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Sometimes I have kids write stories and then we "rewrite" the bits that they want to do differently next time.

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...is using books to support counseling. For example, there are a lot of great books on grief, anxiety, making friends, etc.

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Adventure to Learning
(Many Specialist connections)

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Adventure to Learning
(Many Specialist connections)

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https://www.adventure2learning.com//?action=root&controller=platform%2Fcatalog

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Engaging all Learners in the Music Classroom

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Engaging all Learners in the Music Classroom

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Cool article from NAfME

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By NAfME Member Brian Wagner-Yeung Join NAfME today
Music teachers often have a difficult job creating exciting and innovative activities for students. These activities can include: singing songs, listening to musical examples, learning to play different types of instruments, learning to read music, incorporating folk dances, composing, and being exposed to historical and multicultural music.

Nevertheless, not every student who enters the music room learns in the same way, especially special learners. Music teachers can easily change the way instruction is presented to allow all students to have an entry point into the musical activities. Three key words that are used when discussing special learners include: adaptation, modification, and accommodation. In addition, differentiation can be incorporated into this group as well.

As mentioned, music teachers can easily change (or adapt) the way instruction is presented to allow all students to have an entry point into the musical activities. Some examples of adapted instruction can include:

color-coding,

using non-traditional materials,

using icons or pictures,

and incorporating all four types of learning modalities.

Adapting Music Literacy

Many students enter the music classroom without the ability to immediately connect with traditional music literacy. Music teachers can find alternative ways to allow students to connect with literacy. These can include:

color-coding,

using icons,

using rhythm flash cards to isolate sections in music,

incorporating movement to teach rhythm or pitches,

and utilizing technology.

When teaching rhythm, music teachers can easily differentiate how musical notes look to allow all students to have an entry point. Teachers can start with using a "go" and "stop" sign to represent steady beat. One "go" sign could be equivalent to a quarter note, and one "stop" sign could be equivalent to a quarter rest. Therefore: each "go" sign could mean one clap, and one "stop" sign would mean a sound of silence. Music teachers can also use icons to represent a specific command (such as clap, tap the drum, hit the claves, etc.). Teachers can also use color-coded note values to differentiate between different rhythms. For example: quarter notes can be green and quarter rests can be red (to connect with "go" and "stop"), eighth notes can be blue, sixteenth notes can be purple, etc. Lastly, teachers can also use traditional black-and-white notation. By providing four different ways to showcase the same objective, teachers are allowing more opportunities for students to connect with one, and eventually increase their demand.

A similar approach can be used when teaching melodic literacy to students. For emerging leveled students, they can use color-coding to represent the different pitches. The rainbow spectrum can be organized to teach a melodic scale ( do is red, re is orange, mi is yellow, etc.) Teachers can start with colored circles representing a pitch, and have a student play it back on an instrument. Teachers can also begin writing notation with actual rhythm values, but still having each pitch be colored in accordance with the rainbow spectrum to help students differentiate between them. Lastly, students can have the colors taken away, moving up to traditional mu s can also include note names or solfege syllables as an in-between step if necessary.

In both of these examples, teachers are using a step-wise scaffolded system. Some students might need to begin on level 1 and move their way up, while other students can easily start at level 3. In both examples, you can also include speaking and singing (rhythm syllables and solfege syllables). For some students, they might easily connect more with speaking or singing, and this is still allowing them an entry point into the music-making.

Adapting Active Listening

All students can be taught how to listen to music. By incorporating all four types of learning modalities, students can easily connect with listening examples. These modalities include:

kinesthetic (movement)

tactile (touching)

auditory (listening)

visual (seeing)

Every listening example can be made to include these four types of modalities, which will increase student success.

While visual and auditory modalities are already common in music classrooms, kinesthetic and tactile can be included to. Movements or dances to teach the melodic contour can allow students to physically feel or trace the melody of the music. Listening maps in which students actually touch specific materials (ex: sandpaper to show rough, cotton balls to show smooth), can allow students to physically feel the music and this can transfer into other modalities.

One listening example to demonstrate this is "A Cuckoo in the Deep Woods" by Camille Saint-Saens from "Carnival of the Animals." Below are the steps that can be taken to allow students to experience this piece through all modalities. The focus of this listening activity is to discriminate between the piano and clarinet sounds.

Have students listen to music. (auditory)

Have students tiptoe around the room to the piano sounds, and point up into the imaginary trees when they hear the cuckoo sound. (kinesthetic)

Have students follow a listening map showcasing the two different instruments. (visual)

Have students create their own listening maps and share with a friend. (tactile)

A second listening example to demonstrate this is "Aquarium," also from "Carnival of the Animals." The focus of this listening example is to recognize the different themes in the music.

