singing – Nevaeh @ Kaniere School

End of term wrap-up

Author By kanamy
Publication date March 31, 2026
Categories: Ako | Learn, Hanga | Create, Tohatoha | Share
Categories: Art, creating, eye hand coordination, fine motor skills, listening, motor skills, music, Relationships, singing
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As Term 1 comes to an end, Nevaeh has been busy with a range of hands-on activities.

She has spent time exploring art using paint and pens, building her confidence and fine motor skills. She has also been using button toys where she presses a button and it names the colour, helping her with colour recognition.

Nevaeh has enjoyed playing with cars, sorting them into colours and groups. She has also been learning about size, exploring the concepts of small, smaller, and smallest through play.

Nevaeh also had her final physio session with Sam to wrap up the term. As always, music has been a real highlight, and we’ve gotten to hear Nevaeh’s beautiful voice a lot more this term. It has been great to see her progress, and we look forward to settling in with a new therapy team in Term 2.

Overall, it’s been a productive term with lots of practical learning and development.

Playing by ear

Author By kanamy
Publication date August 21, 2025
Categories: Ako | Learn, Hanga | Create, Tohatoha | Share
Categories: 2025, creating, eye hand coordination, fine motor skills, listening, music, Relationships, singing, Term 3
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Nevaeh and Amy had a great jam together today, perfecting their rendition of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Nevaeh’s ability to tune in and listen intently is really deepening- when playing along with a guitar and singer, she can match rhythm and tune, and when she misses a note she instantly recognises it isn’t quite “right” and finds her way back while staying in rhythm which is a really impressive skill.

She is also really enjoying dynamic changes, and often switches the pace of the rhythm or the “feel of the song” altogether by choosing different chords or notes. She always laughs when I play loudly, stop suddenly, and then play quietly. Piano is still her instrument of choice, and she is loving playing with all of the different instrument sounds the piano makes.

Term 3 start

Author By kanamy
Publication date July 29, 2025
Categories: Ako | Learn, Hanga | Create, Tohatoha | Share
Categories: creating, fine motor skills, listening, music, regulation, singing, Term 3
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Nevaeh has started term 3 with a bang, and is very engaged with everything on offer. She is meeting weekly with Sam, and alternating between visits to the library and physiotherapy in our sensory room. Our newest addition to this space is our very own sensory swing, and Nevaeh has been exploring this Sam.

Her music lessons continue with Marilyn, and they have been doing lots of improvising this term. They’ve even attempted a piano version of her favourite Ed Sheeran song, Azizam 🙂

Keep up the great work Nevaeh!

Drumming and music with Amy

Author By kanamy
Publication date June 12, 2025
Categories: Ako | Learn, Hanga | Create, Tohatoha | Share
Categories: eye hand coordination, leadership, listening, music, Relationships, singing, turn taking
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Amy and Nevaeh have really been enjoying jamming together so far this year. Lots of musical improv between drums, guitar, voice, keyboard, and other sounds means Nevaeh’s ability to turn take, listen very closely, as well as both lead and follow have really become sharp. She listens very deeply and responds rhythmically as well as matches dynamics. She also really enjoys setting the tone herself which shows great confidence and agility. Next up, we’ll go deeper into dynamics because Nevaeh really delights in them. She loves when a song slows down, gets quiet, or pauses and then all of a sudden starts again or gets louder. She laughs and smiles every time. Thanks for all the fun and learning Nevaeh 🙂

The Joy of Music and excitement of RDA

Author By Mrs Hickford
Publication date June 27, 2024
Categories: Ako | Learn, Hanga | Create, Tohatoha | Share
Categories: 2024, Communication, music, Participation, RDA, singing
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What a joy to hear Nevaeh singing. She has the first line of Pepeha off by heart, and enjoys Ode to Joy, and Don’t. Our music session with Marilyn was great with lots of playing single chords. Nevaeh was great at waiting for Marilyn to open the door after the previous student left before getting up form the chair. We waited quietly for five minutes. While we waited Nevaeh looked at the chords in her music book. The black and white key pattern entertained her.

RDA was a blast. Aunty came to help as a sidewalker. Nevaeh grinned from ear to ear as Lexi trotted along the grass. She bounced in time in the saddle. It took a couple of goes for Nevaeh to remember to lean back as we went down the hill. She immediately remembered leaning forward to go up.

There was a fantastic dismount in the arena at the end of our ride. Nevaeh remembered to lean over Lexi and took her foot out of the stirrup. She gave pulling her left foot out a really good try, but her shoes gripped the stirrup. We will work on prompting her by tapping behind the knee to encourage her to lift as well as pull backwards.

Sue was excited to hear Nevaeh’s beautiful singing. Sue was also taken by Nevaeh’s new shoes. Nevaeh has been stomping to ensure that her shoes light up. So cute!