Another thought: The Wiki sticks or the corn cushions really help the kids
have something to feel so their fingers are more centered. Some kids
naturally have difficulty with this, and this is where the adaptive
recorders West offers can help.
Karen Stafford
----- Original Message -----
From: "Karen Stafford"
To: "Recorder_Classroom"
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 7:15 PM
Subject: Re: [RECL]Why is covering the holes so hard


> All of the below. Quite a few kids don't get the whole "bent fingers, hand
> in straight". Quite a few of my kids who have trouble with G do because
> they
> try to hold their hand at an angle with their wrist bent. This is one
> reason
> I'm experimenting with starting with C and A this year with third grade.
> (Some of their small fingers have trouble with G anyway). I heard quite a
> few good "arguments" from Julie Scott at a St. Louis AOSA workshop last
> spring. So far, it's working great. I can use a lot of the so-mi songs
> that
> the kids sing first before playing, and they're finding success with that.
> Julie even introduces D before B and G. I'm trying it around purple belt.
> Hopefully by that time, the kids who need the velcro dot (they call it
> "Super dot to the rescue!") for the thumb hole have the habit of the hand
> position by that time.
> And yeah, I have a couple of third graders who insist on lifting one
> finger
> when planting the other. I rarely have this happen, but I do in particular
> with one boy (who happens to be one of my best piano players!). For C,
> he's
> fine, then for A, he plays a B. He won't leave both fingers down. Anyone
> have a solution for that?
> Karen Stafford
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sue Roessel Dura"
> To: "Recorder_Classroom"
> Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 6:58 PM
> Subject: [RECL]Why is covering the holes so hard
>
>
> Thanks Martha Stanley for asking about this (below). I don't know the
> answer to
> yours, but it brings up mine ;-) I notice that some kids just cover the
> holes
> and others are a mess. Some give up before they get it; others never give
> up,
> finally get it and can then play everything we've learned so far. So I
> never
> give up on them.
>
> My theories:
>
> Their grip is so tight it causes the leaks.
>
> They don't feel the holes.
>
> They think that 'a' means only putting finger 2 down and they can forget
> about 1
>
> Their thumb doesn't stay in place.
>
> Their recorder is not held properly, causing fingers to wiggle away from
> where
> they belong.
>
> Their hand position is not conducive to keeping holes covered.
>
> Their other fingers are curled or tense and pulling the 'working' fingers
> away
> from their holes.
>
> I check for all of these and have devised 'solutions', but can you think
> of
> anything else that might be addressed?
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 18:19:53 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>After reading about putting wikkistix (sp?) or bendaroos around the holes
>>of
>>the recorder for kids who are having physical trouble covering them, I
>>finally bought some.
>>I put the .... well, they're thin twine covered with wax and kids use them
>>to make sculptural items..... stuff around the top 4 holes of my recorder
>>to try it out.
>>
>>Okay - I get the feeling. What I want to know is ... is there anything
>>else
>>I should know or should tell the kids who try this?
>>Language used, etc.?
>>
>>I think it's gonna work.
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