Sophie Black, music therapist
As music therapists, we all know how busy our daily work life is.
Between preparing for sessions, seeing students/clients, evaluations, documentation, researching, in-services, professional development, admin tasks, networking, and everything else in between, any extra time we have during the day feels like a breath of fresh air.
One of the most valuable things I learned during my internship was how to adapt my current strategies to meet the needs of each individual, so my prep time was low. As a new music therapist, I find that those adaptable strategies I've developed help me support a variety of needs, be creative, AND CUT DOWN ON PREP TIME!
"Pumpkin Soup" is one of these strategies. I originally wrote and created it because I wanted a fall theme for the start of the school year, but as the school year progressed, it turned into "Rainbow Soup" as more and more students kept requesting the "soup song." This strategy is fun, can be simple or challenging, and, most importantly, ADAPTABLE.
The General Structure:
The song has a simple chorus-verse structure, in which each new verse adds a new ingredient to the soup. For example:
Chorus: "Pumpkin soup. Pumpkin soup. What do you want in your pumpkin soup?"
First verse: "First goes pumpkin."
Second verse: "First goes pumpkin, second goes onion."
Third verse: "First goes pumpkin, second goes onion, third goes broccoli."
And so on... and so on.
Between each verse, a simple, repeated chorus reinforces the rhythm and structure of the strategy.
Potential Goal/Objective Areas and Adaptations
Yes/no questions and Identification - You can simplify the song by asking what ingredient you are putting in the soup or asking for their preferences about the ingredients you offer. For example, "Pumpkin soup, pumpkin Soup. Is this broccoli?"
Decision-making, communicating wants, and making requests - You can simplify the song to ask for their preferences about the ingredients you offer. "Pumpkin Soup. Pumpkin Soup. Do you want broccoli in your pumpkin soup?" You can also give them as many choices as you want and ask an open-ended question. For example, you sing, "Pumpkin Soup, pumpkin soup, what do you want in your pumpkin soup?" and they sing, "I want ice cream in my pumpkin soup."
Multiple syllable utterances - You can use ingredients with a specific amount of syllables. For example, if your student is working on two-syllable utterances, you can use ingredients like "pumpkin," "onion," "noodles," and more!
Vocabulary development - You can use various objects and even have themes in the ingredients you offer. If they are working on science vocabulary, you could provide ingredients related to their science vocabulary.
Categorization and pattern recognition - You could ask for ingredients in a specific category. For example, "Pumpkin soup. Pumpkin Soup. What is something salty for your pumpkin soup?" You can also ask for something more abstract. For example, "Pumpkin Soup. Pumpkin Soup. What would a witch put in their pumpkin soup?"
Attention to task - Before the song begins, you could prep the student and tell them how many ingredients you will put in the soup. As each verse, you can remind the student how many ingredients are left to choose before the strategy is complete.
Fine and Gross Motor - You can have the student point, physically interact, move around, and touch the ingredients. You can also ask the student to mix the ingredients together between each verse.
Multi-step directions - You can increase the steps required to complete a song. You can have them pick an ingredient, put it in the bowl, mix everything together, count the ingredients, and do anything else you want!
Sequencing and memory recall - In each verse, you can ask the student to recall what ingredients were put in and in what order. If you are facilitating a group, you can ask the students to recall what another group member chose.
Turn taking, collaborating with peers, asking questions - You can facilitate this strategy in a small or large group. You can also have your students ask each other what they want to put in the soup.
I hope you enjoy adding this to your sessions! If you have any additional ideas or uses, I would be happy to hear from you!
Take care!
Sophie Black (she/her)
Music Therapist
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