Story and Song for Older Adults

Song lyrics bring back memories and spark conversations.

Story and Song for Older Adults™

Story and Song for Older Adults™ combines the cognitive and social benefits of reading aloud with the power of music and singing to create a joyful experience for those with dementia. Short, illustrated stories feature large-print text and full-page, high-contrast color illustrations, with a question at the end of each page of text to encourage conversation and interaction. Stories include large-type song lyrics for sing alongs with family members, care partners or peers.

Soft cover, durable #80 paper; dimensions: 8.5 x 11; 12 pages of text (verso); 12 pages of illustration (recto)

See our blog post: Sharing Story and Song to learn more about the benefits of this approach.

Stories Show All

The Quite Extraordinary Piano Man

A night of music and dancing at the Community Center on 59th Street brings everyone, young and old, together; but someone very important is missing – the piano player. Read and sing along to an American classic as the unassuming and quite extraordinary, Henry, saves the night for everyone.

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Suggested Uses

Begin by honoring the person’s interests and comfort level.

Families & Care Partners Reading the story aloud with a family member or care partner is a shared reading experience that can involve taking turns or reading together. Engaging the individual in conversation and reminiscing, using the question at the bottom of the page extends the shared experience.
Reading groups Small reading groups bring the opportunity for socialization. Taking a turn reading gives the individual with dementia a chance to contribute to a “conversation” without the pressure of trying to think of something to say. The group leader can be a care partner or a person with dementia who Is comfortable reading. Non-reading participants can follow the text and/or illustrations.
Sing-Alongs Large-type song lyrics are provided to help individuals with dementia sing along with family members, care partners or peers. Live or recorded music can enhance the experience.