Using Hello Songs to Support Student Growth
Click here to hear this blog post read in Jess’ voice.
All adaptive music teachers understand the importance of routine and predictability for helping students feel safe, secure, and ready to learn. At the elementary level, this often means opening every class with a hello song. Here are some of our favorites.
Hello, Everybody (performed here in early pandemic shutdown days by Jen and her kids)
Say Hello From Your Head To Your Toes by Stephanie Leavell
When we use a hello song, we don’t just sing hello at the students. While many of our students are non-speaking, they can still actively engage with this activity. We apply a music therapy mindset where we value non-musical growth, especially when that growth helps to build a foundation for further musical development! The ways that we use hello songs can help to promote social connections, communication, and cultural/identity affirmation, all of which support continued musical growth.
Here’s the thing that we add onto every hello song: “[Student], can you say…?” and we give each child an opportunity to sing or say hello in the way that they want to. They might use mouth words in English or another language, they might use another greeting expression (howdy, how’s it going, Happy New Year, etc.), they might wave, they might smile or even just make eye contact depending on their interests and abilities in that moment. The important thing is that every child is given their own moment for connection. Following a Responsive Classroom Morning Meeting philosophy, this routine ensures that every child hears their name spoken (or sung) with love at least once that day before further learning demands are placed upon them. Here’s a short recording of what it sounds like when I modify Stephanie Leavell’s song to incorporate this element.
Some students may benefit from gentle hand-over-hand or hand-under-hand assistance to wave hello if they are in a stage of learning this skill or if they need physical assistance due to motor impairments. As always, check with students for consent, watch for signs of non-consent, and question what benefit the student is getting from the physical contact. In this case, we hope that they are feeling included in the hello song activity with the rest of their classroom community. If they are showing any signs of distress it may negate that benefit and you should choose a different approach, like waving to them and singing or speaking your own greeting that is personalized to them.
Just giving the students a personal moment to connect with the music teacher is great, but with many classes this approach can also be a structured way to support connections between students. In small sub-separate classes, Jen sings a full verse of a hello song for every child. After they have expressed their hello, Jen asks them who is sitting next to them. This typically compels the student to look at their closest classmate, and if they are able, to say that person’s name, or sometimes point to their peer. For autistic children with high support needs, this recognition of others can be an important step in social growth. And in the classroom setting, it is an early step toward building community and interconnectedness.
What do we do about larger classes where time constraints make it impractical to sing a whole repetition of a hello song for every child? We double and triple up children within a single song repetition. I’ll sing one verse of a song, prompt three different children to each sing or say hello, and repeat. “Violet, can you say…? Samuel, can you say…? Jax, can you say…? Say hello from your head to your toes…” etc.
There are many reasons that our students enjoy this activity. Many enjoy their moment of adult and peer attention, even if they offer a very conventional hello. Many enjoy the freedom to show their dramatization and creativity or knowledge of language. Many enjoy the familiarity and security of the routine, because we begin class the same way each week. And importantly, some enjoy having their family’s linguistic culture or their own nonverbal communication affirmed in this context.
One thing that can be a frustration for a music teacher is tiring of a hello song after hundreds of repetitions. This is a valid problem! One thing to remember is that some songs are more enduring than others, so it’s appropriate to be selective about what songs you choose for long term use. It’s also okay to change songs in the middle of the school year, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Neurodivergent kids often benefit from being prepared for transitions, and changing a routine is a transition. If I were going to change my hello song midyear, I would target a date immediately following a school vacation so that it was a natural reset point in the school year. Here are some communication points to include over time:
Prepare them for the change. “After the holiday break, we’re going to start using a different hello song. That means that today is our second-to-last time using this hello song on a regular basis.”
Acknowledge that this might feel uncomfortable for some kids. “It’s okay if you feel worried about it.”
Let them know they’re not losing the old hello song forever. “We will be able to sing our old song once in a while after we’ve tried out the new song.” (Isn’t it cool when kids remember and request old songs? It means they are deeply engaged and invested in music class.)
Build excitement around the new song. “I really like the new hello song that we’re going to try and I hope that you’ll love it too.”
Invite the students to try the new song and seek their consent. “Are you willing to try out a new hello song with me for a few weeks?”
Most students won’t need this much support and processing around changing a hello song– it’s definitely a “know your audience” situation. Most classes won’t need to have all the conversation outlined above, but a few kids might need that reassurance that their world is not changing in chaotic ways beyond their control. This is part of how we help children feel safe and ready to learn in our classrooms.