I have many resources I have accumulated over the years of teaching, but recently I have been thinking about the resources I use every week in lessons and what I absolutely cannot live without (other than my piano of course!). Whether you are a new teacher, are just now beginning to add fun games and manipulatives to lessons, or are a pro at using games and manipulatives here are a list of five things I find handy to have in lessons that you might want to try too.
Plastic animals: One of the items use in lessons with every student ages 6-9, are plastic counting animals. My Students love counting practice repetitions with these animals. Students have even come to expect that when I assign a new piece, technique, or add dynamics to their piece that I want them to practice their song (or section of their song) several times so I know if they can complete the assignment successfully at home. Doing repetitions no longer makes my students sigh, but instead they get to count with the plastic animal and add one animal for each correct repetition. I use high quality plastic animals from Safari LTD but you can use any plastic animals you have on hand. Safari LTD animal sets are available on Amazon or at Michaels and Hobby Lobby.
Dice: I have a hand sized foam die that I like to use when I need students to practice a piece or section of their piece several times in their lesson. I have students roll the die to see what number they get. The number they roll becomes the number of times they must play their piece (or section of their piece) that needs practice. Though sometimes I do assign as specific number of repetitions I find that using the die adds a fun element to lessons all while learning to play the piano even better.
Allie the Alligator: Another item I use often in lessons is Allie the alligator. Allie helps student’s keep their wrists up. I introduce Allie with a story. Allie lives below the piano keys in her swamp and she doesn’t like when student’s wrists touch her swamp. If she sees you in her swamp she reminds you with a gentle nudge to keep your wrist up and out of her swamp. Allie the alligator has become so popular in my studio that students have even been known to ask me to use her even if they don’t really need a reminder to keep their wrists up. Looking for more ways to encourage students to have a level wrist? Check out this.
Music Alphabet Cards: I find music alphabet cards to be one of the most versatile resources in my studio and one that can be made for a very low cost! There are multiple uses for alphabet cards from the youngest students who are learning their musical alphabet and names of the keys to older students who are learning their scales and chords. Though there are an infinite number of games that can be played with music alphabet cards, some of my favorites for learning the musical alphabet are laying out the musical alphabet cards on the floor in the wrong order and having students correct the order, or having students pick a card out of my hand and find the corresponding key on the piano. For more advanced students who are learning the scales and chords all one needs are some alphabet cards and some cards with sharps and flats on them. A great activity for learning scales or chords is laying out a scale or several chords on the floor and having students put the sharps or flats in the correct place to make major or minor scales and chords. Children also enjoy fixing scales and chords that are laid out in the wrong order.
Rhythm Cards: I find having a set of rhythm cards very helpful. Not only can I teach basic rhythm such as quarter, half, and whole notes, but I can also use the cards to teach students about time signatures, ties, and complex rhythms. When teaching complex rhythms, I also find it helpful to have the dessert rhythms cards on hand. There are many options for using a set of rhythm cards. One can either have students create their own rhythm, put the correct beats in a rhythm you made, or listen to a rhythm you clap and “write” the rhythm with the rhythm cards.
Bonus sixth item: I had such a difficult time choosing five items I can’t live without in my studio that I decided to add a sixth, my floor staff board. To teach the names of notes to students I often use my floor staff board. With my floor staff board, I have a felt treble clef and bass clef and several black dots for notes. Though I primarily use my staff board for learning the notes on the staff there are many games that can be played with a staff board as well. One of my student’s favorite games and one I find to be very effective, is letter draw. In letter draw students pick a letter card from a stack and place a note on the correct line or space corresponding to the letter they drew.
These are the five basic resources I keep in my studio and use almost every day. Want to find out what else I use to keep lessons fun and engaging each week? Check out the store for all the other fun games I play with my students each week.
What resources do you use almost every day your studio (other than your piano) when working with children?
