Developmentally Disabled - Suggestions Anyone?

Hey,

Probably most people around here know I work with a little girl who has Down Syndrome. She is such a hard worker and I am delighted to be working with her. She has been using one finger on her right hand to play HCB and Ode to Joy. She is pretty quick now and rarely makes mistakes.

She has been asking to use both hands. I promised after the recital we'd start practicing. I removed all stickers from the keyboard but the ones she needs to play Hot Cross Buns. We left the Little Musician colored stickers on as well. Then I colored her fingernails to match the stickers. It is very clear that we will have to start using one hand and all fingers of that hand before we can move to two hands. She just cannot get her brain/hands to do what we need them to do. Nor am I connecting with her very well. I expected that this would be an undertaking - maybe I am being impatient. That is always a strong possibility!

Right now, I am pushing the key down for her. It is like she never played the songs at all. Perhaps, she is just making new connectors in her brain, and this is part of it. I wouldn't be pushing this but she has seen other kids play with both hands and she is the one asking. Any suggestions????

Hi Sonya, I reposted the Google Russian translation here , I think the Russian teachers may help too.

I would suggest to let C. to use any fingers (it can be just one!) but let her play by two hands! This is very hard for any child of age 3 or 4 to use all of fingers and this is definitely difficult for her. You need to learn how to play Hanon and it will help you to develop her ability to use all fingers.

the Moon wrote: I would suggest to let C. to use any fingers (it can be just one!) but let her play by two hands! This is very hard for any child of age 3 or 4 to use all of fingers and this is definitely difficult for her. You need to learn how to play Hanon and it will help you to develop her ability to use all fingers.

Olga,
I've seen that the Russian community speaks about a finger exercise(?) mama-papa / mom-dad. Is this the "short" version of Hanon #1 for younger children? Can you explain us what does this exercise mean? I'm asking because maybe C. should try it too, if it helps. I'd love to hear more about it and your opinion on this for C., thank you.

Thank you! I was doing some research last night. And, well, I was evidently too ignorant to know that C. can't read music. (She can - better than any 4 year old I know.) And, this is too hard for her, she should wait until she is 7 or 8. Well, hogwash!

I did read that to help her use all the fingers on one hand we start with the two that are most important and then work from there. She needs to get used to using her fingers as a team. I think I am going to do a version of black cat/white cat and put it into Little Musician first. She can play it in Little Musician and then we can add another finger in a few weeks.

So, my expectations were too high, and I have no idea what I am doing. I should learn to do the hanon exercises at the very least. I think doing a version a black cat/white cat is a starter for teaching her the hanon exercises. We've tried the hanon exercises but she gets very frustrated. She is too young to work through her frustration at that level.

I will let you know how this is working.

Sonya, black cat-white cat - is quite difficult for 3 years old too.
Below I put video russians invention "papa-mama" - it is a little bit easier.



I think you have to eat elephant by very small pieces. I personally would start from Hanon, but probably from one note.
So C. should press by her thumb just one key. Then she should play all the notes by this finger from Do to Do for example. Next week - start to use her second finger - the same way and etc.
Next step - start to use two fingers - it can be "papa-mama", or beginning of Hanon Do-stretch-Mi (only two!), and again from all of keys RE-stretch-Fa and etc.
So, it is definitely very long way... you are right!