Developing Good Sight Reading Habits

​Good sight reading is a major factor in a student feeling successful with their lessons.  If the student does not have good sight reading skills, it can take several weeks to complete an assignment and they can get bored or frustrated easily.

So here are a few things that I will use to help improve sight reading for my students:

• Take a step back in materials:  Sometimes this is all that needs to be done for the student to get back their sight reading confidence.  Usually if I do this I will also make sure to include #2 on the list.
• Note reading apps/games/activities:  If students are struggling with note reading, this will help them to gain confidence in their sight reading.  Many students have their own devices and they can get note reading apps on them to work on at home.  If they have a device I will often assign them note reading for the week and then I will check out their scores at the next lesson.  There are also many, many fun interactive note reading activities and games that can be done during the lesson time, or with a parent at home during the week.
• Make a checklist when preparing to play a song:  There are a few students I have worked with recently where they seem so lost at the beginning of a song, and I have found that often asking them a few questions about the song will organize everything in their minds and they will feel more confident.  Some questions could be:  What does middle C look like?, Which hand starts the song?, Which finger is playing first?
• Use a sight reading book:  I have started using the Faber and Faber sight reading books with my students, and they have been working well.  We start off by using them during the lesson time where I can step the student through all the things they will want to pay attention to in the song - steady tempo, fingerings, dynamics, repeat signs, etc.  After they play through the song we decide on a rating for it based on their performance.  It is interesting when we share our ratings how often they will be similar!  Once I can tell they have started developing good sight reading habits I will assign them sight reading as an assignment during the week and they will rate themselves and share with me how it went at the next lesson.

These ideas have helped my students become better sight readers.  It is so fun to see them gaining confidence and knowing they are doing a good job with their sight reading!