Children playing with 5 fingers, when to start?

[chingchingcat]

Hello I just start teaching students to play piano.

I got a question...So my student is just 3 years old and 9 months, his hand too small and fingers are too dependent at the moment to play individual notes

And he isnt clear about the beat and rhythm

So I taught him letter names and rhythm, he is on the way.  Im gonna get him playing on piano after 1-2 more classes

How do you guys tell a child so young the suitable time to play with 5 fingers?  Would teaching them to play with 5 fingers too early result in wrong hand posture in future?

Thanks

[quantum]

For a child at that age, I would suggest a Young Children's music course in preference to piano specific lessons.  Such courses will focus on listening, introductory musicianship skills, and music appreciation.  The child will also have access to instruments better suited to their small bodies and thus have greater facility in their expression through those instruments.  Piano can come later when they have grown more.  The knowledge from the aforementioned early music courses will be easily transferable to piano. 

[rgh55]

Try using Alfred's Teaching Little Mozarts...I have a four year old  (just had her birthday) using these books. I started her at 2 1/2 and she plays with all fingers and has just started playing with hands together. 

[chingchingcat]

Try using Alfred's Teaching Little Mozarts...I have a four year old  (just had her birthday) using these books. I started her at 2 1/2 and she plays with all fingers and has just started playing with hands together. 

leaning at 2 1/2 that's pretty young! Could she play with curled or flat fingers now? How long it takes to learning lifting up of fingers independently? I didnt own one of the Little Mozarts but had a glimpse of it, seems it's quite good and easy to learn for young age.

I tried the Faber Piano adventure, I like the CD playing but unluckily my student couldn't follow its pace, even though it is imitating the horning sound of car with 2,3 fingers on black keys, he couldn't do that fast!