Hello jaxtcr ~
As a music teacher, I always tell parents that no child should be
given music lessons unless they show interest in music--and in the
instrument. If they ask to take lessons, all the better!
My personal experience tells me that children under seven generally
aren't ready for lessons; their little hands usually aren't really
able to perform very well, and their attention span is typically not
long enough for formal lessons.
But they are exceptions. If you have a child that is under seven and
seems to want to take lessons, finding the right teacher will be
essential. Look through the yellow pages; talk to as many pianists as
possible and see if you can get recommendations. Then call each
teacher and ask if they've ever taught young children, what they teach
them, how they go about teaching them, and how long lessons are. (Half
hour lessons work best for children; very young children may do better
with 20 minute lessons.) Get references, and check them well.
From this research, hopefully one or two teachers will stand out. Make
an appointment and take a lesson or two and see how the child feels
about the experience. If he or she is only frustrated, then it's best
to end the lessons and try another teacher or wait a few years. (This
does not mean that lessons will always be a piece of
cake...frustration is inevitable sometimes. But it's important to
establish a positive attitude about lessons and playing early on.)
Remember that a child under seven will usually progress more slowly
than an older child, and a child under three is really too young to
take lessons at all.
All children should be at a certain level of maturity before they
begin lessons. Can they recite the alphabet? Can they count to 20?
Does he or she know her left from her right? Can they concentrate for
at least 10 to 15 minutes? Can the child use scissors? Can the child
color within the lines? Does the measurement across the knuckles of
the child measure at least two inches? If the child hasn't asked for
lessons, does the child pretend to play on a piano at home (even if
they really only use chairs and tables)? Does the child love music?
Does he or she react physically to music (dancing, taping, etc.)? The
answer to these questions should be affirmative.
As a parent, you must also be willing to sit at the piano with your
young child for up to a half hour at a time, helping them practice.
If a child over seven expresses interest in lessons, the same
procedure for finding and "trying out" a teacher should be used.
In all cases, it's helpful if the teacher can provide music for the
student that is in their area of interest. While a background in
classical music is still considered best for most pianists, jazz is
also of great benefit to musicians. Other types of music, like pop,
can be interspersed within lessons, too. This helps keep the child's
attention and interest in music going.
For a good overview of the things to take into consideration, try this
site:
http://www.freep.com/money/consumer/guide23_20000723.htm
For an interesting article about some of the benefits of children
learning piano, go here:
http://www.bcrmta.bc.ca/article.htm
Hope this helps,
kriswrite |
Clarification of Answer by
kriswrite-ga
on
04 Nov 2002 11:16 PST
Oh my goodness jaxtcr! That answer wasn't very helpful then, was it?
:)I would say that much of the advice I gave about age still applies,
however.
Opinions differ about when to teach typing, but under the age of seven
may prove difficult for small hands. On the other hand, it's felt by
some experts that if you allow a child to hunt and peck for letters,
they aren't likely to learn correct typing.
Fortunately, child-sized keyboards are available, which means that as
soon as a child is old enough to concentrate and learn a task, they
can take up typing. If you decide to go this route, you'll need to be
careful that you're buying a true child-sized keyboard and not just a
space-saving keyboard. According to one site: "On a normal keyboard
this is 7 - 7 1/2 inches. If it is a child size keyboard, that
measurement is anywhere from 10% to 30% less." (
http://www.aboutonehandtyping.com/child.html )
Here is a keyboard advertised for children with Macs:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/a-c/datdeslitfor.html
This site has child-sized mice as well as keyboards:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/kidsstuff/littlemouse.html
Here's a keyboard product recommended by "Computer Times:"
http://www.computertimes.com/dec99edchoicekeyboard.htm
As with all learning, it will be helpful to make the task of learning
to type as fun as possible. Here, typing programs may come in very
handy. Here's one example with games and interactive material:
http://www.cosmi.com/html/product%20pages/knowledge/talking_typing_kids.htm
Here's a review for another kids' typing program:
http://www.vnunet.com/Download/103615
There are any number of them available on the market; these are just
examples.
In addition, here's an article that gives advice to parents on
children and typing:
http://www.paideiaschool.org/tech/keyboarding.htm
Although they argue that typing should be taught to older children,
the basic information given here may prove helpful.
Keywords Used:
typing child* teach*
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=typing+child*+teach*&btnG=Google+Search
|
