Reviews: Cd’s by Genevieve Jereb

In December I introduced you to the CD – Jumpin’ Jelly Beans by Genevieve Jereb.  This was another CD suggested in the The Autism Sisterhood: A (brief) Manual.  Gen Jereb has three other CD’s.

Cool Bananas – Favorite Kids’ Rhythms for Calming, Cool Downs, and Bedtime Routines
It’s Circle Time – Songs to use in circle time with preschool and early elementary students
Say G-Day – Sensory Integration through Rhythm and Song

Almost all of the songs on these CD are written by Genevieve Jereb. She is an Australian-born pediatric occupational therapist who presents on sensory processing disorders world wide and online. According to her website – http://www.sensorytools.net/ – Genevieve is an “international speaker and most known for her course, Getting Kids in Sync — recently renamed, The Traffic Jam in My Brain — an empowering and practical workshop for professionals and parents who work with children with special learning differences, highlighting the use of rhythmicity, respiration, relationship, play and movement.”

Each CD includes fun, rhythmic songs specifically written for children struggling with Sensory Processing Disorders. Because I wasn’t expecting it, the Australian accent took me by surprise. By the second song you don’t even notice it anymore.

Cool Bananas – This 19 song Cd was created to “provide children with a selection of strong, regulated, rhythms to support a state of calm relaxation and regulation in their nervous systems.”  Averaging 50-70 beats per minute, the songs simulate the rhythm similar to the human heartbeat.  Momma C’s Thoughts – I was expecting a different collection of songs for a relaxation set.  While the CD does end with relaxing music, the first half of the CD contains some pretty active songs –  I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad, She’ll be Comin’ Around the Mountain.  But each song amazingly is a little calmer than the one before until the final song says good night.  This is a CD that I would use to finish the day and work down until bedtime.  It is not a CD for a child already in bed unless you use only the last few songs.  I could see how this could be a wonderful CD for children with Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder.  I wish I would have had it a few years ago with Bubs.

Containing only nine songs, It’s Circle Time! is a shorter Cd used in a circle time with preschool or early elementary age children.  The “Harold the Hippopotamus” song introduces the child to the vowels – “A, E, I, O U, and sometimes even Y”.  I was expecting the “Rainbow Snail” song to discuss the colors of the rainbow but instead it talks about all colors.  “The Fair” helps the child learn the names of the week.  “Where Shall We Play” discusses the weather.  “The Stranger Danger” song helps a child know what to say when they are approached by a stranger.  The CD insert does not contain the words in the songs or any extra information.  Momma C’s Thoughts:  Some cute songs but you can probably find songs set to familiar tunes that teach the same concept on the internet for free.

 Say G-day!is very much like the Jumpin’ Jellybeans CD.  What I wrote on that Cd applies to the Say G-day Cd as well.  So, head over to that review!  Again…love the CD insert.

Thank you to http://www.sensorytools.net/ for giving me the opportunity to review these CDs.