One of the things that I really wanted to work on this year with my students was building their sight-reading skills. This was a key objective that I took into consideration when planning this year’s practice incentive. With the help of Susan Paradis’ Notes in the Fast Lane worksheets, I am seeing some great improvement in this area!
I made multiple copies of each level and placed them in sheet protectors in a notebook. One of the Cosmic Challenges that the students can select each week is “Speed Notes.” In order to pass that Cosmic Challenge, the two levels that they take home must be played the following week with 100% accuracy. Yes, the student actually gets to practice the worksheet all week long! The notes are random enough that even those with really good ears find it almost impossible to play back the patterns by ear even after a week of practice. But for the rare student who actually does memorize the pattern, I just randomly select the lines for them to play. After the initial shock of me making such a request, we find out if the student is really reading the notes or not. 
One of the reasons I really like these worksheets is because while the notes are random, they are also placed in the context of a grand staff where the student can still have some sense of intervallic (or at least directional) relationships between notes. This is an aspect of sight-reading that is lost when only individual note flash cards are used.
I’m doing several other things to help build sight-reading skills, but this is proving to be one of the most helpful so far. Plus, the students love the challenge associated with it and are eager to get through as many levels as they can!
Wow, I think I need to try that!
This is an interesting concept which seems to work with music. My interest in this is trying to teach kids to read. I may be able to apply the concept to some of the reading exercises.
Thanks for recommending these. It is interesting that you should point out the shortcomings of the flash cards. Very recently I was quite amazed to see how fluently one of my students handled the flash cards but yet when it came to reading a piece of music at or below his level the fluency was gone.
Natalie, I noticed your mention of intervallic recognition, too. My adult student, a beginner 6 yrs. ago, is progressing with that, which is a huge step up from figuring out the name of every note.
Great post!
p.s. Another aspect of sightreading that I’ve found useful is comparison of an upcoming note to previous ones. Say, for example, you have C G D. Finding the D is easy when compared to C. The student’s visual field has to include more notes that way, and that is a good thing.
I have been doing lots of research on this subject. I would appreciate if you could participate on my blog too. I have been working with an optometrist and it has been very helpful. I have had incredible results!
Thanks (sightreadingpianomusic.blospot.com)
I am not a believer of “every good boy does fine” I use the Edna Mae Burham books “A Dozen A Day” which is finger exercises. The repeat of the notes of Middle C to G (treble clef) and the Middle C down to F (bass clef) in the Mini Book and the Preparatory Book teaches the notes. Each book then teaches more and more notes alsong with different rhythm patterns Also this book is great for ADHD kids because they can sit at the piano and “do” the physical exercise, then play it on the piano. The name of the exercises, with a picture of a stick person doing the exercise, is entertaining. When the students are finished with these 7 books of exercises, they know their notes and they are ready for the Hanon Exercises.
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