Resources for Teachers

Scholarship Opportunity for Teachers - PTG is pleased to announce the creation of two new scholarships to help MTNA-certified teachers further their teaching skills through continued education and/or performance study. Click here to visit the MTNA web site and download an application form. 

Find downloadable resources for teachers, parents and students. Visit frequently to find new materials. You will need Adobe Reader to view PDF files. Download free Adobe Reader software from www.adobe.com.

Go to Resources for Students area of the Piano Learning Center.

Lesson Plans & Teaching Tools

The Piano Revealed - Winner of the 2013 PLC Curriculum Contest - A fun lesson by Nanette Baltz that trains student in the basic parts and functions of the piano mechanisms and acoustics while preparing for a recital. Also includes worksheets for learning the parts of the piano.

Keyboard Puzzles - Winner of the 2013 PLC Curriculum Contest - A lesson by Kathy Tidd that helps young students learn the arrangements of piano keys.

Piano Sounds - Winner of the 2013 PLC Curriculum Contest - A lesson by Natalie McKechnie that explores how the different parts of the piano work together to make sounds. 

Preparing for a Performance - Use the book "Henry the Steinway and the Piano Recital" along with other tips to help your students get ready for a piano recital. Elementary age level. 

The Music Box: The Story of Cristofori – Learn about the history of pianos by reading about the creator of the first modern piano. Elementary age level.

Pianos Through the Ages - Learn about the history of pianos by exploring the PTG Learning Center site and completing a word search puzzle. Middle school age and up.

How Does A Piano Work? – Identify the parts of a piano and see how they all work together. Includes a fact sheet, a piano facts quiz and diagrams of the inside of a piano.

What’s the Difference? – Learn about the unique characteristics of an acoustic piano and how the different parts of a piano allow you to “express” yourself.  Includes a student fact sheet, discussion questions and piano exercises. Middle school age and up. 

Express Yourself - Activities to help your students learn and practice working with tempo, dynamics and articulation terms, symbols and marks.

Tuning Forks - Learn how a tuning fork is used to tune a piano.

Piano Science – Help kids connect music and science with experiments and activities that help them explore the concept of sound waves and how the different parts of a piano work together to create the sounds we call music. Elementary and middle school age level.

Explore Sound – These Interesting activities from the NDT Resource Center will help you learn more about sound. Apply what you learn to how the parts of a piano work togther to create sound. Geared towards 6th grade and up.

Piano Baseball – Turn learning into fun when students compete to see who knows the most about the piano.

Write A Book Review - Enhance lesson time or integrate music and reading. Includes a review form, suggested book list and sample.

The Piano In Children’s Literature Reading List - Read aloud to your child or class, assign book reports or incorporate these stories into your lesson plans.

Grand Action in Motion - see a YouTube video of a grand action moving in real-time and slow motion.

How Piano Actions Work - A link to a video clip of a demonstration by Clarence Zeches, RPT.

2013 Van Cliburn Competition - Musical Awakenings Education Program - Download PDF program and teacher's guides, including some about how the piano works.

MTNA 2006 Presentation Notes – Mary Smith, RPT 

Recreational Music Making (RMM) - Learn about an innovative program that reaches adult learners through group-based music-making activities. See a video about the benefits of RMM and find out about teacher training opportunities. 

Music Research & Advocacy - Information on the benefits of music education and how you can support music education programs.

Activities

Name the Piano Parts - Reproducible worksheets you can use to learn the different parts of the inside and outside of grand and vertical pianos. Try the Piano Parts Concentration game, too.

Piano Parts Word Search – Puzzles for elementary and middle school levels, reproducible.

Piano Activity Place Mat - Print out your own on 8-1/2" x 14" paper, reproducible.

Play It, Don't Say It Card Game - Put your knowledge of tempo, dynamics and articulation terms, symbols and marks to work.

Test Your Piano IQ Worksheet – Elementary and middle school levels, reproducible.

Piano History Fact Sheet  - See how the piano has changed over the last 300 years.

Acoustic Pianos Fact Sheet - Compare the advantages and disadvantages of acoustic and digital pianos.

Origami Piano – Fold your own 3-D vertical piano, reproducible.

Grand Piano Art - Cut, fold and glue your own miniature grand piano. PDF includes full-color, detailed pieces and instructions.  From Accoutrements.

Coloring Pages - Sample pages from the PTG coloring book; preschool and early elementary levels, reproducible.

Student Reward Bookmarks - Print these colorful bookmarks on cardstock and cut apart for a fun reward at the end of a lesson, reproducible.

Online Games

Concentration with music notes

Concentration with piano parts

Hangman with piano and music terminology

Teacher Organizations

Music Teachers National Association Homepage
(MTNA) - An organization of independent music teachers.

Tips from MTNA about choosing a music teacher.

MTNA Teacher Directory
Search online for an MTNA-certified music teacher.

NAfME: The National Association for Music Education
NAfME is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education.

National Music Council
The National Music Council promotes and supports music and music education.