The number of students with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) in mainstream schools is on the rise. According to recent data from the Department for Education in England, 18.4% of children now have some form of special educational need, compared to 17.3% in 2023. This increase highlights a greater awareness and identification of various needs, including speech, language, and communication challenges, as well as autism.
Why Music?
To harness the power of music we need to provide training, knowledge, confidence and resources to our educators and parents. Currently there is very little, if any, inclusion of music and movement training in early years and SEND Further Education courses, undergraduate degrees or professional training qualifications. You do not need to be a musician to lead effective music making activities in early years or schools; all educators and parents should have access to training and resources so that their children have the opportunity for optimal development of sound processing and rhythmic awareness, to optimise motor sensory integration giving them the best chance to thrive in the school environment and in life.
Active music-making provides an invaluable opportunity for inclusion in an engaging group activity that holds attention, develops confidence, communication, speech and language, physical, social and emotional skills. Music also enables children to express themselves, which is particularly important if a young person is non-verbal. Playing with the instruments and props encourages co-ordination, develops motor skills and the sensory input is brilliant for those with visual impairments. We even use our bodies to make music! Perfect for those with hearing impairments, where vibrations and tapping to the rhythm makes sure everyone feels the beat!
Research shows that pleasurable music increases dopamine levels in the brain. This neurotransmitter is responsible for regulating attention, working memory, and motivation. “Music shares neural networks with other cognitive processes,” says Patti Catalano, a neurologic music therapist at Music Works Northwest. “Through brain imaging, we can see how music lights up the left and right lobes. The goal of music therapy is to build up those activated brain muscles over time to help overall function.”
Giving children regular music and movement provision in early years settings boosts development for all. It’s an inclusive activity where all children can participate together, whether they have SEND or not, and regardless of whether they attend an Additional Resources Provision (ARP) for other subject areas. Musical training – with its emphasis on rhythmic skills – can also exercise the motor/auditory-system, leading to less neural jitter and stronger sound-to-meaning associations.
Boogie Mites director, Sue Newman wrote an article on the sensory superpowers of sound processing and rhythmic awareness, which was published in SEN Magazine. You can read the full article here:
Sticks & Sounds Combined Package
Boogie Mites’ Sticks and Sounds programme provides the perfect opportunity for this; with self-paced training videos for over 20 Boogie Mites original songs, including 10 adapted songs from our School Ready programme and 12 additional songs, as well as flashcard delivery tips, lyrics and practitioner notes written by an SEND-specialist teacher with ideas for adapting all songs for a range of needs.
Boogie Mites School Ready Music Programme includes digital training package to support teacher training covering 25 music activities that are evidenced to impact cross curricular EYFS areas of development for mainstream classes in areas of high deprivation: https://www.boogiemites.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Llanyado-Projects-Report-2024.pdf
If an EYFS and SENCo team to have access to both the Boogie Mites Sticks and Sounds and School Ready Music Programmes, they will have a wide repertoire of 40+ impactful music activities, including versions that have simplified lyrics or have been slowed down, providing music circle time sessions that are appropriate for universal groups and small inclusion/ARP groups.
For a limited time, Boogie Mites are offering a 20% discount for a combined School Ready Programme and Sticks & Sounds Programme package deal. This is a strictly limited offer, which will end 30th November.
Read what our existing Early Years customers have to say:
Take a look at our combined School Ready Programme and Sticks & Sounds Programme package deal here: