Singing to support communication

How can I use singing to support communication?

Lots of children love singing and listening to singing. We can bring that into our every day play and routines. This can support their communication development.

Singing and visual support

By adding some kind of visual support, we can help children to make a choice or show us what they want. This can stop them from feeling frustrated because they can tell us exactly which song they’d like to listen to. It also creates more opportunities for us to have fun interactions together.

Which songs should I choose?

In the beginning, start by picking a few of your child’s favourite songs or nursery rhymes.

There might be a favourite song from your home language too, if English is not the main language spoken at home.

Song choices using objects

For some children, using objects to represent each song can work really well. You might already have used objects of reference to help with routines.

Some examples of objects that you could use to represent songs are:

• a bus to represent “the wheels on the bus”
• a spider for “incy wincy spider”
• a monkey for “5 little monkeys’”
• a shark for “baby shark”
• a frog for “5 little speckled frogs”
• a star for “twinkle twinkle little star”
• a duck for “5 little ducks went swimming one day”

It can be helpful to keep all the objects in the same place, for example in a bag, bucket or container. This makes it easier for you and your child to find use them.

Keep things consistent by using the same objects every time. This is helpful for children who are just learning to communicate.

While you are singing the chosen song, your child might want to hold the object or join in with the actions.

You do not need to find objects for every single song straight away. Start by introducing a few and gradually build up your collection.

Song choices using pictures

Some children understand photos and symbols, so you could use a song choice mat instead. It might look something like this, with pictures for all the songs that your child likes.

To choose a song, your child might point to a symbol or pick up a symbol and pass it to you. Always respond to their attempts at communicating, by singing the song straight away.

Singing in routines

Using songs in daily activities and routines helps a child to understand what is happening. It can be easier for children to join in when they recognise the songs. You might have heard these referred to as “transition songs”.

You may already have songs that you sing with your child to help during certain transitions.

How can I add songs to routines?

First, think about which daily routine you want to add a song to. For example, brushing teeth, putting shoes on, washing, dinner time, tidy up time, or bed time.

Next, think of simple songs that you can change the words to. People often use songs like “the wheels on the bus”, “baby shark” or “row row row your boat”. You can also make up your own tunes, of course.

If you write your songs down and put them somewhere visible, it can help you to remember them. For example, stick them on your fridge.

It is easier if you keep the song simple, for example:

“This is the way we brush your hair, brush your hair, brush your hair. This is the way we brush your hair, to make it nice and smooth” to the tune of ‘Here we go round the Mulberry Bush’.

“Brush your teeth do do do do brush your teeth do do do do brush your teeth do do do do brush your teeth” to the tune of Baby Shark.

Try to remember to use the song alongside the activity every time you do it.

Click here for an example of a transition song from the YouTube channel Playtime With Tor.