Approaches to Teaching Music Reading to Students with Dyslexia: A Guide for Piano Teachers

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in the United States, affecting approximately one in five individuals. According to the DSM-V-TR, the ICD-11, and the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a Specific Learning Disorder that causes issues with phonological processing, sequencing of information and information processing, word recognition, reading fluency, and other issues. Due to its prevalence, the chances of piano teachers encountering a student with dyslexia in their teaching studios is highly likely. However, there is relatively little research available for piano teachers of students with dyslexia. In the music lesson, common areas of struggle for students with dyslexia include but are not limited to music reading, rhythm, visual-tracking of lines and systems, confusion between the right and left hemispheres of the body, weaknesses in short-term memory (i.e. remembering the accidentals within the key signature) and memorization. The purpose of this study is to provide a much-needed guide to teaching music reading to students with dyslexia from the perspective of a dyslexic pianist and teacher of dyslexic pianists. Included is an explanation of the neurological processes within the brain of a dyslexic individual and how they differ from the neurotypical brain when reading. This document addresses practical strategies for teaching music reading to pianists with dyslexia, and includes adaptive teaching solutions to some of the most commonly encountered challenges. The author’s personal experience, as well as information from student vignettes are both important resources.