We have made it to Day 12! I sincerely thank those of you who have embarked on this journey with me …. I hope the 12 Days of Note Reading Christmas has inspired you to teach in a more holistic manner in the coming year!

In the past 12 days, we have talked through the various elements of note reading. Do our students simply have to learn to identify a letter that matches the note on the staff? If only it were that easy! The complexity of note reading (and learning music in general) should leave us both in awe at what our students accomplish and with determination to help them achieve it to the best of their ability!

We’ve talked about note printing and the backwards alphabet, kinesthetic learning and game-based learning, note sorting, technology, composition, and story-telling. Timed tests, play backs, and “say and play” techniques found their way into our series too!

I encourage you in the year ahead to evaluate your teaching. Do you teach in a multisensory way? How many different note reading techniques can you implement come the new year? You will find that your students walk away with a much stronger understanding of note reading, and students and teachers alike have loads of fun!  

As we wrap-up today, we have to remember that having students who are super note readers is not the end goal. Having students who love to play music is! And one of the ways you can instill a love of music in each student is to instill a love of the music learning process.

So today, my 12^th multi-sensory note reading tip is to have your students play  music they enjoy. Teach them to go from the hum drum of note reading repetition to the glorious satisfaction of giving everything they have into making beautiful music. You will never hear me say that students should ONLY play what they enjoy. Everything in life has its ups and downs (how many of your students love scales?). But don’t lose sight of what your students consider to be satisfying music. This is what will bring life to your studio, you as a teacher, and your students!

Click on the pictures below to access the 11 other days of Christmas (jam packed with freebies to download!). This is also the final day for Day 7’s giveaway … you won’t want to miss the chance to win this fantastic note reading resource 🙂