Piano Lesson Activities for the Youngest Beginner (Ages 4.5 - 6)

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't feel comfortable teaching students under the age of seven when I first started teaching piano.  College professors warned piano majors not to take any students under seven, so I didn't at first. But the demand for lessons at this age was so high, I became determined to find a way to teach this age group!  Now I have a pretty good system down and have developed many of my own teaching techniques to warm up the young beginner to the challenge of playing the piano.

Here's what I've learned about the 4.5 to 6-year old beginner.

Teachers must start VERY, VERY basic...more basic than parents might imagine!  The teacher must assume that the child knows NOTHING:

• The student does not know how to read
• The student does not know his left from right hand (yes, this is usually true at this age)
• The student does not know his finger numbers
• The student does not know the ABCs of the piano keys
• The student will probably not be steady at first and will race/ slow down tempos
• The student may not be able to match his/her voice very well to piano pitches
• The student does not have as much control over the tiny muscles of the fingers as an older student does.  Fine motor skills are not as developed.

So what can the young beginner do?  We as teachers have to select lesson material/activities around what these students can do.  The young beginner can...

• Sing/ chant poems and repetitive songs (pitch will improve with frequent singing with the teacher)
• "Copy-cat" rhythmic patterns
• Incorporate movement into songs  
• Learn very basic, repetitive black-key songs by rote until reading process is established
• Visually identify groups of two and three black keys on the piano
• Be taught hand position and the basics of piano technique
• Color and use manipulatives

So in case you're wondering what I do at those first lessons with a 4.5 - 6 year old, this video will offer an idea.  Of course, it all depends on the student, and some come in knowing more than others.