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| Author | Topic: how to teach reading music to a child with ADD |
Lori
Registered User
Registered:
2/12/2006 | posted: 2/12/2006 at 11:34:20 AM ET
I have a student with Attention deficit disorder, and when trying to teach him to read the notes on the page (John Thompson Easiest Piano Course), the student only focuses on looking up and reading the notes for one or two notes and then starts playing other things and no matter how many times I direct him to look at the page and read one note at a time, he doesn't maintain that for more than a second or two; I've even tried to have him say the letter name of the note and play it. He basically can't focus on the page for more than a few seconds. He's completely different to teach than students who are able to follow the direction to read the music. I ask him to name the notes and he can but to actually stay focused to read and play them....he hasn't been able to do that yet. He can concentrate on games like musical tic tac toe, or matching. But to actually read through a simple song....that's something I haven't been successful at getting him to do. As I was typing this I thought that the song may be too much at this point and maybe I should have him read much smaller segments, like just a measure of notes. Maybe I should make up very short musical phrases on flashcards and have him learn to read those before trying to get through a whole song?
HELP!! If anyone has suggestions, or knows what could work, please let me know!
|  imnidiot
Registered User
From:
Ashley PA
Registered:
3/28/2005 | posted: 2/12/2006 at 12:04:25 PM ET
Try having the student play by ear for a while. Maybe he isn't ready to focus on the written aspect, so encourage him to at least play. We give a fancy scientific name to an ages old thing called hyper-activity.
I am a fragment of my imagination
| Lori
Registered User
Registered:
2/12/2006 | posted: 2/12/2006 at 7:30:29 PM ET
Playing be ear is a very good idea and it's fun. Thanks.
|  Pete
Registered User
From:
North Coast NSW, Australia
Registered:
3/20/2005 | posted: 2/13/2006 at 2:58:31 AM ET
Hi, Lori,
Very interesting to read your post.
I work with high school kids (years 7-10, 12 to 15 year olds) with ADHD, dyslexia and in some cases borderline autism. Each class has at least 40% of students who have been suspended or expelled from other schools because of challenging behavior, etc.
I also have a one hour primary (aka elementry? ..7-11 year olds)class once a week.
Some students are on Ritalin or similar, but most are not.
I use a system of colouring the notes on the lines and spaces (treble clef only, to start) so that G is green, B is blue, and I let the kids pick the other colours.
I start only with crotchets, and go no lower than one ledger line.
After the notes in this area are working, I expand the range, and introduce rests, dotted notes,etc.
Works like a dream.
..pass me that treble clef, Mildred.
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