Dogs & Birds Piano Parent/Teacher Guide by Elza Lusher
This book is a guide to teaching children the material in Dogs and Birds Book 1. The Dogs and Birds approach, allows very young children to learn the piano, even before they know the alphabet. The music is suitable for children between the ages of 3 and 7. The method uses animal symbols to represent the musical notes, for example Cat is C and Dog is D. The animal names are monosyllabic and children are encouraged to sing the names as they play the tunes on the piano or keyboard. These notes to Book 1 are useful for both parents and teachers, and by using them parents can teach their children the material in book 1. The book gives a detailed description of the basic elements of the Dogs and Birds approach including many musical exercises and games, and the use of the tiles and staves, expanding on the information given at the end of the first tutor book. It includes a set of lesson plans which take students through book 1, incorporating the basic elements, which include rhythm exercises, sung finger exercises, sight-singing, sight-reading, singing and listening games using a set of small animal tiles and a set of coloured staves, improvisation, composition and telling stories about the illustrations. These notes also contain helpful tips for teaching very young children (4 years old and under). It explains all the musical notation necessary for working through the first tutor book, thereby enabling parents without any prior musical knowledge to teach their children the material in book 1. Working through this material can provide a good parent child bonding opportunity, and this provides the child a firm musical foundation for the study of any instrument, including the piano. A CD of all the musical pieces and rhythm exercises in Book 1 is included with these notes.