Posted:
We have been busy over the last few months bringing music to Early Years play sessions in Kirklees, Newcastle and York.
Our musicians Jess and Chris have had a great time making music with young children with SEND and their families, as well as leading training sessions for the dedicated and enthusiastic staff members running groups and working in the settings.
The sessions are tailored to meet individual needs and early development goals, such as developing speech sounds, gross motor skills and the ability to engage for longer periods on an activity. One young man stood out, as he overcame medical issues to improve his speech during the sessions. As he got used to the songs he would take the lead and he would request songs, and now he sings a song at home where he narrates what he is doing. His mum shared that: “It truly has been therapy for him in every sense of the word, socially, developmentally. But also for me as the parent to simply just play and not think about tube feeding.”
We are grateful for staff and families for getting involved and sharing their feedback:
“As a family we have thoroughly enjoyed Jessie’s Fund music sessions. With T spending much of her first year in and out of hospital and isolating, we were never really able to take her to baby groups or sessions. Over time, she became quite nervous around new people and unfamiliar environments. Watching T join in with the music group, singing along and clearly enjoying herself has been so emotional and heartwarming for us. You can truly see it in her body language, her facial expressions, her smile and her eyes. Seeing her grow in confidence, interact with others and simply enjoy being a little girl in such a welcoming environment means more to us than words can say. We are incredibly grateful for the support, kindness and joy these sessions have brought to our family.” (Parent, Kirklees)
“It was really inspirational, especially with the transition songs. I found the training really interesting and can’t wait to try some of the new songs with the children tomorrow.” (Early Years Practitioner, Haxby Playgroup)
“Chris’ input and insight into the sessions was really beneficial. He modelled how to use the resonance board and made some great suggestions for our group. He made us realise we need to slow down!” (SEND Outreach, Newcastle)
““I’m going to miss the sessions as it allows me that little bit of time in the day to stop worrying about my son and I’ve seen such a difference!” (Parent, Kirklees)