Have students listen to music. (auditory).

Have students locate the different themes in a teacher-created listening map. (visual)

Have students create animal movements for each theme in the music. (kinesthetic)

Have students use animal shadow puppets to show the different themes. (tactile)
Teachers can include pre-made shadow puppets, or students can create new ones.

Adapting Composition Activities

All students are able to compose music, and composition should be included in the music classroom at all ages. Composition allows students to incorporate skills they have been learning, while allowing them to have a creative outlet. As with the other activities, composition can be made available with the proper amount of adaptation and differentiation.

Composition allows students to incorporate skills they have been learning, while allowing them to have a creative outlet.

By incorporating alternative types of materials and manipulatives, students can easily be motivated to compose and showcase their composition in alternative ways. Student compositions do not need to use traditional literacy, students can use fun types of materials to showcase their composition with the same results. Some examples of alternative types of materials include: construction paper, yarn, dried noodles, colored tape, popsicle sticks, and stickers. Below are two composition activities that can be taught by just using construction paper.

Long and Short Sounds Composition

First, create a sound bank of long and short sounds (vocal, natural, instrumental, etc).

Next, have students rip long and short pieces of construction paper.

Next, have students choose between the ripped pieces and tape it onto a larger "master score."

Next, have students choose between the long and short sounds from the bank.

Last, have students perform their compositions just using ripped pieces of construction paper.

Composing with Colors

First, introduce how different colors can represent different pitches (easily connects with color-coding mentioned earlier).

Next, use colored construction paper and compose melodies on the board.

Next, have students play the songs on melodic instruments with colored connections (either use instruments that already follow the rainbow spectrum or you can tape the colors on).

Next, have students compose their own songs just using colored construction paper.

You can add more guidelines such as using pentatonic colors, or specific pitches if you want.

You can also add rhythm by using different sizes of paper.

Once all types of musical activities are adapted or differentiated, more students will find success in the music classroom. Alternative modifications can still be made for specific students or learners. Nevertheless, by allowing everyone to have an entry point, teachers will allow for a more positive music-making experience.
Also read Brian Wagner's past article, "Making Connections: Using Music to Make Artistic, Interdisciplinary, and Lifelong Connections for Special Learners." About the author:
NAfME member Brian Wagner-Yeung received his BA and MSED in Music Education from CUNY Queens College. He is currently split between two schools in Brooklyn: PS 370K and Brooklyn School of Inquiry. He has worked with students on the elementary, middle school, and high school level, where he has worked with students who have severe special needs-in addition to students who are gifted and talented. Mr. Wagner has taught: general music, string orchestra, musical theatre, and performing arts. He is a classically trained cellist, and currently plays regularly in the NYC area.

He has presented, and co-presented workshops for: NYSSMA, NYCDOE, SCMEA, OMEA, NJMEA, CMEA, NYSCAME, NAfME National In-Service Conference, NAfME Biennial Eastern Division Conference, NAfME Western Division Conference, and two online webinars for NAfME Academy. He has also presented lectures at CUNY Brooklyn College, CUNY Queens College, and NYU. In addition, he has had papers and articles published in: International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, School Music News, Tempo, Maryland Music Educator, and Bluegrass Music News, in addition to NAfME's blog Music in a Minuet.

Visit Brian's website. Connect with Brian on LinkedIn.

Brian Wagner presented on his topic, " Engaging All Learners: Tools and Techniques to Reach Different Types of Learners in the Music Classroom," at the 2017 NAfME National Conference last November in Dallas, TX. Register today for the 2018 NAfME National Conference!
Did this blog spur new ideas for your music program? Share them on Amplify! The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Amplify member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees. Interested in reprinting this article? Please review the reprint guidelines.
Brendan McAloon, Marketing and Events Coordinator, July 21, 2017. © National Association for Music Education ( NAfME.org)

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Engaging All Types of Learners in the Music Classroom - NAfME

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By NAfME Member Brian Wagner-Yeung Join NAfME today Music teachers often have a difficult job creating exciting and innovative activities for students. These activities can include: singing songs, listening to musical examples, learning to play different types of instruments, learning to read music, incorporating folk dances, composing, and being exposed to historical and multicultural music.

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Mental Health Literacy for Children of a Parent with Mental Illness

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Mental Health Literacy for Children of a Parent with Mental Illness

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5704148/

"Children of a parent with a mental illness (COPMI) are at higher risk of developing a mental health issue, compared to same age peers [7]. Given the prevalence and risks for these children, it is important that there are appropriate and accessible supports and interventions available to them. Most of these interventions aim to provide mental health literacy (MHL) and knowledge about their parents’ illness to young people."

