Ideas for teaching sightreading to small children

[pianistimo]

Typically, I start with tetra-chord form scales (LH 5432 RH 2345) and move to note reading fairly quickly.  But, I currently have a student who is five years old and is having some trouble grasping the concept.  He can play tetrachord scales now - C and G - but when I tried to teach him about the note reading - it was too hard of a concept for him yet.

So...with him I started last week using a flashcard system that has fingering  that goes from low to high so that he can see placement of notes:
 
      2  (in different patterns - sometimes repeating a finger)
   3
4

Now, this week I am thinking of adding more fingers (typically 5 - so they can play on white keys, too -and not just black keys) - but also want to introduce sightreading so that he doesn't become dependent upon fingering.

Here's my creative idea - but if you have any more - please share!  OK.  I took an 8 1/2x11 sheet of cardstock and folded it lengthwise by 1/3 (about the length of the black keys - which it is supposed to make.  Then, I cut into this folded part eight equal 'keys.'  Then, folded back the alternate ones to  make a set of two black notes and three black notes.

Then, underneath the first fold (which isn't a black note - but is above the C white note - I wrote the treble staff and where middle-C was on the staff.  So, he can eye/hand coordinate the placement of the note on paper - to the placement on the staff.  This cardstock only encompasses one octave - so you can add more octaves above and below and gradually move out in both directions.  On the back side of the black notes i put the # sign near the note on the staff - and directly under the these (on the same 2/3 page as the white notes) I put where they are on the staff.  It's a kind of look-see thing - so they can visualize it.

What do you think?  Any more ideas.  I have a lesson with this child soon.  He is a very fast and mobile child and I've been splitting the lesson into segments and doing about 8 minutes per segment.  Dexterity exercises, Note reading, Rhythm, and Learning rote songs so far.   

[danny elfboy]

Take a look at this:

https://www.soundfeelings.com/products/music_instruction/music_reading_tool.htm

[counterpoint]

Typically, I start with tetra-chord form scales (LH 5432 RH 2345) and move to note reading fairly quickly. 

They play 4 notes per hand and do not use the thumb?

What is the thought behind that? Wouldn't it be better to use all 5 fingers, or - if not - just use fingers 1 3 and 5 (for playing triads)?

 But, I currently have a student who is five years old and is having some trouble grasping the concept.  He can play tetrachord scales now - C and G - but when I tried to teach him about the note reading - it was too hard of a concept for him yet.

Oh I know this problem so well. It really drives me mad, that many kids don't understand the simple system of the scale and how it is notated in the staff.

They know all sorts and names of Dinosaurs, but to remember 7 note names is too much for them  

Here's my creative idea - but if you have any more - please share!  OK.  I took an 8 1/2x11 sheet of cardstock and folded it lengthwise by 1/3 (about the length of the black keys - which it is supposed to make.  Then, I cut into this folded part eight equal 'keys.'  Then, folded back the alternate ones to  make a set of two black notes and three black notes.

It sounds very interesting and cool, but it's a bit too complicated to imagine, what you really did. A little drawing or photo of the card keyboard would be very helpful  

[counterpoint]

Take a look at this:

https://www.soundfeelings.com/products/music_instruction/music_reading_tool.htm

I think, this is even more confusing. The black keys are not part of the 5 line staff, they are notated with accidentals (!). So just laying the keyboard layout over the notation staff is not very helpful.

[danny elfboy]

I think, this is even more confusing. The black keys are not part of the 5 line staff, they are notated with accidentals (!). So just laying the keyboard layout over the notation staff is not very helpful.

You can introduce the black keys with another system when the relation between the keyboard horizontality and the grand stuff verticality are grasped.

[pianistimo]

Thanks for your responses.  Counterpoint - the idea of the tetrachord scales is not so much that it is only about learning the letter names - but understanding that you can break down a scale into 4+4 - and they learn to play it much easier with little fingers that way.  Tucking the thumb or crossovers are sometimes harder (although some do it that way).

Also, with tetrachord form you can 'copy' the right hand with the left hand after playing C scale - and suddenly be a fifth above where you were before and perfectly set up to play a G major scale next. 

Agreed with DannyElfboy about not worrying so much about the #'s and flats - although I've introduced the 'playing' concept at least (not so much the reading, yet).  We went through a chromatic scale and he simple said C - on the C - and 'sharp' on the sharp.  He loved it!  Then we went backwards and did the same thing for the flats.  B - flat - A - flat..  so forth.  He does know what the symbols for sharp and flat look like and what they mean.

He's very active - but certainly not dumb or anything.  It's just the visual/spacial/something or other.

[chocolatedog]

I have a pupil who is really struggling with the concept of reading notes. I'm now using a book called "Playing With Colour" by Sheila Goodey (available in the UK, but not yet widely.) In the past I would have always steered clear of books like this, thinking them 'gimmicky', but so far, it seems to be working in his case - she has a website https://www.playingwithcolour.co.uk/ which explains it far better than I could. It's probably not a perfect method, and this particular pupil has only just finished book 1 and moved onto book 2 (in a fraction of the time it took him to attempt to work through Thompson's Easiest Piano Course book 1, by the way.) One of the things this book has done for him is give him the confidence to try new pieces for himself, and he's really enjoying it, as practice is no longer a hard slog to work out note, finger, note length etc. He hasn't got a good sense of pulse yet, (I'm trying to work on that!) but he seems to enjoy the fact that he can read and play new pieces almost immediately........I'll be interested to see how he copes with the gentle move back across to conventional note-reading (which the books do gradually) and how he copes when we finally finish book 3..........

[pianistimo]

Thank you so much, Chocolatedog!  I really appreciate it! I'm going to check and see if Barnes and Noble has that method in stock or order just to see what it's like.

[nyonyo]

I had been teaching many students during my teaching life.
I found memorizing the position is the best way for them to remember.

For example: G is on the second line, A is in the second space etc.

If they remember the note by position, they can recall the name of notes very fast.
At the beginning, do not teach too many notes. It depends on the age of the students, if they are small 4 to 5yr, you may introduce C, D, E, F, G. They are able to remember C to G easily in my lesson. Of course, you need to reinforce this every single lesson. Within a month or so, they will have no problem reading.  Keep in mind, however, there are kids who have below average ability may not be able to remember. So you have to be more helpful to these student or slow down the process. Otherwise, they will get frustrated.

The best way to assess student abilty is to teach them to clap according to the shape (value) of the notes. If they cannot even do this, you know that you have slow reading ability student, therefore, you have to introduce everything that needs reading ability in a slower rate.

Hope this helps.

[dan101]

Your on the right track in that your keeping the hand position of your students simple.

Just a note of caution; kids do get frustrated easily with the whole concept of sightreading. In my experience, they are much happier with acquiring sightreading skills after they have learned some decent repertoire. Of course, the process of learning repertoire is also a vehicle for improving reading skills.