This is the teacher's companion book for Best Start Music Lessons Book 1 for Recorder, Fife or Flute. Included are notes on child development and learning, selected further reading, piano accompaniments for all songs and aural work, the Best Start Music Approach to teaching young beginners.

Best Start Music Lessons Book 1 introduce foundational musical concepts and skills to the young beginner starting on recorder, fife or flute. As well as developing musical skills and competencies, these lessons aim to foster a love of music and music making.

Best Start Music Lessons are a comprehensive system of learning in which the students are truly engaged, ensuring that musical concepts are thoroughly understood, developing a solid foundation of key skills, and providing the best musical start possible.

Best Start Music Lessons are ideal for instrumental music teachers. Beautifully presented lessons provide teachers with clear and engaging lesson plans that make teaching easy and learning fun.

Until now children have not typically been taught woodwind instruments until around age eight. Best Start Music Lessons allows children to start learning music and learning a woodwind instrument from age four.

Originally developed for children aged 4 to 7 years, it is also a great resource for older students who may progress through the books faster, while still developing a strong musical foundation.

Features include:

• Engaging and interactive - many different activities including writing, drawing, colouring, movement, improvisation
• Slow paced progression to accomodate the youngest beginners
• Structured lessons provide a familiar routine
• Suitable for individual or group tuition
• Activities suitable for classroom use
• Clear format - easy for teachers to teach and easy for parents to reinforce learning at home

The skills developed in this book are readily transferable to other instruments, making the transition to new instruments and school band programs easy.

Best Start Music Lessons emphasizes the development of strong aural and rhythmic skills.

The methodologies of Kodaly, Orff and Dalcroze have provided inspiration for many of the activities. Inspiration has also been drawn from the works of author, educator and composer, Paul Harris. A list of further reading is provided on the Best Start Music website: www.beststartmusic.com.

Best Start Music Lessons can be used in a variety of ways to suit individual students and teachers:

• Older students - may spend one week on each lesson.
• Younger students - may spend two weeks on each lesson.
• Teachers can choose which activities to spend more time on each week according to the flow of lessons and individual student needs.
• No need to complete all activities in one lesson before moving on to the next.
• Lessons can be repeated on multiple instruments.
• When repeating the lessons, musical skills and activities are familiar - this gives space to concentrate on tone and technique.

Best Start Music Lessons aim to empower children by giving them the tools and skills to decode and analyze music easily.