| The popularity of shows on television, like Fox's | | | | There are seven days, |
| "Don't Forget the Lyrics," and party games such as | | | | There are seven days of the week. |
| "Encore," emphasizes the power of music to help us | | | | Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, |
| remember words and numbers. If I write the phone | | | | Friday, Saturday. |
| number 867-5309, you may naturally start singing the | | | | 3. Add body movements - Kinesthetic memory can |
| hit song by Tommy Tutone! I often use music to | | | | be a cue for cognitive recall and kids love to move |
| help my clients remember phone numbers, addresses | | | | their bodies to music. A perfect example for this is |
| and lists of information like the months of the year | | | | when kids are chanting, "Hip, hip, hurray!" and naturally |
| or counting by twos, fives or tens. The children I | | | | pump their arms and fists high up into the air. Adding |
| work with have a range of disabilities from autism to | | | | body percussion such as clapping, stomping or patting |
| mental retardation, but the principles of music that | | | | your knees at times in the songs can help to |
| facilitate memorization remain the same for helping | | | | emphasize certain lyric information. Strategically placed |
| anyone remember key items of information. | | | | claps or stomps can also "chunk" the song into |
| 1. Use "chunking" - Telephone numbers, as they are | | | | smaller parts and allow the singers to refocus and get |
| written in the United States, (###) ###-####, are | | | | back on track with the group if they were behind or |
| good examples of dividing up information into | | | | forgot some of the lyrics. These actions can be very |
| manageable pieces of information. One way I have | | | | useful for children who have mental retardation or |
| used this idea is by dividing up lists like the twelve | | | | Down Syndrome. Sometimes it takes many |
| months of the year into two groups before making | | | | repetitions of the song, but in my experience, they |
| up a song to help children memorize them. In addition, | | | | eventually learn the action and prefer songs with |
| I use two different songs for each set of months in | | | | movement over songs that only use singing. |
| order to differentiate the "chunks" and make them | | | | 4. Sign language - Add sign language for key words |
| more memorable. | | | | or even for the whole song. Signing is both |
| 2. "Piggyback" songs - These are songs where new | | | | kinesthetic and visual! When using sign language for a |
| words are used with an old melody. A great example | | | | song pay special attention to keeping the signs in |
| of this is the Alphabet Song which is set to the tune | | | | tempo with the rhythm of the music and making the |
| of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little, Star. Piggyback songs are | | | | signing motions larger or smaller according to the |
| easily overused, but very helpful for teachers and | | | | dynamics and lyrics. |
| parents who are not musically trained. I usually make | | | | 5. Use melody and harmony effectively - Most songs |
| up original melodies for use in memorizing material, | | | | have obvious lyric and melodic phrases that sound |
| but it is possible to find appropriate popular tunes | | | | incomplete if not finished. One example of this could |
| that appropriately fit the text to be memorized. I | | | | be singing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it |
| suggest not to use the same tune for all of the | | | | ______," and just leaving the word and the melody |
| different "chunks" of information. Folk songs or songs | | | | blank. This space can be used for important |
| from the 50's and 60's are usually very good sources | | | | information since it is the most likely place in the song |
| for trying out piggyback tunes. These songs are | | | | that a word will be remembered when the melody is |
| usually very simple in structure, easily sung and very | | | | sung as a cue. An added advantage to this song is |
| familiar. The melody for (Oh my darling) Clementine, | | | | that the lyric phrase is repeated many times, |
| for example, works well to sing about the days of | | | | providing even more emphasis for important |
| the week: | | | | information. |
| There are seven days, | | | | |