Tips for Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs

This post comes to us from TakeLessons teacher Valerie B. in Wilmington, Delaware.  Valerie teaches piano and singing lessons and has worked with children of all ages and skill levels, including students with special needs and disabilities through a Delaware state agency called VSA.  Below, she shares some of her best tips for helping these students overcome challenges and succeed in their lessons.

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I’ll begin by saying that my degree is in Music Education, not Special Education or Music Therapy.  But there is much we can learn about teaching children with disabilities from personal research, experience and networking.  Sometimes the things that are unknown can be the most beautiful and life-changing to us as teachers.  I’ll be the first to say that I am still learning and growing in this area, but am embracing all that I can to be the best teacher to any child that enters my studio.  Below are just a few tips I can share, many of which can transfer over to any student.   Be encouraged.  Be motivated.  Love them to their very core!

1)  Do your homework and ask questions.  Read up on your student’s disability.  The more you understand where your student is coming from, the better you will be able to meet them where they are at and then lead them forward.  Ask the parents questions like “What kind of learner is your child?” (visual, auditory or kinesthetic).  Find out what might be a distraction for them. For example, if you have a fan in your studio, that could be a visual or sound distraction for them.  Or, if the light on your piano is too bright, that could be bothersome to them.  Be an educated educator.

2)  Have back up plans. There is no cookie-cutter approach to the ‘right’ way to teach.  What works for one student might not work for another.  And, on some days, what worked last week might not be what keeps their attention today.  Always have a plan B in your lesson for them, as well as a few ‘sure-fire’ approaches that you know will work for them no matter what.  I like to have my owl puppet handy.  When all else fails, ‘Owly’ goes to work and teaches the lesson for me.

3)  Give positive reinforcement! Everyone responds better with encouragement as their fuel.  Don’t underestimate the power of “Good job!” and “That was beautiful!”  I treat every song as a performance, giving them a huge applause, no matter how simple the song.  I have stickers at the ready for each page they play and a treasure box of goodies that they are allowed to pick from at the end of the lesson.

4)  Think outside the box. You might want to consider trying more than one teaching approach during the lesson.  I will often start at the piano, but then I’ve been known to draw a staff on the floor and play a note game or pull out crayons and let them color a quarter note.  I stay animated and let my voice inflections help keep their attention.  The power of a whisper can be amazing and I have found that they even tune in more when I sing my instructions to them and let them sing it back to me.  Visual aids, like flashcards and pictures, are also fabulous for lessons.  Don’t be afraid to try new things!

5)  Keep your language simple. Speak in concrete terms and say what you mean.  Avoid abstract language.

6)  Be patient.  Oh the sign of a good teacher!   Patience, patience my dear!  I always say, ‘We’re in no hurry or running any race.  We’ll get it when we get it.”

7)  Love them! I see all my students first as a person, then as a student.  When they sense a sincere love from you, they will receive your instruction better.

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