I've wondered how some students can consistently sight read new peices so easily and others seem like they can't sight read to save their lives. One key thing I've learned about becoming a good sight reader is that a student has to be willing to read; not just read a bit here and there, but like a good bookworm, read new material regularly. However there are some challenges: not having the right amount of music to choose from,  not having a goal or direction, the presence of an eye problem, or not having time to sit down and sort through tons of music.

A teacher can make sure their students can have plenty of music to choose from. A music lending library or a quick search of the web for free sheet music can put lots of interesting pieces at a students fingertips. However, finding pieces the student will enjoy can be a challenge for the teacher, which is often a good reason to put it back into the hands of the students. 

A teacher can make sight reading a goal for the students by taking time to organize incentive programs. Maybe a race against other students to see who can play through the most music (sight reading doesn't mean playing a song more than once). Another goal could be, "instead of sight reading at  two levels below your lesson book let's see if next month we can be only one level below where you're currently playing".

The time commitment factor doesn't have to be a huge amount; 3-5 minutes gets a person going. There are many sight reading books available that have 1-3 lines per day already organized. Perhaps daily reminders such as texts or emails are needed to play one song a day in old lessons books. 

An eye problem can be one of the more challenging reasons a student has a hard time playing. If you as the parent feel that your student is having a hard time seeing the notes it might be a good idea to have their eyes checked by an optometrist.  As a private teacher working closely with the student, it's often easier for me to notice an eye problem than it is for a school teacher. Privacy laws effect school teachers and they are not always free to share if they suspect a problem. If a student has to wear glasses at school encourage the student that they should also wear glasses when playing piano. If the problem seems more complex than that, check out this webpage (http://eyecanlearn.com) which has a wide variety of exercises that can help many students develop their seeing ability and reading skills. 

Sight reading, like any skill, is one that needs to be intentionally nurtured and cultivated.  This is a very rewarding ability and if this is something you or your student would like to develop, I fully encourage it and would be glad to help you design a program and collect materials to help you meet your goals.

I've been giving out Christmas music for the past month, it's a great break from the lesson books and give a chance to sightread on a theme. A few short stories behind some Christmas carols. 
"I'll Be Home for Christmas" was first copyrighted on August 24, 1943. Then it was revised and re-copyrighted on September 27, 1943, it was the 2nd version that was made famous by Crosby. The song comes from a homesick college student named Ram. Soldiers from WWII quickly picked up the song, and turned it into their sentiments, being away from home for the holidays. It quickly became a hit, and was requested frequently at U.S.O. shows.

Jingle Bells was written by James Pierpont as a Thanksgiving song in 1850 titled "One Horse Open Sleigh." It was inspired by the Massachusetts town's sleigh races.  Have you heard this verse of Jingle Bells before? "A day or two ago, The story I must tell, I went out on the snow, And on my back I fell, A gent was riding by, In a one-horse open sleigh, He laughed as there I sprawling lie, But quickly drove away."


Good King Wenceslas By John Neale 1853. The song is based on a legend about a Duke named Wenceslas in Bohemia who was known for his actions of giving to the poor. He gave so much to those in need that he was know not as royalty but as a "father to the wretched."

Sources: wikipedia, "Christ in the Carols"

One of the biggest at assets for any young student is the parents. I love when a student comes to lessons having taken a sudden leap in the level of preparedness, because mom or dad sat down and listened or encouraged them in playing. One of my past students used to teach her dad the songs she was learning. Was he really interested in learning piano? Probably not, but he was interested in learning what she was working on and spending time with his child. The parents who ask the student to play the song again saying “I enjoyed listening to it” from the other room are also taking time to encourage that student. A simple question the parents can ask the student if they seem to have rushed through practice is “did you do your best?” It’s not whether the parents knows a thing about the music, it’s if the parent is interested in what the child is doing.

Another important step for development is modeling good practice during the lesson time. When a student plays something wrong at the lesson it is imperative to correct it, not just circle the problem, but to really work with the student until they can do it correctly 90% of the time. Then to point out that I expect that type of practicing to be done at home. When the student doesn’t have 30-60 minutes each day, taking time to focus on problem areas is much better than playing a piece through 10 times. Check out http://www.practicespot.com/article.phtml?id=105&t=7 to find ways to make repetition fun. As the lesson is concluding, it’s also helpful to do a quick review asking the student how they are going to practice and what is going to be there focus when they are at home. This helps keep the at-home practice productive and fruitful without needing hours of time.


   Sometimes it seems as if students play the same songs for a long time and they always sounds the same, when in reality most weeks the pieces are progressing to a more polished form. It’s hard for students to know what’s changed from week to week. Sometimes it’s helpful to record a student playing a song the first week and again every week or so then they can hear the changes themselves. I’ve also taken the last lesson of the school year to review what that student has learned this year or in the past years. Reviewing old materials in progression, this gives the student a chance to hear and see how much growing musically they have done over the course of there study.  Putting this in front of them can be encouraging and motivating as they get a sense of accomplishment

Talking about a composer helps the student see that there really is a person behind the name at the top of a piece of music. They enjoy hearing about favorite foods, or stories that can bring that person down to a more personal level. We’ve learned about both dead and living composers.

I focus on one composer every group lesson, and sometimes we will continue talking about that composer for the rest of the month. We’ve even had treats in honor of the composers’ birthday before.

This month at the group lesson we talked about Franz Liszt. His birthday is Oct 22, 1811 so if he were still alive he would be 200. We learned that his dad worked for Prince Esterhazy, and had known Hayden personally. Did you know that Liszt was denied entrance into a conservatory in Paris, because he was not a citizen of France? Liszt was amazed at a concert given by Paganini, and wanted to become the Paganini of the piano. He became friends with Fredrick Chopin, another composer and was encouraged by Chopin to write more songs. Liszt wrote over 1000 piano pieces, and gave many piano concerts. He also worked for the court at Weimar and helped many composers of his day by performing their works, and contributing financially to them. In 1866 he was given the title of lay priest by the pope. He died in 1886.

Information from: Norton music dictionary and “Meet the Great Composers book 1.”