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24 Sep
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When a student learns a new note, I like to talk about what the note looks like- if it’s a line or space, where it sit on the staff, etc. I think if the student can explain this to me, then it will be easier to remember that note.
I had one particularly antsy little student I was trying to do this with, and she was just not understanding what I wanted her to tell me. Knowing that she likes to pretend, I said, “Pretend I’m blind and I have no idea what this note looks like. Now I’m going to close my eyes and see if I can picture it while you describe it to me.”
It worked! Then, she wanted to close her eyes and have me describe the note. She told me she could see it perfectly!
3 Responses for "Pretend I’m Blind"
What a creative idea! I’m going to have to try this!
That’s a wonderful learning strategy – asking questions to get kids thinking and using imaginations! Here’s another great way to facilitate this strategy when students respond with, “I don’t know!” Respond in this way, “Okay, but what could the answer be if you did know?” Most of the time students will give you a response that is right on! Why? Because the question was effective in further stimulating the child’s imagination. There are lots of techniques for this – I recommend this strategy in the teaching repertoire and for parents who want to encourage children to learn to think critically and use their imaginations.
Keep up the good work!
Warmest regards,
I’m going to try this. Maybe one reason some students have trouble learning notes is because they can’t visualize them in their mind. -Susan
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