Success Music Studio

Special Needs

 

adapted music lessons

 

 

Looking for information on special needs music lessons? The Successful Music Student blog archive contains posts about teaching special needs music.

Special Needs

 

Catchall Term

The name special needs functions as a catchall term. The name says it all. Special needs students have special needs above and beyond the typical learner student. This can include students with:

 

They are all Different

Beyond the common factor that all these students have special requirements, they all relate to the world around them in diverse ways. They sometimes:

  • learn differently
  • socialize differently
  • act differently
  • move differently
  • converse differently
  • need adapted gear or learning supplies

 

This means that students need to be met where they are at, and the teaching process needs to be tailored to them.

 

This does not mean that they will all learn, socialize, act, move, or converse in the same ways. Two students with special needs can be vastly different from each other. Even two students with the same diagnosis can be extremely different from each other.

 

OR two students may have similar traits, even with different diagnoses. It really depends on the student what you get.

 

Some students will socialize fine, but have problems with reading, math, or writing. Other students have no problems learning in school, but will find socializing difficult.

 

Still others will be fine with learning and socializing. Nevertheless, they will need a wheelchair or have issues with muscle strength or coordination. Some students may have problems saying words clearly or need a talker. However, they have no problems with any of the issues mentioned earlier. Finally, some students may have aspects of many or all of these issues blended together.

 

This makes teaching a challenge. Yet, it is a challenge worth taking up. Also, with multisensory teaching methods, you can win the challenge, and the student can learn.

 

© 2021 Geoffrey Keith

 

Back to the Successful Music Student Blogs page

 

How to Graduate from the Color Coded Sheet Music - Part II - Man Giving Thumbs Up

How to Graduate from the Color Coded Sheet Music: Part 2

Has your child or student shown readiness to move on from color coded music notes? The “How to Graduate from Color Coded Music Notes” series will explain how it works. Read more to learn how to transition from the color coding to the clef mnemonics, empowering students to graduate from the color coded sheet music. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.

playing piano with color coded left hand notes - boy playing piano - Can I Become a Music Teacher if I Have Special Needs - What Should I Look for in a “Piano Teacher Near Me”

Playing Piano with Color Coded Left Hand Notes

Are you having a tough time reading piano notes for the left hand? (Or are you a piano teacher who has students that can’t read the left hand notes?) Many piano students quit piano because of the hurdle of reading two different clefs. Color coding can bridge the gap and help piano students master the instrument. Read more to learn about playing piano with color coded left hand notes.
Estimated reading time 3 minutes.

How to Graduate from Color Coded Music Notes - Part I – Woman with Mortarboard.jpg

How to Graduate from Color Coded Music Notes: Part 1

Has your student been playing color coded music notes and is ready to graduate? Have you wondered how to get to your student to play a color free score? The “How to Graduate from Color Coded Music Notes” series will show you how. Read more to understand contour lines and how to use them as the first step toward moving on from the colors.
Estimated reading time 5 minutes.

singing shape note parallel minor - sheet music.jpg

Singing Shape Note Parallel Minor Melodies

Have you learned how to sightread relative minor melodies, but want to be able to sing parallel minor too? We’ve already learned about La based shape note solfege minor melodies. In this post, you’ll learn about Do based shape note solfege as well. Read more to find out about singing shape note parallel minor melodies. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.