Dyslexic students

[alwaystheangel]

I have this one student that I think may be dyslexic.  I'm not positive but when I tell her left, she plays right and when the notes go up, generally, she plays down.  She plays everything flawlessly if you pretend the music is pretty much the opposite of what is written.  He parents haven't mentioned anything about her being dyslexic but it's a hunch I have about her.  Has anyone taught a student with dyslexia?  How did you get around the disability?
I don't yet feel comfortable talking to her parents about what I think as I have only had her for a month or two.
Any thoughts?

I'm afraid that she is now just memorizing what I do when I demonstrate the stuff to her and copying me instead of actually reading the music and figuring it out for herself.  I'm afraid that she is starting to cover it up to the best of her ability and I don't want that to happen if I can avoid it because It's not fair to her to go along in life with something that big undetected.

[hyrst]

How old is the student?  It sounds more like she has mixed the concepts up than being dyslexic.  However, you could try photocopying music onto a number of different coloured papers (or cover the page with a few different coloured cellophanes) and see if that makes any difference to reading. 

I don't think confusing left and right is a dyslexic thing.  Dyslexia most commonly comes from a visaul inability to discriminate between particular colours (often black and white), not from understanding concepts back to front. 

This sounds like something pretty common in 5 to 6 year olds.  It wouldn't normally be present after that.  Maybe you need to go back to some of the more basic concepts and use a few visual cues - like putting a coloured bracelet on each hand and the matching coloured marker on the music score. 

[jpianoflorida]

Agree with Hyrst...not sure that this is a case of dsylexia....I see what you describe all the time with young children.

[pianowolfi]

I have taught several diagnosed dyslexic students. Currently I have one. I admit I have no particular concept of teaching them. But first of all patience is not only helpful but badly necessary. Secondly a certain strictness may also be required. I have the impression that dyslexic children often have developed a tactic to avoid reading and difficulties with reading by using all their abundant intelligence. They don't want to face the problems. That is also what the parents tell me out of their experiences with these children. Thirdly I think dyslexics are not so much into causality. They need pictures, dreaming, fantasy, humour even more than others. A very close working together with the parents or at least one part of them is a must in these cases. One of the dyslexic I taught has moved several years ago. Once friends of this family have told me that this girl never had a piano teacher after me because they could not find anybody who was able to teach her like I did.

A friend of mine is a dyslexia therapist. She told me a couple of interesting things. For example she told me that there is a specific note reading dyslexia. And indeed that confirms my experience. I even think that note reading dyslexia might be way more frequent than "normal" dyslexia. She recommended me the Davis method. I have bought one book by Ron Davis but not yet studied it completely. When I have I will post more.

https://www.dyslexia.com/

[loops]

A friend of mine is a dyslexia therapist. She told me a couple of interesting things. For example she told me that there is a specific note reading dyslexia. And indeed that confirms my experience. I even think that note reading dyslexia might be way more frequent than "normal" dyslexia. She recommended me the Davis method. I have bought one book by Ron Davis but not yet studied it completely. When I have I will post more.

https://www.dyslexia.com/

Thank you thank you thank you pianowolfi. I have read Davis' book for my maths pupils and will now re-read it, for my sightreading....but can't find anything specific re note-reading dyslexia. More info from your friend would be of great interest

[pianowolfi]

Thank you thank you thank you pianowolfi. I have read Davis' book for my maths pupils and will now re-read it, for my sightreading....but can't find anything specific re note-reading dyslexia. More info from your friend would be of great interest

Yes, in Davis' book you won't find anything about note reading dyslexia. That is what she told me out of her experience. But there are two books that might be helpful

Instrumental Music for Dyslexics by Sheila Oglethorpe
https://www.amazon.ca/Instrumental-Music-Dyslexics-Sheila-Oglethorpe/dp/1861562918

and

Music and Dyslexia by Tim Miles and John Westcombe (Editors)
https://www.amazon.ca/Music-Dyslexia-Tim-Miles/dp/1861562055/sr=11-1/qid=1163714671/ref=sr_11_1/702-2115450-3511209

[tiasjoy]

like putting a coloured bracelet on each hand and the matching coloured marker on the music score.

Love this idea hyrst!  I don't have young ones at the moment, but will remember this for next time.   

[alwaystheangel]

This is excellent info, thank you.  She's 12 and should know right from left by now, and up and down.   She isn't stupid by any means and I know it frusterates her that she can't get it right.

[hyrst]

Colour code things as much as possilbe - work out colour systems.  It makes a world of difference.  It doesn't sound like dyslexia,but it could be some other from of processing issue.  My son has significant disablilities in this area and colour coding has helped him so much in school and routines.  Using other visual cues (little pictures and icons) also is very supportive. 

It still might help to use different coloured paper for the music as well - maybe cellophane would be cheaper and easier because you can use it to cover pages successively - instead of having to copy everything in advance.  Try a range of differnet colours and see if she finds any suddenly easier to read - she shoudl be able to tell pretty clearly, like an "aha!"

Try using pictures on the piano for a while, too - like a down arrow at the lowest end of the keyboard and an up arrow at the highest end.  Anything that is a particular problem, find a viaul cue to relate it to. 

I wouldn't say anything to the parent/s until/unless you find some particualr strategy really makes a difference.  Then you could say you had observed this and that worked.  Then, you would be in a better position to suggest an assessment - since professionally you are not in a position to do more than that.

Good luck
Annah

[alwaystheangel]

I agree, I'm definately not going to talk to the parents unless it gets worse of better, or something.
I will try the visual cue thing.  I think that will help out.  I'll go find some cello, I guess and I liked the idea of associating a pink bracelet for left hand with pink at the beginning of the left hand part or something.

I'm not experienced enough to have to deal with this!
Yikes!