If you have piano students who are just about finished the WunderKeys Primer piano books or piano students who need a fresh and fun Level 1 method book to propel them forward, then you are probably pretty excited about the release of our WunderKeys Level 1A Method Book!
Last week we answered your most burning questions in our post all about WunderKeys Level 1. If you missed that, you can find it here. Today we’re sharing even more!
WunderKeys Level 1A is divided into eight units. Each unit is split into two sections: 1) music-based exercises, activities, and games and 2) piano solos, duets, and “Move And Groove” music. In today’s post, we are sharing a visual preview of the music-based exercises. Next week, you will be able to check out the repertoire!
Many Things Set WunderKeys Apart… But This Is The Most Important
When you open up a WunderKeys method book you can’t help but notice our “wunderfully” refreshing format!
Traditional method books typically use a “talk and play” approach. The piano teacher explains a concept by reading the provided instructions and then the student plays a piano piece that reinforces the skill. Students using traditional method books often interact with their music in only one way; by playing it. Rinse and repeat.
But this one-size-fits-all approach to learning music is leaving kids behind. So we decided to break the mold!
Will WunderKeys kids still be playing piano repertoire as they do in traditional method books? Of course! And a lot of it! But the interactions students have using our music activities, exercises and games before they reinforce skills with repertoire is where the magic happens.
In Level 1A, we’ve created unique ways for kids to engage with notated music based on research that shows that learning improves when skills are accessed and explored in different ways.
Tell Me More About Your Exercises, Activities, and Games!
The first thing you need to know about the exercises, activities, and games in WunderKeys Level 1A is that they are heavily integrated with notated music. You do not have to worry about students spending too much time away from “real music”. .. we’ve simply found ways to make that music a lot more fun!
WunderKeys Level 1A is divided into units, with each unit having clear a clear conceptual focus that takes approximately 3 weeks to complete. These units begin with a series of exercises, activities, and games that reinforce the skills central to each unit.
These exercises, activities, and games include:
1. Introductory Teaching Pages:
The first page in every unit discusses the central skill, or skills, being learned. These are teacher-led explorations that involve a deep dive into important concepts that are central to the unit.
2. “Pick a Path” Sight Reading:
Traditionally, sight-reading is one of the most difficult activities to teach to young piano students. This is a shame, because, (and I say this with no exaggeration) sight-reading is a piano teacher’s secret weapon to success. But I don’t blame teachers for growing tired of teaching it. For years the lack of interesting instructional materials has led piano students to find sight-reading boring and frustrating. But not anymore!
Your piano students will have a blast reinforcing skills with our “Pick-A-Path” Sight Reading pages. Using simple and accessible measures that are learned before the activity begins, we’ve created a fun way to incorporate sight-reading while really solidifying a student’s learning. For students to commit a concept to memory they have to be actively engaged in their learning, and there is no better form of active engagement than sight-reading as sight-reading requires students to use their intellect, not simply their muscle memory to play music.
3. Technical Exercises:
The technical exercises in WunderKeys Level 1A reinforce skills in small, manageable chunks (one line of music) before moving on to complete piano pieces. If you’re coming from the WunderKeys Primer Piano books then you’ll find they serve a similar purpose to the “Practice on the Pathway” pages.
In this section, we always introduce secondary musical skills to compliment the main skills being learned in each unit.
4. Ear Training Piano Games:
We love piano games! (Everyone knows that!) So, we’ve incorporated game-based learning in WunderKeys Level 1A that functions as ear-training exercises. As Level 1 students have more material to move through, we’ve made our Level 1 games quick and easy to play. Every game in every unit requires nothing more than a piano, a pencil crayon, and a few coins.
5. Rhythm Duets:
If clap-backs are the extent of your rhythm training then we are about to help you kick things up a notch. With our Level 1 rhythm exercises, you and your students will engage in rockin’ rhythm duets where one of you performs Clap-Tap Body Percussion while the other plays the piano accompaniment.
Because you and your students get to switch roles during these exercises, kids will have the chance to both reinforce their knowledge of rhythm through the body percussion exercises as well as practicing keeping a steady beat while playing the piano part for their teacher’s percussion performance.
Here Is Our “Part 1” Visual Preview…
A few samples of the activities above can be previewed by clicking on the image below. We hope you love the new artwork and enjoy our laugh-out-loud “fractured fairy tale” approach!
Remember this visual preview represents Part 1 of a unit and does not include the actual piano repertoire. Click here for audio previews of some of the music you’ll find in this book.
Note: If you want to learn more about WunderKeys Level 1 check out the FAQ session we did last week here on the WunderKeys blog.
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Find The Book On Amazon
If you’re excited about changing the way you approach lessons with your Level 1 piano students, you can get started by finding this book on Amzon! Click here.
Elaine says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! So excited about this – and I LOVE the rhythm duets! Can’t wait for that announcement when you tell us that it’s up on Amazon xx
Andrea says
Thanks Elaine! Yes, we’re really excited that the book will give teachers an easy way to really offer a well-rounded lesson without having to draw on a bunch of different resources. We’ll be announcing the release right after Christmas 🙂
Teresa says
I so look forward to using this comprehensive approach with my students. Wonderful, really WUNDERFUL!!
