Recorder Karate Idea Bank

Question: What happens when you have a student that is not able to play a song and can't earn a belt? I am thinking of my special ed. kids which are grouped in with my regular kids. I also always have a couple kids every year that just don't catch on like the others. Is this discouraging for them? Do they get upset about it?

Answer: I make up my own Recorder Karate based on material and songs I have already been using, and I make sure that the white belt is fairly simple enough that even most special ed. kids can handle it. I have had some that tried and tried for four weeks, but when they made it, boy, were they tickled! It helps that my other students really encourage them, and sometimes when I get a chance, I have peer teachers work with them one on one. For most of them, just having that white belt or orange belt works wonders. If I remember correctly, for one student, I even modified the song somewhat. But, in the small school situation I'm in, these kids for the most part have grown up together and know each other's limitations, so the other students didn't complain when I modified the song for the one. I also let them play the tune slower, just as long as I knew they had some type of beat!