Hi all,

I am working with a girl with downs syndrom within a year 4 class....already backyeared 1 year....She does not like noise so I can not get her to go into the music room with the rest of the class.....we have listened to various different types of music while she draws - a sort of draw how the music makes you feel exercise- she is bored with this now.......we have made books about instruments after collecting pictures from the internet.......and we have explored the different sounds that some instruments can make......I am really starting to panic about what else I can do......mum is adament that music stay on her curriculum......We have spent too many weeks listening to nursery rhymes in the music room- which she loves- but is not really gaining anything from........I know that I will be working with her next year...(already been told).....so I am desperate for any good ideas for music lessons

H E L P

Have you played her The Young Persons' Guide to the Orchestra" by Benjamin Brittain, showing her the pictures of the instruments as you listen to it or leaving the odd percussion intstrument around near by and see if any interest is shown. You could also try playing Peter and the woolf. most young children enjoy this. there's also a cartoon version available that you could watch together. maybe acting out the various animals using different voices instead of instruments at first. If she enjoys movement use the music to try and get her to move in time with it maybe clapping or stammping out the rhythm or if you can get her to do it using something like a tambourine or blowing on a recorder.

thanks for the advice......yes she does sometimes pick up instruments but then uses them inappropriately which sends her into crisis pattern behaviour!!...we have listened to peter and the wolf before....could try that again...will try young person's guide to the orchestra......she is working at a reception level which is quite hard to plan for.....we are only a junior school, so rely on what I have learnt from this age group at my last school which was 3-4 years ago.....the planning seems to be left to me and other TA's that she works with as it requires an enormous amount of differentiating...generally leaves the task unrecognisable!!!!....any other ideas would be gratefully accepted x x x x

We used to borrow a music box from the library service which had intruments, puppets and tapes in it. The children played along to the tapes. This was foundation but anyone could borrow the box. Will try and find out what it was called, all the children loved doing it and if they were a bit shy then they could pretend the puppet was doing it.

If memory serves me right then there was a programme to follow which helped with the planning side of things.

awwwwwwwwwwwww cool...we have a treats toy library so will check that out for musical bits...we already use it for this child....she has 3 boxes a fortnight....will check it out tomorrow....cheers x x

why not ask the reception teacher for her music plans. We use music express and it has CDs for each year group.

Would she be able to have a go at making her own simple musical instruments? This link gives a few ideas.

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thanks again....as a junior school...we don't have a reception teacher....start at yr 3 and yep have tried making musical instruments too....she is very good at saying 'had enough' as encouraged by mum!!.....We do manage to get quite a bit done....using all the strategies that I have ever learnt...but easily bored!! so after 2 terms, really starting to struggle......I have even started to take my CD collection in to listen to differen genres of music...poor child...rofl...I am sure that it is something simple that I am looking for to entertain a 10 yr old working at 4 yr old level.....this is such a difficult subject to cover for a child that hates loud noise!!!!!

Try the music from the Disney films there is a collection about 4. I can't remember where I bought them but I used them with a child with CP and she loved them. I would also try Classical music such as Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (Year 4 should have that) and the 1812 Overture,Tchaikovsky.Also some of the ballets such as Sleeping Beauty,you could read her the story and intersperse it with the music.Sorry got to go.I'll come back if I think of any more.

I am using Fantasia with an ASD child at the moment.

We did work on Peter and the Wolf before Christmas and she made her own musical story using a different instrument for her (xylophone) and her cat (jingle bells) as well as making a story board to retell the story and then taking photos of it to make a slide show!

Thank you for your suggestions, will try Disney music....have tried all sorts of classical from ballet to 'the planets' by holst. Mum likes to bring in music for us too.....we listened to Jazz too and mum was amazed as she never listens to anything like this at home. She has started to refuse to move from the bookshelf on music days so gonna go back to basics. Think I might try to set her favorite stories to music by listening for music that would be appropriate for them. Give anything a go once!!....maybe we could make our own musical talking books....hmmmmmmmmmm....thinking............yeahhhhhhhhhhh.....will give this a go too

you are a star...thanks for the links x