macaroni – This song practices imitating a
variety of multi-syllable words before the song even starts,
lengthening the vowels on every word: “Cheeeeeeese” and “Macaroooooooni.”
2. A carrier phrase or functional phrase is great for
sound blending practice, and songs such as, I Love, What’s
That?, No Way, and Snowman have excellent phrase blending
opportunities.
3. I often break into spontaneous song with the children
on my caseload, and when I hear them starting to chant their own
songs, I know I have done them a huge service. Singing creates
spontaneous speech practice so that children are essentially
giving themselves “speech therapy”. I often start with simple
consonant-vowel chanting and the songs, Singing a Song and I
Dressed Myself, contain CV practices.
From KET Set 3:
1. Vowel blending in addition to working on the /w/ and /y/
sounds is crucial in working with children with apraxia. The
songs in this set that emphasize vowel blending are Vowels,
Wheels, and Ride the Horsie.
2. I See a Bug – This song works on phrases using color
names. In particular it lengthens the vowels creating the
phrasing and accurate emphasis on the syllables.
Always consider using music with children exhibiting apraxia of
speech or apraxic-like symptoms. |
Interview with Rachel Arntson, CCC-SLP, Founder of Kids’ Express Train,
LLC
Who Doesn’t Love to Sing?
Develop Language Using
Children’s Love for Music
Linda
Schreiber: I’m visiting with Rachel Arntson this morning
about a motivating way to develop children’s communication
skills using music. The company is called Kids’ Express Train
and I’m going to let Rachel Arntson, the company co-founder,
explain how Kids Express Train is a resource meant to develop
speech and language skills. Rachel, tell us a little bit about
yourself and how you got into the business of Kids’ Express
Train.
Rachel Arntson: Well I’ve been a speech-language
pathologist since 1980. About six years ago, I looked for songs
that would help my students practice speech production. I always
like to give parents something fun to do with their kids at home
because I believe home practice is such a key factor in helping
kids develop their speech and language skills. And I’ve always
loved music and feel that it certainly feeds my soul, and I
thought it would feed a child’s soul, too. So I had this mission
to find songs that were simple enough for my young students, who
were at the beginning stages of communicating, to sing. Well, I
just couldn’t find any songs that were simple enough. So, with a
music background, a love for songs, and a little experience in
song writing, I just decided to write my own songs and, with my
business partner-to-be,
Chez Raginiak,
I developed a CD. That’s how Kids’ Express Train came to be. The
purpose of the first CD really was for use as a home practice
tool, but it has become much more than that. I get emails all
the time from preschool teachers and speech-language
pathologists who use the music in the classroom and in
intervention.
Linda: I noticed at your website that you have more than
one CD.
Rachel: Yes, we now have six CDs and we’re working on two
Spanish CDs (available as
of 2009). And I’m very excited about it. I have a lot of
students that are Spanish speaking, and I want to start them
singing in their native language.
Linda: Your company byline is “Simple songs that kids can
simply sing.” That says a lot about what you are trying to
achieve. Tell me a bit about the content and the lyrics of the
songs.
Rachel: For every song I have written, I really had a
particular child in mind. But most children are interested in
the same kinds of things, so the songs are pertinent to all
kids. For example, I had one little guy who loved puppies and I
wanted to teach him action words. So I used a puppy to develop
that song of action words combined with the word “puppy.” I do a
lot of repetition in my songs, and I do what I call “chains of
three,” which is similar to what you’d hear in the old
rock-and-roll tunes--like in the Beatles song “She loves you;
yeah, yeah, yeah,” where everything is repeated in chains of
three. Their tunes are so enticing; they make you want to sing
along. So I wanted to do the same thing with children’s songs.
And some students might not be ready for sentences or phrases
yet. They might be saying single words, so if I take that single
word and duplicate it two more times, that gets the chain in the
process of verbalizing in phrases. At least it gets it going.
The children repeat the word three times, and then it helps them
get to the phrase level. And topics are very kid-friendly, like
babies and bubbles, milk and juice, puppies, and monkeys. And
the action is anywhere from sound imitation, like coughing and
sneezing and blowing, to more complex multisyllabic words and
some phrase repetition.
Linda: Do you have children singing the songs?
Rachel: Our songs have adults singing, and then we use
the cue “your turn” to tell the children to repeat what was
sung. It’s a constant turn-taking interaction throughout the
music.
Linda: What age range are you hoping to target?
Rachel: The plan was to target children in early
intervention--birth to three--but so many of us work with other
age ranges. I wrote the songs with the idea of making them
enticing enough that siblings and parents would want to sing
along. But, it turns out, they’re not boring for preschool
children, and in fact, if you look at our sales, our buyers seem
to be primarily preschool teachers, a lot of teachers of
children birth-to-three, and then early elementary teachers.
If children have speech and language concerns, age is not
necessarily the factor that determines whether the songs will be
helpful or not. I’ve written songs like “Hissing Snake” that
works on the s sound and there are lots of children who are
school-aged who need to practice saying the s sound. And there
is “Fish, Sharks, and Shells,” another song that emphasizes s
and sh sounds. The songs are truly simple enough for younger
children but have some complexity for early elementary children
as well.
