4 Powerful Ways to Integrate Speech Therapy and Music in the Classroom

Let me share something that still amazes me after years in the field – the pure magic that happens when music meets speech therapy! I remember when I first started combining the two, almost hesitantly, in my preschool push-in sessions. (Trust me, my voice isn’t exactly Broadway-ready!) But once I broke through my fear, I was delighted with the results I witnessed.

Here’s the thing about combining speech therapy and music in our therapy sessions: it’s not just about making our preschoolers burn off some energy (though that’s definitely a bonus!). The research backs up what I’ve seen firsthand – music lights up multiple learning pathways in our students’ brains like a holiday light show.

ASHA’s research puts it professionally, noting that music creates

“a multisensory experience that enhances auditory attention, perception and memory, body image and spatial relationships, vocabulary development, socialization, imagination, and creativity.”

But let me break that down into what it really means for us SLPs in the trenches.

I’ve been there, trying to squeeze maximum progress into our push-in therapy minutes. Combining speech therapy and music isn’t just another task on an ever-growing to-do list – it’s like unlocking a secret door to deeper learning. When we thoughtfully weave melody, rhythm, and movement into our sessions, we’re not just making therapy more engaging; we’re creating rich, multilayered opportunities for our students to develop their communication skills.

Here are FOUR tried and true ways to integrate speech therapy and music throughout the day:

1. Integrate Speech Therapy and Music using Theme-based Songs

I love using theme-based songs that target both academic concepts and speech-language goals. One of my favorite ways to target multiple goals simultaneously is by adapting familiar songs to match the thematic unit. For instance, the “All About Me” unit at the beginning of the year is the perfect opportunity to work on body part vocabulary, which aligns beautifully with both speech-language goals and the preschool curriculum.

My go-to song? A modified version of “Spider on the Floor” that incorporates tons of body parts while sneaking in some rhyming practice. I like to give students a spider ring to place on their body parts while we sing to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”):

Here’s what makes it work:

• The repetitive structure makes it predictable and engaging
• Students love tracking the spider’s movement across different body parts
• Each verse naturally incorporates vocabulary, movement, and rhyming
• It’s easy to modify based on your students’ specific vocabulary needs

2. Combine Speech Therapy and Music to Mark Transitions

Musical transitions make moving between activities engaging while targeting speech and language goals. For example, mark the beginning or ending of an activity with a song. Here’s an example:

(tune: “Frère Jacques”)
“We are finished, we are finished,
We are done, we are done.
Circle time is over, circle time is over,
We’ve had fun, we’ve had fun.

Work on positional words and/or pronouns when you want children to line up:

(tune: “London Bridge”)
“Stand in front of Sarah now,
Sarah now, Sarah now,
Stand in front of Sarah now,
That’s your spot!”

OR

“Who’s in front of John right now?
John right now? John right now?
She’s in front of John right now
She is, she is!”

3. Use Resources from the Web to Integrate Speech Therapy and Music

You don’t have to create everything from scratch! So many fantastic resources are already available that will help you integrate speech therapy and music into your sessions. Sites like GoNoodle offer engaging movement songs that you can easily adapt for speech and language goals. Super Simple Songs has clear, repetitive lyrics that work perfectly for articulation practice, and their animated videos can help keep children engaged during therapy sessions.

Take advantage of YouTube. Jack Hartmann, Dr. Jean, and The Learning Station create educational songs that can be easily modified for speech therapy targets. For example, you might use Jack Hartmann’s alphabet songs with your preferred hand motions instead of the ones he uses, or adapt Dr. Jean’s “Tooty Ta” to target specific speech sounds.

Just keep these tips in mind when using web resources for integrating speech therapy and music:

• Preview everything before using it with your students
• Make sure the pace is appropriate for your therapy goals
• Check that the vocabulary level matches your students’ needs
• Consider downloading songs rather than relying on internet connectivity
• Keep a list of your go-to resources organized by goal area
• Stop songs strategically to highlight key concepts, check understanding, or spark discussion through targeted questions.
• Always have a non-digital backup plan ready

4. Work Hand-in-Hand with the Classroom Teacher

Collaboration is key to integrating speech therapy and music into the classroom. What better way than to make your musical picks easily accessible to the classroom team? Create a shared YouTube account! I did this with one of my preschool teams and it was a game-changer. We organized playlists by themes like “Autumn Adventures,” “All About Me,” and “Colors & Numbers,” and by specific speech-language targets. Having these ready-to-go playlists meant anyone could quickly find the perfect song for any activity or goal. The teachers loved having instant access to songs they knew would support the curriculum as well as speech and language goals. I loved knowing therapeutic music was being used even when I wasn’t in the classroom.

Handy Resources

• Benefits of Music Parent Handout
• Songs and Nursery Rhymes Help Children Develop Early Sounds Parent Handout
• Music Together: Current Research Areas in Music

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