Music Education
4 Best Ways to Teach Piano to Children With ADHD
Have you experienced teaching hyperactive students?
When I first started teaching piano, I struggled to teach my hyperactive students. Then, a few months later, some of them told me their pediatrician diagnosed them with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
It explains the non-stop talking and frequent zone-outs. It was a constant losing battle to get them more engaged in class.
Often, they went out of the practice room without learning a single easy piano piece. And I was left there sweating with anxieties of losing my source of income.
What is ADHD
According to WebMD, ADHD or attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a brain condition that affects your attention span, movements, and behaviors.
During my piano teaching days, I noticed that most of my ADHD students were boys. In fact, a study shows boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.
If your piano students have ADHD, then you may notice these behaviors:
- They have a constant need to move around. I had students who even crawled and rolled around on the floor!
- They can’t stop pressing the piano keys and stepping on each pedal.
- They will check each music metronome speed.
- They steer away from a topic by talking about what happened at school or a new video game they’re playing.
- They have difficulty completing their work according to the instructions — especially Music Theory.
- They can’t practice the same music piece for an extended period.
4 Tips to Teach ADHD Students Effectively
1. Short Breaks
My ADHD students struggled to focus on one thing at a time. They’d typically tune out after the first ten minutes. (Fifteen minutes on better days). Then, they would start playing random tunes and making up stories based on the illustration in their music books.
To ensure they don’t leave the class without learning a thing or two, you can take a couple of short breaks in between. For example, if your class is forty-five minutes, you could take a brief pause every ten minutes.
During the break, talk to them about their topic of interest. For example, you can ask them how their day was at school or the video game they spoke about earlier.
I used to let them roll around on the floor. Then, I would ask them — Wow, are you an Alligator? Or, You look like a giant worm!
We’d laugh, and they felt being heard instead of feeling ignored.
Be sure to make clear boundaries with your students on how long the break is. For instance, they can only be an Alligator for five minutes. After that, the Alligator has to turn back into a pianist.
Also, always inform the parents how you’ll manage the time in class. I’ve experienced a mother who wasn’t happy that her son had conversations with me in the practice room. It was on me as I should’ve explained everything to her beforehand.
Parents aren’t aware that their children have ADHD most of the time. And even if they do, they’re struggling to help their little ones the best they can. That’s why it’s best to include parents in your teaching adjustments.
But, of course, you should never tell parents straight to their face that their children have ADHD unless you’re a certified professional.
Otherwise, just let them know that their kids have difficulties focusing in class, so some alterations are necessary to achieve productivity.
2. Cut Down Your ‘No’ And ‘Stop That’
Unfortunately, we often say these words when students aren’t listening to us. I know it’s inevitable sometimes, especially when it’s the final class of the day and you only have very little fuel to spare. But saying these words repetitively will only make it difficult for you and your student.
I remember saying no and stop doing that a lot to a student constantly moving around after over five hours of teaching before his class. I got more agitated, and the boy’s attention span lessened.
My negative tone wasn’t stopping him from crawling on the floor and playing the piano while standing. Instead, he was discouraged from doing anything at all. It became a dreadful forty-five minutes we both wished would end soon.
So the following week, I let him play the piano freely. It didn’t matter to me even if he played with the posture of a T-Rex as long as he was able to learn.
I realized he was more cooperative in class when he could move freely without being constantly denied.
Having a proper posture is essential when learning any musical instrument. But kids with ADHD find it challenging to sit still for thirty minutes. So I quizzed them frequently about the correct posture when playing the piano.
Of course, changes don’t happen overnight. That’s why you have to keep on checking with them regularly. That way, they won’t get into the habit of playing the piano with weird postures in recital halls or during exams.
3. Minimize The Number of Things You Have in Class
Children with ADHD are constantly distracted by any objects they can find around them. Even the piano can be a distraction when you’re busy teaching!
So try reducing to only a piano, music books, and writing equipment. If you need other things like a music metronome, you can keep them outside of the practice room and bring them in later.
Also, put the piano lid down when you’re talking to them. My ADHD students liked to play random melodies, or worse — bang the piano when I was teaching. So since then, I would close it first when talking to them.
4. Encourage Them to Double Check Their Work
Another quirk I noticed is they couldn’t wait to finish their work. So they would submit their music theory classwork as soon as they were done. Unfortunately, it became a bad habit because they also did it during exams!
Many of them knew and understood music theory very well, yet the results were subpar. I asked one of my students why he couldn’t be a little more patient. He told me he just couldn’t help it — When it happens, it happens.
So the best way to deal with this issue is by encouraging them to double-check their work before submitting it to you.
Always… And I mean ALWAYS — remind them to double-check. It’s something they have to do frequently to make it a habit.
Final Thoughts
Teaching children with ADHD can be an absolute nightmare! After all, you’re only human. Even if you have the patience of a monk and the loving nature of Mother Teresa, you will break at some point. I’m not proud to say that I’ve done that many times.
I found it easy to look at these children as monsters, especially when I was all drained out, and I’ve been teaching other hyperactive students before that class.
It’s important to remind ourselves that it’s not their fault. It’s a condition, and they can’t help it. They are just the way they are. So Instead of dreading the days when you have to teach them, take it as an opportunity to gain new knowledge on how to help them learn effectively.
And you know what? We’re fortunate to live in an era where countless resources are available across the web to help us. Take Medium, for example.
So do you have students with ADHD? What tips and tricks do you have up your sleeve to achieve a productive class for your student and a less stressful teaching experience for you?
