The Animal Notes Go To School
The last three weeks have been so exciting for me. I was invited to introduce the Piano Note Reading Book to a third and fourth grade piano class at a Magnet Art Elementary School. The Piano Studio has 25 electric pianos for the children’s use. They have an excellent teacher with over thirty years of teaching experience, both in public school and private lessons. It is a real joy to work with her, but what is exciting, for both of us, is how well the children are learning their notes. We work with both the Flash Cards and the Note Reading books. The Keyboard guide, which I include with each beginning book, is carefully placed in back of the black keys of each instrument. Each lesson we review, using the Flash Cards, the notes we have already learned. We then review a couple of old pieces, and learn a new song and sometimes a new note. They have class twice a week.
The fourth graders have mastered five notes and the third graders are close behind with four. The Animal Note method enables the children to learn the location of a note on the Grand Staff, use the word clues to help recognize the standard note on the Grand Staff, find the note on the keyboard, and play a song from day one. While they are practicing a song, I have time to walk around the room, helping and correcting any problems with each child. I give extra help to the children I sense are having more difficulty once I have given all the children my undivided attention.
It is so rewarding to watch the joy in the children’s eyes because they are successfully playing “music”. It is also helpful and rewarding to be able to work in a classroom situation so I can learn what products I might be able to alter or create that will help the teacher provide the best instruction possible in beginning music classes.
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