Whole to parts learning and music

[EmilyGF]

OK, so I know a lot of these "learning styles" have been debunked, but...

 

I really have a whole-to-parts learner. She didn't click with RightStart and really disliked it at the end, but is flying through MEP and enjoying it. She hated AAS and her spelling got WORSE when we used it, but she enjoys Sequential Spelling, is getting better, and now intuits spelling quite well. 

 

She is the reason we went to Charlotte Mason education. My older son could go either way.

 

She did traditional piano lessons a while back and I thought she was pretty bad. Now she takes Suzuki flute and is doing really really well. I'm actually quite floored. Her teacher seems to be impressed, too. I'm wondering if Suzuki is the whole-to-parts of the music world.

Anyways, just musing, and interested in your thoughts on this type of learning and what curricula fits well with it.

 

Emily

[Jean in Newcastle]

As soon as I saw your title, I thought of the Suzuki method.  Then you confirmed it.  ;)

[Arcadia]

I'm wondering if Suzuki is the whole-to-parts of the music world

 

My oldest learnt to play piano by modelling. He played the flute by watching my younger boy's teacher play before group class started. Even though he currently has Suzuki cello lessons with a teacher, he is picking up more stuff from watching the piano guys. He probably learnt singing by watching loops of Carmina Burana

 

I had only classical ABRSM style music teachers for piano, horn, violin and flute but they all modelled how the pieces could  be interpreted and sometimes play a few interpretations and variations. 

 

Youtubes and DVDS are my kids favorites besides watching people play their instruments in real life.

[Targhee]

I think whole-to-pRts (also called global) and parts-to-whole (also called analytic) are not mutually exclusive but they definitely are real. But they are also only one aspect of learning.

 

There's also modality - auditory, visual, kinesthetic. And there's also a component described by Gregorc that puts you into one of four groups depending on whether you are Sequential or Random and Concrete or Abstract.

 

Suzuki is very auditory, and very sequential. Sequential Spelling is also very auditory and sequential. Those seem to be good things for her.

 

Do you think MEP is more concrete or abstract? (Early levels of RS math are pretty concrete, but there's a good dose of abstract in there too).

 

There are other ways of looking at learning styles too. I highly suggest Cynthia Ultich Tobias' books The Way They Learn and Every Child Can Succeed. This will give you more dimensions of learning style and help you better choose curricula. Another good one is Discovering Your Child's Learning Style by Willis.

 

Best Wishes!