The Milestone Method Book 1

Book one of the Milestone Method is the first of three foundational steps that prepare piano students for note reading. It is a highly effective method for teaching note reading to students with disabilities and exceptionalities such as autism, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, ADHD, and dyslexia. It is also an effective introduction to sight reading for neurotypical students and can be used to solve note-reading challenges faced by students of all ages who have hit a plateau or struggle to sight read.

This method develops fine motor skills in students by pairing a visual cue (a letter) with an auditory cue (the sound of a key) and a kinesthetic memory (the movement of a finger). It engages all five fingers on the hand from day one, eliminating the risk of forming habits around using just one finger to play the piano.

Milestone 1 includes one-handed songs for C position and G position. Songs are written in a clear, easy-to-read format. The pages are designed to be as sensory-friendly as possible for students with sensory sensitivities, containing minimal graphics and clear, sans-serif text.

This book contains:

1. Version 1 – for younger beginners. Includes illustrations and lyrics. Sensory-friendly, but may still be too much visuals for some students.
2. Version 2 – for older beginners. No illustrations or lyrics. The most sensory-friendly version.
3. Teacher duet parts
4. Access to digital downloads of the recorded teacher duet parts at 3 different tempos (60 bpm, 90 bpm, and 120 bpm)

As seen in the courses “Unfazed: Teaching Piano to Students with Disabilities” by Notable Music Teaching and “Teaching Students with Special Needs” on TopMusicPro.