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https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/m/mental-health-literacy

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Sometimes I make kids write apology notes to each other. :) I always model what a good letter includes to make sure they have the right parts.

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-Word Wall
- Read Aloud
-Task cards
-instructions
-poetry
-songs (orally, reading)
-storytelling
-famous artist, athletes, musicians
-problem solving
-sentence stems
- spelling words with bodies, materials
-labeling things around classroom (English/Mandarin)

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Emotional literacy is a big part of counseling. Many of my small groups start with a brainstorm of "feelings words" so we can get past the usual "happy, sad, mad" descriptions.

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- Whiteboard - making connections, daily objectives, diagrams, and new vocabulary
- Balancing - teacher only demonstrations, small group demonstrations, two teacher demonstrations, full class "try-it" then discuss
- Constant reiteration of key instructional points - use of acronyms is sometimes a good way to help reinforce this
- Sharing of Student Ideas  - elbow partners, popcorn sharing, teacher repeats something that was overheard during activity or small group discussions
- Multimedia - video demonstrations, simplified and typed instructions on the monitor along with photo or video connection, pictures from previous classes, demonstrations from previous classes, reflect on activity after it is over (through pictures taken during that particular class)
- Seesaw - video creation (speaking), coaching, reflection, home connections
- Encourage translation (during teacher instruction, sometimes reflects how we choose partners; teacher check-ins with students that might need language support)
- Writing in PE can happen, but needs to be simple and quick
- Picture connections - visual component on the monitor, really helps students relate to what we are talking about (eg "The Types of Hockey" - picture of ice hockey, broomball, floor hockey, roller hockey, field hockey, floorball)
- New vocabulary specific to games
- Posters on the gym walls detailing Locomotor Movement, Ball Manipulations Skills, Body Positioning, Strategy, and Learner Profile/Concepts

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Rhythm/Syllables/Language/Rhyming (Poetry)

Sound categorization

Speech games for common phrases (My name is...I am from)

Close reading with song lyrics

Listening maps

Word recognition (Play every time we say...)

Dialogue vs. not

Visual tracking- when reading words and reading music

Language emphasis- melodies and spoken emphasis connections- vocal inflection.

Voice types

Whiteboard or written instructions

Sound -> word (Onomatopoeia)

Language patterns (Poetry)

New vocabulary in songs

Lyrics to songs

Reading music- it's a language in itself.

Following directions

Labelling all instrument shelves

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When I problem solve with students, I sometimes use post-its to help them sequence events. This is especially helpful when the story is hard to follow or has missing pieces. For example, after hearing a story that seems to have missing pieces, I might write "my friend called me a name" on one post-it and "my teacher put me in time out" on another. "Hmm," I would say, "I think there are some missing pieces here. Then we work together to fill in the rest of the story. It can also help with students who tell stories non-sequentially.

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1. Mandarin classroom library. Students can choose to read the books that are connected with class teacher's unit topics.
2. Students have been constantly practicing reading and writing skills in Mandarin. These language skills are also a focus in classroom. 
3. Students have been constantly practicing presentation skills in Mandarin. The presentation skill is a very important component in literacy.
4. If there is any Word List and central idea of the Unit topic, Mandarin teacher can translate the Word List to Mandarin to support understanding.  

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1. Mandarin classroom library. Students can choose to read the books that are connected with class teacher's unit topics.
2. Students have been constantly practicing reading and writing skills in Mandarin. These language skills are also a focus in classroom. 
3. Students have been constantly practicing presentation skills in Mandarin. The presentation skill is a very important component in literacy.
4. If there is any Word List and central idea of the Unit topic, Mandarin teacher can translate the Word List to Mandarin to support understanding.  

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one of the most consistent forms of promoting literacy in the art room happens when i write the terms or definitions on the white board.  I'm not always sure who understands a new concept at first, but it gives a term to an idea and a chance to discuss it further.

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Article "Integrating Literacy into Physical Education"

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Article "Integrating Literacy into Physical Education"

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Article "Literacy in the music room"

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Literacy in the Music Room- A Sequence of Lessons – Choice Literacy(1)

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Counseling:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1066329.pdf

ART
https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?tag=arts-based-teaching-of-literacy

https://ww.greatminds.org/visual-art-literacy

PE

https://newphysicaleducator.com/integrate-literacy-pe/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGo5yA21fPI

Music

https://www.songsforteaching.com/lb/literacymusic.htm

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-10-17-not-just-for-reading-class-anymore-5-tips-for-teaching-literacy-across-multiple-subjects

https://www.luther.edu/oneota-reading-journal/archive/2012/learning-literacy-through-music/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGo5yA21fPI