Music and TDAH classes: how to support your child's learning
Educational adaptation so that a child with ADHD will enjoy and advance his or her music classes and what a music class doesn't replace.
A child with ADHD can learn and enjoy music, and often what makes the difference isn't the instrument but how the class is organized: short blocks, a structure that's repeated every week, permission to move, one at a time instructions and small goals that can be held.
Before following, something important: a class of music isn't therapy and does not replace the diagnosis, treatment or accompaniment of health care care care care providers who know your child. What a good teacher can do is to adapt his or her teaching. That's what this guide's about.
To sum up
- A music class is a space to learn music, and it's not therapy and does not substitute for the professional care your child needs.
- The structure helps: the same sequence every week, short blocks and clear closure.
- The movement can be a part of the class: tipping his pulse with his body, playing his foot or changing his instrument between blocks.
- A few short instructions, once at a time, and demonstrations instead of long explanations.
- To tell the teacher what works at home and at school is one of the most useful adjustments.
First what's important: what's and what's not some kind of music
When a family looks for music classes for a child with ADHD, they usually come up with a background question: will this help? The honest answer is that a class of music has a musical goal: to learn how to play, to sing, to get a rhythm, to listen and to enjoy. It can be a very valuable space for your child but it's not designed to treat ADHD.
- That's not therapy. The teacher of music teaches music and does not evaluate, diagnose and conduct clinical interventions.
- That's not musicotapetherapy. Musicotapedia is a different profession, exercised by people with specific training who work with therapeutic aims. If you are interested, contact your child's health care equipment.
- That's nothing to replace. Neither treatment nor school support, nor his doctor's, psychologist's or his or her recommendations.
- It's a space to learn his way. A teacher with good pedagogy sets the rhythm, duration and activity to each student, whether or not his or her diagnosis.
A class with clear structure and short blocks
To know what's coming and how far to miss removes uncertainty from the class. That's why it's best to have the same shape with short activity that changes before boredom arrives, and not as soon as it's come.
| Bloque | Approximate duration | What's up? |
|---|---|---|
| Start Ritual | 3 minutes | The same greeting or song every week and a quick look at what will be done. |
| Rhythm with body | 5 minutes | Palms, steps or body percussion to start with energy and find his pulse. |
| Instrument, Part 1 | 10 minutes | A single goal: a scale, a rhythm, first notes of a piece. |
| Active pause | 3 minutes | To get up, to stretch, an eco rhythmic game or to change place. |
| Instrument, Part 2 | 12 minutes | The song or piece of the week, worked by fragments. |
| Music game | 7 minutes | Improvising, guessing songs, playing duo with teacher. |
| Cierre | 5 minutes | To say what was learned and leave the task noted. |
To start with, a 30-minute class can work better than an hour's time, and the duration will be extended as soon as the child's comfortable. A visual agenda, as a list with drawings or a small board where each block will be taked, makes clear how much remains and turns the end of each activity into a small accomplishment.
Movement as part of class
To ask a child to stand 45 minutes in front of an instrument usually ends up with frustration for all. Music has an advantage: movement remains within it. Some ideas that a teacher can use:
- To mark his pulse by walking, leaping or with palms before touching his pulse with an instrument.
- To play up as soon as an instrument allows: a drum, a keyboard at the right height, the voice.
- Alternate tools within the class, for example piano and percussion, to change his or her position and his or her stimulus.
- Hand-to-hand with a ball or handkerchief.
- Echo Games: The teacher plays a short rhythm and the child repeats it, fast and round.
Is there an instrument better than another?
No instrument "for ADHD." The [percussion]](/clases/percusion) gives an immediate response and a lot of movement; [piano]](/clases/piano) shows the notes with a visual form and [musical initiation]](/clases/iniciacion-musical) but what weighs most is your child's interest: a child who dreams about playing guitar will better hold his attention with a guitar than with an instrument that someone thought was "ideal."
Short instructions and small targets
The manner of giving the indications greatly changes class. These are simple modifications that any attentive teacher can incorporate:
- One instruction at a time. "Put your hand on the Do," and wait, and then "now touch with finger 1." Not both things in the same sentence.
