Andrea and I love game-based learning. When it comes to our teaching philosophy, fun is a central component.
But that doesn’t mean we think piano lessons need to be a three-ring circus.
Everything is best in moderation; this includes piano games and… flashcards.
Some people believe you are either for flashcards or against flashcards but the truth is, you don’t need to pick sides.
Note reading flashcards are a very useful learning tool, as are note reading games. We think it’s important to use both.
Today we are sharing Halloween note reading flashcards that will thrill your primer piano students when it is time to drill some notes.
Before You Download Our Halloween Note Reading Flashcards
Do you know that we now have two supplementary piano books devoted entirely to Halloween?!
Bat von Flapp’s Fairy Tales and Scary Tunes and Mummy Rocks The Costumer Contest are from Andrea and Trevor Dow’s Very Useful Piano Library. They are jam-packed with piano pieces (including duets), note reading games, warm-up exercises, sight-reading activities, a rhythm activity, a practice tracker, and a certificate of achievement.
Bat von Flapp’s Fairy Tales and Scary Tunes, V. U. Level D (available here) is an early primer resource that helps young kids gain confidence playing with A, B, C, D, and E in middle C position.
Mummy Rocks The Costume Context, V. U. Level G (available here) is a mid-primer resource that delights students who can play stepping and skipping notes in 3/4 and 4/4 time.
Click the links above or the covers below to buy these books today.
And Now, On To Our Halloween Note Reading Flashcards!
Adults often falsely jump to the conclusion that kids don’t like flashcards. To many adults, the repetitive nature of “drill and practice” flashcards seems tedious.
But kids don’t think like adults. Many kids enjoy repetition. They like the repeated success that comes from knowing the answer to a question on a flashcard.
If adults toss flashcards to the side because of a personal preference they are denying kids many benefits. Let’s take a look at a few:
1. Flashcards Encourage Active Recall
Children begin learning to read with picture books. While the pictures are fun to look at, they are also a valuable tool that gives kids clues to figuring out unfamiliar words in the text.
Using picture clues is incredibly important for early learners and should be encouraged.
However, solving a problem, like reading an unknown word or figuring out the name of a music note, without clues is important too. It reinforces a skill called active recall.
Flashcards reinforce active recall. When a student must name a note on a flashcard, there are no clues to provide assistance. Instead, the student must activate her memory and retrieve the required information.
This process of retrieving information actually improves memory… and justifies the use of flashcards in a piano lesson.
2. Flashcards Are A Quick Assessment Tool
Do you know which notes present problems for your students? To do so, you’d have to be paying pretty close attention as they perform piano pieces. Of course, you could just grab a stack of flashcards and, in under a minute, you’ll know the problematic notes.
Armed with this knowledge, you can then pull out fun piano games and other teaching tools to help your students become better note readers.
3. Flashcards Maximize Lesson Time
Flashcards do not take any time to set up. For this reason, they can be used whenever there is a spare moment to fill in a piano lesson. If you have flashcards on hand, every moment of a lesson can be used to advance a student’s education.
4. Flashcards Are Portable
This point is pretty self-explanatory. Flashcards can go anywhere with a student. Whether it’s a long car ride, waiting for a sibling to finish soccer practice, or sitting in the dentist’s office, the portability of flashcards means that any location can be turned into a learning environment for music.
5. Flashcards Are Fun
Flashcards don’t have to be all about drill and practice; flashcards can be fun. With a small dose of creativity, flashcards can easily be the basis for a hundred different piano games. They can be turned into a game of Memory, a game of War, or a game of What’s Missing?
Download Today’s Halloween Note Reading Flashcards
Click here or on the image below to download today’s Halloween note reading flashcards. And remember to check your email or visit TeachPianoToday.com on Wednesday to get a copy of Mummy Rocks The Costume Contest for your piano students.
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