Special Needs

Are you a teacher with neurodiverse students? Do you need suggestions for how to best teach them? Neurodivergent and neurodiverse are non-medical terms that refer to people with non-traditional ways of thinking and learning (e.g., ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, etc.). It attempts to give dignity to individuals by looking at the whole person and avoids looking at them as a problem that needs to be fixed. Having said that, neurodiverse students will often need special teaching methods to have success in music. Keep reading “How to Teach Music to Neurodivergent Students” to learn more. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

Does music notation seem to be one big mystery? Do you want to be able to read music? Music notation can sometimes seem counterintuitive. However, you too can learn to read music. This post will help give you a quick overview of how music notation works. Keep reading “Basic Music Notation Explained in Less Than 4 Minutes” to learn what it is and how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

Does your child have dyspraxia and wants to learn to play piano? Are you a music teacher of a “clumsy” student? Because dyspraxia affects motor skills, it can have a huge impact on music lessons. However, with the correct teaching strategies, students with dyspraxia can successfully learn to play the piano. Keep reading “What Exactly Is Dyspraxia and Its Impact on Learning Piano?” to find out what it is and how to deal with it. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

Do you get confused when you look at sheet music? Do you want to know what the music symbols mean? The visual-score-guides paired with quick explanations will help you understand the music notation. Keep reading “50 Essential Music Symbols Explained in Less Than 5 Minutes” to find the symbols listed by notation category. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

Do you need advice on how to teach a music student with Down syndrome? Teaching a Down syndrome (DS) kid an instrument can be a special, heartwarming experience. However, to be truly effective, you need to have effective teaching methods. Keep reading “How Easy Is it to Teach a Down Syndrome Child an Instrument?” to learn how to be effective. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

Do you have a student who has a problem keeping the steady beat? Does your child struggle with rhythmic concepts? Color coding combined with physicalizing the beat makes for a powerful teaching aid. Keep reading “How to Color Code Music to Optimize the Steady Beat” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

Do you have a child or a student who struggles to read alto clef? Are you confused about how it works? Why is the alto staff so elusive for most musicians? Because instruments rarely use it. In fact, only one instrument reads from it regularly. Even the closely related tenor clef is used by more instruments (sort of). Keep reading to learn how to color code the elusive alto clef. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

“What is the precise meaning of scaffolding in teaching?” Scaffolding is an effective teaching method that’s designed to help students in the early phases of learning. It helps them close the distance between what they can do now and where they need to be in the future. Keep reading to learn more. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.

Do you have a musical prodigy on your hands? Do you need information about how your musical child or student learns? Musical giftedness can emerge as early as one to two years old and usually appears before age six. It’s characterized by a rage to learn. Keep reading “What Does Prodigy Mean and Do They Have Elite Musical Talent?” to get examples of this shocking musical ability. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.

Do you naturally problem solve intuitively? Do you want to understand how insight problem solving works? Whether you’re in science, engineering, the arts, or business, those “eureka” moments can be game changers. Keep reading “Insight Meaning and Examples of Insight Problem Solving” to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.