How to Use Piece Cards and Unit Maps, 2018 Edition

By Dr. Julie Knerr

We have released new editions of the books in Levels 1 and 2, and we have updated the Piece Cards for Level 1 and Level 2 to match the new artwork in the books.

What are Piece Cards?

They are a motivational supplement for Piano Safari Levels 1 and 2 that have the name for each piece on a card.

Piece Cards are available for purchase, and you may affix them to the free downloadable Unit Maps. The Unit Maps are also available on the Teacher Guide Pages.

The new version of Piece Cards are in black and white to allow students to color the cards as they are assigned and to highlight Elisa Lara Campos’ beautiful artwork.

Because art is important to life (as is music), and children love to color!

Benefits of the Piece Cards

  • Students play all their pieces, without distinction between new pieces and review pieces.
  • Completing each unit is a cause for celebration, almost like passing a book. Students do not have to wait to celebrate until the end of the book. The Unit Maps make it seem like there are six books in one (six units, Introduction through Unit 5 in Level 1) (six units in Level 2).
  • The Unit Map becomes the Assignment Sheet. Students have a visual assignment that is easy to see.
  • I also mark the pages in the book with page marking tabs to help the student find them easily.
  • By the end of each unit, students have a mini recital of pieces they can play well.

Five Ways to Use the Piece Cards

1

Affix the Piece Cards to Unit Maps, as mentioned above. The student can track his or her progress through each unit in this way. Pieces within a unit can be assigned in the order that is best for the student. For example, at one lesson the student may need a new Rote Piece, and at another lesson, the student may need a new Reading Piece. Students continue playing all the pieces on their Unit Map until the entire unit is completed. They then graduate to the next Unit Map!

2

Reward a student for mastering a piece by taping the completed Piece Cards together in a long line. A completed Book 1 chain lasts almost the length of my living room!

3

Put the completed Piece Cards for the unit in a bowl and have the student choose a piece from the bowl to play.

4

Put the Piece Cards the student is working on in a zipper pouch. This is their Assignment Pouch. You can have a separate pouch for pieces that are completed.

For one of my students, we have drawn circles on the back of each card for the repetitions she should complete each week. She colors a circle each time she plays the piece.

5

Hide the cards around the room. The student finds a card and plays the piece. This is great for wiggly little children!

If you have other ways you like to use the Piece Cards, please comment and let us know, or post it in the Teaching Piano Safari Facebook Group.