As I was explaining something important to my student I was thinking “What’s that knocking noise?”… oh, it’s his foot on the piano. “What’s that tapping noise?”… oh, it’s his fingers on the bench. “What’s that scraping sound?”… oh, it’s his teeth grinding together.
Fidgety was an understatement when it came to this student. He was well-intentioned, yet perpetually in motion. He needed something in his hands at all times…. my pens, a piece of plastic from his pocket, a rolled up piece of paper… it was endless. If there wasn’t something in his hands then he was forever in some sort of contorted body position.
I needed a way to re-direct his energy into learning the piano… instead of into dismantling my erasers and attempting to impersonate a croissant on the bench.
6 Ways You Can Help Fidgety Piano Students
1. Understand Why – All children need to be active. They are meant to move, and that movement is designed to develop their core strength and balance. It’s an evolutionary must. And not all children who fidget have “ADHD or ADD”. For kids who spend 6 hours a day indoors at school, their strong need to move is hard to contain in an after school “sitting-based” activity. If you have this understanding, then their fidgety behaviour becomes more tolerable and you can work with it instead of against it.
Allow for off-the-bench activities at regular intervals. Start the lesson with active warm-ups that involve the whole body. Pause at points in the lesson for a “Shake it off” (Ugh… sorry now that song will be stuck in your head!) break. Give your student the moments he or she needs to twist and stretch and wiggle and just let these be a regular part of your lesson as would any other activity you include.
2. Provide a “Hand Occupier” – Fidgety children often need something in their hands. To gain some benefit from this need, give them a stress ball to squeeze. This way, at points in the lesson where they are required to listen, their fidgeting will have positive benefits as they strengthen their hand muscles… and they won’t be distracted by looking for something to hold or by the destruction of what they are holding. There are all kinds of amazing sensory items that are designed for fidgety kids.
3. Allow Fidgeting – You may think I’m crazy, but deciding on a “fidget limit” that you are comfortable with will save you a lot of time spent re-directing. As long as your student is processing what you are saying, and is able to perform what is asked of her, then wiggling on the bench, swinging legs, and looking at you upside down while you talk may be okay. But, do set a limit and enforce boundaries (“Twisting your arms like a pretzel is okay while I’m talking but you may not hang over the bench”).
4. Make Use of Movement And Teach Rhythm! – Often fidgety kids’ feet are moving… so make use of this by teaching them to tap their feet to the beat of what they are playing… or use their feet to stop out given rhythms instead of clapping. Give them Right Foot/Left Food patterns of rhythm to learn… anything that makes use of their wiggling in a productive way.
5. Do Theory While Standing Up – I love my whiteboard for this very reason – it’s away from the piano so it provides a change of scenery, but it also allows my students the chance to stand during the lesson as we play theory games. Anything that needs to be explained while your student sits can usually also be explained while standing up instead, so get them up and make movement part of the challenge (“Can you match these notes to their values while standing on one leg?”)
6. Play Games – Fidgety kids often love the sensory side of playing piano games (cards, game markers, dice etc.) so capitalize on that and get them learning important concepts within the format of a game. Play games such as “toss the beanbag” where you toss your student a beanbag, ask a question about his current piece and he then tosses the beanbag to you once he has discovered the answer. Even the simplest play-based activities can re-focus a fidgety child’s energies.
Adapting To Fidgety Learners Saves Both Of You
Believe it or not, fidgety children are often experiencing the same levels of frustration as are you at being in a situation where they are forced to be still. Adapting your lesson structure to suit their needs, establishing boundaries that allow for some movement and using your piano students tendencies towards movement to your advantage will have both of you enjoying your lesson time together much more!
Great tips! Thank you for all the helpful information you share!
I wish I would have read this before 5:00 yesterday 😉
Ha ha 🙂 Next week it will be better Kathy!
Well, here is one that I am currently dealing with: I have a young student who constantly swishes saliva through her teeth. Swish, swish, swish! ….She is a nice little thing and I don’t want to embarrass her by saying anything. So far the only way I can get her to stop is to ask her a question, and get her talking. But if anyone has another idea, I would welcome suggestions!