Linda: Your songs develop communication, including
vocabulary and phonology for children who have language and
phonological disorders. Would typically developing children
enjoy the music?
Rachel: Absolutely! The songs are for kids of all ages
and all developmental levels. Some of the songs develop early
literacy skills. For example, I have a song called “Sing and Eat
the Alphabeat.” It groups words according to specific letter
sounds--like pizza, pickles, and popcorn for--so children can
begin to hear beginning sounds and develop their phonemic
awareness. And phonemic awareness is an important precursor to
reading. So these songs are not just for kids with speech and
language delays. That’s kind of the beauty of them I guess.
Linda: And would the music be appropriate for children
who are learning English as their second language?
Rachel: Yes, because our CDs are so interactive; and
create so much imitation, practice, and repetition; and use
common vocabulary; and simple sentence structures; I believe the
CDs would be excellent for English language learners.
Linda: You have received an award from the
Therapy
Times MVP issue. Can you tell us about your award?
Rachel: Well, Therapy Times is an online newspaper that
focuses on a variety of different therapies in the medical
field. And every year, a group of products that have been
suggested by their readers are given this award. I guess people
just loved our products and sent emails nominating our CDs. As a
result, we were chosen as one of those products that
speech-language pathologists love to buy.
Linda: Congratulations Rachel. The award is a great stamp
of approval for you.
Linda: Rachel, you have a website (www.expresstrain.org)
that not only features the CDs, but also has lots of free
things. Tell us what readers might find at your site.
Rachel: I’m not a music therapist; I’m a speech-language
pathologist who loves music. So the website, although it does
focus some on music, has other information on topics such as
using music to develop language, or enhancing the speech and
language skills of children who have apraxia or autism. And this
information is free for downloading. I have also written other
song lyrics, and parent questionnaires, and student observation
sheets that you can download; and there are some free pictures
on the website. Those are all free as well. At the home page, go
into the “free stuff” page and those things will be right there.
We also have a free e-newsletter and in the newsletter I give
free pictures that might enhance a particular song, or I might
write an article about a certain technique that I would use in
my music, etc. I get emails all the time on how my songs are
used, so I’ll put ideas like that in the newsletter too. And
that’s free.
Linda: And people can sign up to receive your
e-newsletter at your website, correct?
Rachel: Yes, right on the
homepage.
Linda: Rachel, we all know that music really motivates
children and makes language learning lots of fun. It is a great
tool for parents, too. You’ve got me thinking about the
possibilities. Can I go to the website to hear a sample?
Rachel: Oh yes, you’ll have to listen to the
rock-and-roll songs especially. I’m sure you’d appreciate it.
Rachel: I should mention that I believe strongly in using
visuals with the music so each musical CD comes as a set with a
CD-ROM. And the CD-ROM includes pictures and activities that
correspond to the songs.
Linda: And interested readers can learn more about how
music can enhance children's expressive language skills by
watching your presentation on speechpathology.com:
The Role of Music in Enhancing Children's Expressive Speech and
Language Skills, available for
ASHA CEUs.
Linda: Rachel, thank you so much for your interview
today. Best wishes as you develop more musical resources for
children. |
What Music Can Bring to Speech Pathology
By Rachel Arntson, MS, CCC-SLP
What can I do in speech and language therapy that helps children stay attentive;
motivates them to vocalize; teaches them to imitate motor movements, speech
sounds, words and phrases; and gives parents enjoyable practice materials for
home and daily routines? The answer is to sing a simple song.
Not everyone realizes what the gift of music can bring to our speech pathology
world. The techniques and activities I have learned over the years are endless,
and I learn more every day. Using music in speech therapy goes well beyond
The Wheels on the Bus. I challenge everyone to be creative.
Finding a "verbally enticing" song is my passion. I search for songs that help
my students practice verbal imitation. Few tunes are slow and simple enough to
help children at the early stages of communication. My voyage for finding the
perfect speech practice song took me to the most unlikely places.
Sammy, a 2-year-old with autism, intermittently used about five words to
communicate. Verbally, he was very quiet during play. He primarily communicated
through screaming, whining and gesturing. When he heard music, Sammy would dance
but never vocalize because it was too difficult to combine gross motor movements
with the oral-motor movements of singing. In addition, his favorite songs were
too complicated for him to sing.
Searching for verbally enticing activities in order to substitute more
functional vocalizations for Sammy's crying and screaming, I asked his mother to
select a favorite song and suggested she hum while listening to it when her son
was within listening range. After just one week, Sammy's mother was thrilled to
report that her son had starting singing what he could without being concerned
about following the melody or knowing all the words. It was the "permission" he
needed to explore vocally. Humming quickly moved to vowel singing and
consonant-vowel productions.
The controlled vocalization of humming can be shaped into other verbalizations
as well. If you have a child at the early stages of verbal practice, explore the
possibility of using music, especially humming. There is nothing better than
watching a child proudly sing a song that he can simply sing.
Rachel Arntson works in the Infant-Toddler Program of the Osseo Public School
District, in Maple Grove, MN, and is co-founder of Kids' Express Train LLC. For
more information, visit her Web site at
www.expresstrain.org
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