Is it Really Possible to Teach Very Young Children Music and if so, Why?
YES, it most certainly is possible, and it can be a lot of fun. However, many teachers will not accept children under the age of 7 for lessons because they consider them too young to understand and accept the difficult task of note reading. A child of 7 is already getting involved in a lot of schoolwork and extracurricular activities. They will often tell their piano teacher they just do not have time to practice. They are just being “kids”, but many times the real truth is that those dots on that page of music are just too difficult to recognize and understand. It is simply just soooooo frustrating.
It does not have to be this way any longer. By using associated learning, the Animal Note Method of early music education makes learning to read notes and understanding timing fun and easy. A keyboard chart placed behind the black keys of a piano allows the student to locate the keyboard home of each animal. Because the Animal Notes are easily recognized, the child can think about timing and hand positions. The Flash Cards and word clues make the transition to standard music notation easy and with unnecessary frustration. The added bonus, four year olds and many three year olds can begin music and be successful. Yes, because of their tender years learning must be at a slower and more patient pace, but by the time they reach 7 they will be playing quite well, and they can get involved in other things as well.
So why do this? My 40 years of teaching leads me to agree with tests showing that children who have early music education do better in school. The stimuli brought about by the interaction of reading notes for tone and timing, individual movements of the fingers, and the use of both hands working together helps to develop several areas of the brain. As a result, when you give the gift of music you give your child much more, a better chance in life. For further information on these tests visit http://www.musiceducationmadness.com/important.shtml
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