I liked how reading is introduced. The child is asked to count how many lines up a note is, and then recognize its location on the piano. There are no note names. I've worked with someone who teaches in a similar manner. You create a direct association between the "picture" of a notehead on line X and "that" piano key. When you finally learn the name "D", that name attaches itself to this combined picture. That is different from how it's traditionally taught, where "D" associates once to a picture, once to a piano key (one of many D's), making it a dual task.
The more I think of the plush animals, the more I like it. Early on when I had just gotten back to piano, I was corresponding with a teacher and I remarked that I'm silly in associating piano keys to marshmallows. He then wrote a 3 paragraph response on why piano keys are marshmallows. 😃 The sort feel of the plush animal may give exactly the right kind of physical response, which should never become stiffness.
The tossing back and forth is also to be done a particular way. Part of playing the piano is also a kind of tossing of the arms.
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