- Show before explain. A ten second demonstration says more than a minute's explanation.
- Visual aids. Colors or stickers at the keys, ribbons at the diapason, scores with few elements per page.
- Fits the size of a block. "To play these four jobs three times in a row" instead of "to learn the song."
- Special and immediate recognition. "You counted before you entered and that's why it sounded in time" teaches more than a generic "very good."
- Relegate without scold. If it disperes, come back with a musical slogan ("to see who's repeating this rhythm") works better than picking his attention.
A methonomic that looks as well as listening as [online metronomic]](/herramientas/metronomo) from the place, also helps to follow his pulse with his eyes.
The practice at home, at small doses
At home, we can see the difference between a realistic plan and one that isn't. Some guidelines that usually work:
- Sessions from 5 to 10 minutes, once or twice a day, instead of half an hour at a time.
- A fixed moment of the day, always the same, so as to have to do with them every time.
- A card with a maximum of three tasks, written or drawn by the teacher. Your child can choose the order.
- A visible timer: knowing that 3 minutes are missing makes it easier to finish.
- The instrument in sight and ready to play, without having to get him out of the box and put him up every time.
- To close up with something she likes to play with, even if it's about a month ago.
Avoid turning practice into punishment or as a condition for other things: usually a daily fight. If you need more ideas, check [how to motivate your child to practice]](/blog/como-motivar-a-tu-hijo-a-practicar-su-instrumento).
What to tell the teacher (and what to ask)
Do not have to share more health information than you wish. What's useful for teacher is what's useful: what works and what isn't with your child. Before first class, tell them:
- What music she likes and how she motivates them.
- At what time of day they are more willing: it's not the same after a long day of school than a Saturday morning.
- What strategies they serve at school or at home to use the same language.
- That frustrates him and how you feel as you're getting to his limit.
And ask his teacher how his classes are organized, if he's worked with short blocks and how his advances are going to be told. A good teacher doesn't get upset if you propose adjustments to him and he needs them to teach them better.
Virtual or at home?
It's up to every child. In a virtual class the screen competes for care and teacher cannot move with him and in a home class the teacher can change activity and place with more freedom. One option is to start with face and, once there's a routine, alternate with virtual classes.
Realist expectations: advance at its own pace
Progress in music is rarely a straight line, and with any child there are good weeks and weeks in which nothing appears to advance. It measures your child's path against his or her own, and his or her brother, cousin or his partner at his or her school.
- He welcomes his efforts and his constancy and his result.
- Check with teacher, every time, how best to change: duration, schedule, repertoire or activities.
- If the class becomes a source of anguish, it's okay to pause or to change its format.
- If something about your child's care, mood or conduct concerns you, talk to his or her doctor or his accompanying professionals and his or her teacher's music isn't his or her right person for these decisions.
In A medio tono each teacher is evaluated in music, pedagogy and human quality before giving his first class. Teachers directory you can get to know their profiles and find someone whose way to teach them how to suit your child.
Frequently asked questions
What instrument's best for a child with ADHD?
What's best to have an instrument as a diagnosis and how to have a good and well-organized class. The percussion and piano are easy to start with as the sound goes out at once but a child with a great desire to play violin or guitar can learn as well as that.
Do music improve ADHD?
We cannot promise that and we have to lose confidence with whoever does that. A class of music looks for your child to learn and enjoy his or her music and to do so. Decisions about ADHD are up to his or her accompanying health care professionals.
Do I have to tell the teacher that my son has ADHD?
It's your decision. It's not required to share the diagnosis but it does help to figure out how long an activity holds up, how motivates and what strategies they use at school or at home. That information's better with his teacher's planning.
How long should a music class last for a child with ADHD?
To start with, 30 minutes with several short blocks are a good test. If your child ends up with energy and gain more, class can be lengthened a little by little.
Is that the same musicotapedia as music classes?
No. Musicotapedia is a different profession with specific training and therapeutic aims. Music classes have musical aims. They can coexist but one doesn't replace another.