Would you be opposed to offering her a piece of chewing gum (provided it doesn’t end up on the floor)?
I can’t think of anything else to suggest, but keeping her occupied with not-saliva is probably a good start.
Good idea!
Yes! I do it all the time. Works wonders!
Words of wisdom!! I teach a student that wants to move, so today we’ll work on steps using actual steps in the room where I teach. Thank you for the inspiration!
Great idea Teresa! 🙂 I’m sure even just a small break like this from the piano will make a big difference.
Thank you for this article! I was thinking for the last two days what should I do and change with my fidgety students and here is the answer!
I like the stress ball idea. I have a 7 year old playing at level 3 who is constantly playing parts of his lessons while I”m explaining a concept to him. I know he’s listening, but there comes a point where I must ask him to stop in order to be able to order my thoughts properly! Hope this works!
Me too Jeanie! There are SO many different “fidget items” available – I’m coveting this one as it looks particularly good for finger strength! http://www.amazon.com/Pediatools-monkey-pediatric-exerciser-fidget/sim/B008XCGMG8/2
Wow! I’m a much better teacher because of all the creative ideas you share. You are such a blessing in my life….Thank you!!!!
Hi Becky – that’s so kind of you 🙂 Thank you!
Thanks for validating myself allowing my students to move around while I talk/ they talk. It drives my piano parents crazy, but I don’t mind. They have been sitting in school all day! I also need to work on my activities away from the piano for intermediate students. Not just the little ones.
I think the key is in finding what works for the two of you – if you’re okay with them moving then it’s all good in my opinion! And yes, intermediates need a “move break” too – it’s easy to forget this when they get older and their behaviour gives you less of an indication that they need it. Thanks for commenting!
I had a contortionist student yesterday! lol This will help me channel her energy into productive learning and games, and lower my frustration at the same time. Thank you!! 🙂
Glad it will help Jane!
I love these tips! I’ve had a number of fidgety students as well. You mentioned having students tap their toe to the beat of the music, but my first thought was, “All my fidgety students’ feet can’t reach the ground – they’re not tall enough yet.” What kind of footstool/solution do you use to get kids posture correct that also allows them to tap their toe to the beat?
Hi Leslie – foostools are almost a must for fidgety students – but make sure it’s a sold one… or it will get flipped and slid around by those busy feet (voice of experience here!). I’d suggest something like this http://www.amazon.com/YM-Online-Piano-Foot-Rest/dp/B003B97CAI/ref=sr_1_cc_4?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1423173344&sr=1-4-catcorr&keywords=piano+foot+stool
I give gum to my fidgety kids. But, you see, I’m a fidgety teacher, so I understand. LOL
I keep a large exercise ball in the studio for “brain breaks”. The younger ones will improvise a dance while I play something. Other options: do a few pushups, march in a metronome tempo, or use drumsticks to tap a two-handed rhythm.
Hi, thank for these great tips! I’m a new teacher with a very fidgety 6 year old student, and when she is playing a piece hands separately, I put a puppet on her unused hand! Sometimes the puppet has to hold something in its mouth. And then while holding that something in its mouth, it has to sing the notes or count as she plays.
These are great ideas, but my one fidgety student would totally take advantage of this. I need to keep him on the bench. I think he is a normal kid who is totally testing me. I insist that he listen to me and do what I ask. He can concentrate very well when he wants to. He loves to hide on me, and I don’t find this funny at all. I just called his mother to see what she can do on her end.
I had another student like this and as soon as I got the mother involved, the hiding stopped. So I think what this student needs is parental intervention.
You have some great ideas though, and I have used some of them. Thanks.
I have a student that I recently realized and told her mom that I must take little breaks in order to keep her on track with her lesson. Your article is so on time for me and it makes such sense to work with the movement and fidgeting instead of against. Why didn’t I think of that? But that’s why reading your articles are so insightful. Thank you for all you do!