Music Therapy in the Preschool Classroom (6 credits)

Presented by Jeffrey Friedberg MT-BC, LCAT

Working with preschoolers can be joyful, creative, unpredictable, and sometimes exhausting, all within the same 30-minute session.

How do you keep young children engaged while still working toward meaningful developmental, educational, or therapeutic goals? What do you do when challenging behaviors disrupt the group? And how do you plan enough variety to keep your sessions fresh without exhausting yourself in the process?

This practical course explores the hows, whats, and whys of providing music in preschool settings, giving you a framework for creating sessions that are developmentally appropriate, engaging, and purposeful.

You’ll explore how to build a repertoire that works with young children, structure sessions around specific goals, develop positive relationships with the children you serve, and respond more effectively when behaviors become challenging.

You’ll also consider the larger preschool environment, including how your music program fits within the setting and how to develop positive working relationships that support your role and your clients.

Most importantly, you’ll put what you learn into practice by designing four complete 30-minute preschool sessions around specific goals, helping you leave the course with more than ideas. You’ll have actual session plans you can adapt and use.

In this workshop, you will learn:

How to build a developmentally appropriate repertoire that engages preschool-aged children.
How to structure preschool music sessions around educational, developmental, and therapeutic goals.
Ways to build positive relationships with the children you serve.
Practical strategies for responding to challenging behaviors while maintaining the flow of the session.
How to plan activities and transitions that help young children remain engaged and participate successfully.
Ways to integrate your music program into the larger preschool setting.
Strategies for planning and organizing your work in ways that can help reduce overwhelm and burnout.
How to design four complete 30-minute preschool sessions to address specific goals.

You’ll leave with a clearer framework for planning preschool sessions and practical ideas you can use to make them more engaging for the children and more manageable for you.

Learning Objectives

Will state 10 songs/activities to use in the pre-school classroom
Will recall 4 elements to include when designing structure of classes toengage and build skills
Will compare 4 techniques to manage behavior and simultaneously buildtherapeutic relationship
Will summarize 4 strategies on how to successfully integrate music therapy into the educational setting

Schedule

30 minutes – Introduction and Overview

30 minutes- Therapeutic Preschool Environment:

Discussion of the realities of being a music therapist in a therapeutic preschool environment. Review of scheduling, staff support, access to information. equipment and treatment planning.

30 minutes- Needs, Challenges and Strengths:

What are the needs and challenges as well as strengths of children in therapeutic preschool environment? What are goals and objectives attainable in this environement?

30 minutes Class Structure: How to structure class to maximize engagement and learning of skills.

1 hour- Repertoire building: Discussion of traditional, adapted and original songs and how they can be used to meet therapy goals.

1 hour- Behavior Management and The Therapeutic Relationship: Building a therapeutic relationship is essential in helping children learn and grow. Discussion on how to re-direct challenging behavior in ways that both help build relationship and achieve therapy goals.

30 minutes Q & A

1 hour self study assignment

CBMT Domain areas:

"III.A.Task Statement 33 Utilize evidence-based techniques, including presence, authenticity, and respect, to establish and maintain trust and rapport with the client"

"III.A.3 Treatment modification within and across sessions based on the client's response and growth (e.g., alternate applications of music, appropriate music selection, adaptation of the physical/virtual session space);

III.A.6 Theoretical frameworks for music therapy treatment implementation (e.g., educational, developmental, neurological, psychological); III.A.11 Effects of music elements and music experience (e.g., psychological, emotional, physical); Task Statement 36 Engage the client in individualized music therapy experiences to address the client's established goals and objectives within multiple domains of health and well-being (e.g., psychosocial, physiological, spiritual, musical)"

"II.D.1 Collaboration with the client and/or family/care partner and other professionals for treatment planning (e.g., goals, treatment preferences)"

III.A.4 Collaboration with other professionals to promote accessibility and support client progress (e.g., therapist, social worker, educator)

"II.D.Task Statement 30 Select appropriate equipment, physical/virtual space, musical elements, repertoire, and instruments consistent with the treatment plan"

II.D.1 Collaboration with the client and/or family/care partner and other professionals for treatment planning (e.g., goals, treatment preferences); 2 Individualized treatment planning using evidence-based practices (e.g., professional expertise, research evidence, client preferences); Task Statement 29 Design experiences to facilitate generalization or transferability of skills across clinical/non-clinical contexts when appropriate

III.A.1 Therapeutic pacing, sequencing, transitions, and intensity; II.D.3 Service delivery model and schedule (e.g., imminent needs, length of service, travel distance, telehealth).

III.A.1 Therapeutic pacing, sequencing, transitions, and intensity; Task Statement 26 Evaluate the role of music therapy, considering the frequency, intensity, duration, and service delivery model, when developing a treatment plan

"III.A.7 Music therapy methods used to support therapeutic outcomes (e.g., improvising, recreating, composing, listening, moving)"

music therapy

continuing education

Music Therapy in the Preschool Classroom is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 6 CMTEs-Continuing Music Therapy Education credits. The Spiegel Academy, CBMT Approved Provider #P-106, maintains responsibility for program quality and adherence to CBMT policies and criteria.

Class Description