TME Tuesday: Pig In A Mud Puddle - and Teachers Pay Teachers Link

I accomplished something else that I've wanted to do for a time now! I started a Teachers Pay Teachers store for selling songs and visual aids. If you have never looked at Teachers Pay Teachers, you are missing out on all sorts of ideas and opportunities! I posted my first digital file up on the store yesterday.

It's a file folder (BIG surprise, there!) for playing around with letters and letter sounds. You can find the visual at the Teachers Pay Teachers link here. (By the way, the file is FREE!) You can find the entire therapeutic music experience (TME) listed here below! Please check it out if you work with people who are working on letter and sound recognition!

Therapeutic Music Experience

Pig in a Mud Puddle

Mary Jane Landaker, MME, MT-BC

 

Purpose: To address literacy goals – recognizing written letters; recognizing letter sounds and associating with symbols; matching capital letters with small letters; fine motor skill development;

Motor	Academic/Cognitive	Social/Communication
Fine motor grasp and strengthening	Letter recognition; capital and small letter matching; sound to symbol representation	Sound to symbol representation; sharing visual with others; opportunities for leadership
Emotional/Behavioral	Musical	Other
None readily apparent	Entrainment; melody replication	Silly concept designed for fun

Source: Original song and therapeutic music experience development © 2018 by Mary Jane Landaker, MME, MT-BC. Inspired by an idea on Pinterest.

Materials: None required: OPTIONAL: Pig in a Mud Puddle file folder visual aid; Accompanying instrument

Environment: Using a file folder, limit the group to no more than 3 clients. Can transfer the visual aid into a larger file to use with more group members. Group members should be within hearing range of music therapist’s voice.

Song/Chant/Words:

I                          V                                                         V7        I

I’m as happy as a pig in a mud puddle, pig in a mud puddle, yes, indeed!

I                         IV                                                       V7                     I’m as happy as a pig in a mud puddle, find the letter that I squeal with such

I

glee. 

I           IV     V7, I         V7        I

Ee. Ee. Ee-ee-ee. Ee. Ee. Ee. Ee. Ee. (replace the underlined sounds with other letter sounds as appropriate for the client)

Sheet music is available in the Teachers Pay Teachers file.

Procedure: R = Reinforcement opportunities; C = Redirection/Cue opportunities; A = Assessment

1.      C=start singing the song.

2.      C=If using file folder visual aid, present either the pig with the designated sound or the full folder with pigs on the puddle. If sound to symbol recognition is goal, present visual aid with all pigs present. To increase difficulty, mix capital and small letter pigs. If symbol to symbol matching is goal, offer empty folder with stack of pigs for matching. Can assess both capital to capital recognition as well as capital to small recognition.

3.      C=if not using file folder visual aid, move to next cue.

4.      C=Sing the sound of the desired letter.

5.      A=assess whether group members show awareness of the song or the visual aid.

6.      A=assess whether group members are able to complete the task of letter identification with independence.

7.      R=reinforce all attempts to complete the task. Redirect group members who do not appear to understand through offering more modeling and direct instruction.

8.      C=repeat the song, changing the letter sound.

9.      R=continue to reinforce group members who complete task.

10.  C=offer opportunities for group members to be the leaders – making sounds of selected letters – assessing sound to symbol association.

11.  Continue to sing song verses until group members show signs of boredom, disinterest, time runs out, or all targeted letters have been completed.

Therapeutic Function of Music:

Music provides the context for the academic task presented. While the concept itself does not require music for completion, the song provides instructions on how to complete the task as well as offers an anticipatory structure for group members. The melody is simple and repetitive. The limited tessitura encourages the singing of persons with limited vocal ranges. The rhythmic pattern is based on the macrobeat with an occasional syncopated pattern. The lyrics only change for the end of the song, focusing on the sound of the targeted letter.

Melody	Pitch	Rhythm	Dynamics	Harmony
Skips around chords; repetitive nature; uses seven notes	Variable to accommodate client singing ranges and preferences	Straight pattern with occasional syncopated figures	Variable to accommodate client preferences and to enhance attention	I, IV, V7

Form	Tempo	Timbre	Style	Lyrics
Strophic	Variable to accommodate client preferences and cognitive processing speeds	Voice with optional guitar; Variable to accommodate client preferences	Folk	Primarily consistent with changes to highlight targeted sounds.

Chart adapted from Hanson-Abromeit, D. (2010). A Closer Look at the Therapeutic Function of Music. Presentation at 2010 American Music Therapy Association National Conference: Cleveland, OH.

Adaptations:

·         Only offer targeted sounds (smaller number of pigs to choose from) for clients who become overwhelmed with choices

·         Use without the visual aid, just singing the song – pause at the end (or add phrase – “what is the letter that I squeal with such glee?” to prompt clients to identify letter by sound without visual representation

Extensions:

• Change the sounds at the end to spell out words. Clients have to listen, remember, sequence, identify, and arrange the letter pigs based on sounds. Could work on sight word spelling.