Hello,

It looks like I'm about to go back to teaching, at a local music school. I had planned to just stick with kids who are reading age this time round, but the school head is hoping I'll teach four and half and up or so. So...I need some feedback. :0)

I am wondering for those here who teach very young children, if anyone starts at around age 4 or 5, and what approach you use? I have tried the bastien books for young kids, but don't feel the material is absorbed that well, or that the child has the attention span for them.

I am wondering if I need to just 'invent' my own material. What are some of the books/tools/activities you incorporate to get young kids started?

Also, do you do half hour lessons, or stick to shorter times with children this age?

If kids can't read yet, how do you compensate for that re. books you use with them etc.

Also, do you find it's beneficial or distracting for most kids to have parents in their lessons at this age.

Do you base your acceptance on teaching kids this young upon whether or not they demonstrate the maturity/giftedness to start this early on through a pre-interview or something of that nature?

Thank-you so much for any suggestions/feedback you can offer.

If the teaching head of the music school is also a piano teaching musician, perhaps he or she is the appropriate person to set up the criteria for what is taught in his/her school.

So often these music school are heavy on enrollment and bottom line, and have forgotten to have a plan for what will be taught and how it will be taught.

I'm hearing you say you had other plans for your reentry into piano teaching, do you not want to keep your plans to acquire the kind of student you are interested in working with?

Cannot this music school place students with you at this level?

If you are having to ask these questions about how to work with the young ones, perhaps you need more experience before taking this job on.

My philosophy is that the first piano teacher is the most important piano teacher the student will have. This is where all the basics are taught, and this needs to be done very, very well within the age group and abilities and development of these young, and small children.

I think this level of education needs a fully invested experienced teacher who understands the young child in psychology, childhood development, and the music choices that is suitable for this age group.

Training programs exist for this speciality and classes are full. You may decide you would like to be an educator in this specialty area of music.

Good wishes,

Betty

Betty's right on here. Every teacher has to start somewhere, but perhaps you should tell your director that you will need some training in order to teach this age. Kids this age are just beginning to use small muscle movements, so it will be important to move from large movements to small when learning a new concept. You may need to shorten lessons, but that will depend on the child I think. Lessons for this age will be less of actually playing the piano and more of general music concepts of steady beat (using percussion instruments), singing, and other multi-sensory approaches.

You can do a search for specific ideas on this site, but observing a Kindermusik class or Suzuki lesson would probably give you more ideas.

Also, there is a big difference between a 4 year old and a 5 year old. The 4 year old is very much into things of the imagination, whereas the 5 year old can handle more concrete ideas, as well as have a better grasp of the concept of reading.

Hi Kaye,I have two five year old students and I am using Faber's "My First Piano Adventure" series. I find that they enjoy the "writing" book and I also find the CD music keeps things exciting for them. They take 30 minute lessons and we move between the piano and  a "writing station".  I allow time at the beginning or end of lesson to teach the parent how to work with the child at home.  Early on I found that the parent would become upset if the child is not focused to the parent's satisfaction. It's easier to just manage a child--not parent and child.These two boys are a challenge and you have to love interacting with them or it will not be worth it to you. As far as accepting students...I let parents know that by age 9 they'll probably be at the same level as those who start lessons at age 7...but if they believe in the value of piano lessons for enhanced brain development then that would be a reason to start this young. I don't promote early private lessons but leave it up to the parents. These two boys are Chinese with dedicated fathers who work with them and I don't know how well lessons work for typical American five year olds. I hope this information is helpful.

YIKES

I'm on the wrong thread

Thanks for your answers everyone. You had really great things to share.

I'm sure the music head would be okay if I just stick with teaching kids at age seven, but I began to think about the possibilities with younger children, and think I would like to explore this further, but with the proper tools in place in advance.

I have looked into kindermusik and have incorporated some of these concepts in the past, but really wanted to see what others are doing. I do plan to have a meeting with the person I'll be working for and talk to her about her approach with young students as well but wanted to post here for alternate ideas to bring to the table. I will definitely look into the Faber series. Thanks for the tip!

I had wondered the same thing - the value of giving early piano lessons when eventually it evens out in terms of progress. Seems to me group classes would make more sense where it's not so much 'piano lessons' but introduction to music etc. I think this will be interesting to explore further.

Thanks again for your excellent replies. If anyone else has anything to add from your experience, please do share.

Hi, Kaye:

I, too, work for a music school, but the "school head" would never ask me to teach the 4.5 year old kids. It takes a lot of energy and a happy-go-lucky personality. You also have to have a high tolerance for noise. I teach nextdoor to the Kinder class, so I know how loud it gets, with all the banging and singing.

My only advice: make it fun, and don't expect them to learn a whole lot. Keep them interested in music so that, when they're ready, they can have private lessons with folks like me

Thanks AZN,

I was wondering about both of those things - the noise and the energy level. The reason I hadn't wanted to go back to teaching this age was I foudn it exhausting in some ways. But that was also because I didn't have a proper curriculum prepared in advance, which would have helped. You and others have raised many of the same points I had been planning to talk to my employer about - such as how much they really learn at this age/absorb.

You all have given me lots to think about.
Thanks again!

Most group music programs teach 'general' musical concepts and they're great. If you want a program that incorporates an actual piano curriculum along with the group activities of singing, movement, playing with rhythm instruments, etc.... there are only a few: Yamaha, Harmony Road, and Music For Young Children. They are all structured similarly: a 45-60 minute group class w/parent participation, a keyboard or digital piano for each child to sit at, various rhythm instruments that are used in ensemble playing, ear training games, circle dances, playing keyboard ensembles and repertoire, and eventually composing & improvisation.

Someone mentioned that when starting at such a young age, the kids end up being at about the same level later on as kids who begin lessons at age 7 or 8. My take on that is this: if you are measuring the level of repertoire the students are playing, perhaps. However, my own experience (and others who teach HR, Yamaha, of MYC) has been that these younger kids will have a head start in other areas of musicianship (ear training, playing in an 'ensemble' setting, developing their singing voice, internalizing both pitch and rhythm). I routinely have students who begin group piano with me at age 4 or 5 and then at 8-10 they decide to add a band instrument. Their piano foundation makes learning their 2nd instrument a breeze (they routinely skip Beginning Band).

I love teaching this age group.

I wish I could have transfer kids like those! It's hard to find kids who have completed these programs _properly_. Most of the transfers I get basically "had fun" in those group programs and start all over with me.

On a totally separate issue, dumdumdiddle, I just got two transfer students from one of those not-so-qualified private teachers who had 60+ students. They spent five years on method books. The kids are clearly ready to move on, but their former teacher insisted on playing every single piece in the method books. It makes me boil