Andrea says
Thanks Teresa! We’re so happy that you’re looking forward to using it! We can’t wait to show you the whole book!
Connie says
So exciting! This is exactly the way I want to develop my teaching. Can’t wait for next week to see the repertoire!
Andrea says
Hi Connie – thrilled that you’re excited about it 🙂
Jennifer says
I’m so excited to see the final product, and have it my hands. I have a few students almost ready to move to Level 1, so please hurry!
Andrea says
Hi Jennifer! It will be out immediately after Christmas – we’re just avoiding the holiday rush before the big day 🙂 Glad you’ll be able to use it right away!
Teresa Arth says
Wow. The colors pop and its an exciting new look. I’m sure all the students will love every page and piece.
Andrea says
Hi Teresa! Glad you like it! We just can’t wait to show you the entire book 🙂
Megan says
Thank you so much for making music (& especially method books and technical exercises) that appeal to music-loving students who wouldn’t flourish with traditional method books. These are fun for students and teachers, and I’m so glad my piano teaching friend introduced me to Wunderkeys!
Andrea says
Thanks so much for your kind words, Megan! We’re so glad that you’re enjoying WunderKeys and that you’re excited about the release of this new book! We can’t wait to hear how you like using it in your studio!
Susan says
I love your approach to sight reading skills. I am intrigued with your use of treble line F being used with bass line F. That’s genius! But please help me understand your games. I understand that fun experiences relax student and create a receptive spirit to learn. Yet this page 3 game (and others like it) seems so arbitrary and off topic. My heart is not in it and I am afraid my attitude would be a detriment to this element to your method with my students. I want to love the games, but I’m just not seeing how to use them with enthusiasm. Help because I want to like them.
Andrea says
Hi Susan! Yes, correlating the Bass D, E F with Treble D, E, F (D is a line note in both instances, E is a space in both instances etc.) you can give your students a really good note reading tool!
As for the inclusion of the games – we don’t think that ear training is ever arbitrary. The games we include in this book are designed to develop your students’ aural awareness which is a very important part of learning to play the piano. This particular game reinforces the ability to aurally differentiate between stepping and skipping. We included it in Unit 3 because students have recently learned 5 new notes (Treble C, D, E, F, G). As they are reading these new notes they need to know a) how the notes on the staff translate to which keys to play on the piano (a skill reinforced through reading notated music) and b) how to anticipate how that notated music will sound (a skill reinforced by listening). Without knowing how a skip sounds different than a step, students may not catch their mistakes as they learn to read their music which can hinder home practice and progress. Each ear training game in this book directly relates to the main concept being taught in the unit to support and enhance your students’ understanding of the concept.
You can compare this approach to when children are learning to read words; they need to know the letter sounds of each of the letters in a word, but they also need to learn how to pronounce the word in its entirety. So it is with music – students need to learn to read notated music, but they also need to know and understand how that notation will sound. We use a game-based format to teach these aural skills as research has shown that game-based learning is the most efficient way for children to retain information. One example of this is in the quote by Dr. Karen Purvis below:
“Scientists have recently determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain – unless it is done with play, in which case it takes between 10 and 20 repetitions!” – Dr. Karen Purvis
I’m sure that once you experience the “magic” of game-based learning and see how engaged your students can be, and how quickly they pick up new concepts, then you may be a newly-converted piano game enthusiast! 🙂
Denise says
We are finishing Preschool Book 3. Do we go to the Primer next or into this new book? Thanks. I am really enjoying the books and all your extra resources.
Andrea says
Hi Denise! Preschool Book 3 leads into **Primer** Book 1. Level 1A (this new book) follows WunderKeys Primer Book 3. Preschool graduates work through WunderKeys Primer Books 1, 2 and 3 before starting Level 1A 🙂
Sarah Gorham says
What I really want to know:
Will the book stay open?
I’ve been very frustrated with WunderKeys and the Mozart etc. books not lying flat, so much that I’d be hesitant to buy these if they have the same binding.
Love the content, but not the form.
Andrea says
Hi Sarah! This binding is the one Amazon uses as it really lasts and is high quality. The trick to getting them to lie flat is in how you “break the spine” when you first get the book. You can do this with any book that has this kind of binding. It’s really easy – open the book to 4 different places at varying spots throughout the book and smooth the centre of the two pages firmly either with the side of your hand or by rolling a pencil along it. Once you do this it will lay flat beautifully AND last a really long time 🙂
Marc says
Hi! I’m a big fan of your work and appreciate all the resources you offer! Thank you.
I am wondering if Wunder Keys has accompaniment tracks provided?
Andrea says
Hi Marc – WunderKeys doesn’t have accompaniment tracks, but the teacher duet parts are provided in the books. We didn’t include recordings as, for this age group, there is such a variance in terms of tempo, length of pauses needed etc. that it would have been impossible to record a “one size fits all” track that wouldn’t frustrate little ones 🙂
Adia says
This looks fantastic! Do you have a date for when this will be released?
Andrea says
Hi Adia! The book is now available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1793022968