Poco Piano for Young Children, Book 2 (2nd Edition): Piano Book

The pieces feel approachable yet purposeful. Young hands move around the keyboard with growing independence, discovering that they can handle small technical challenges while staying musically engaged. There's a pleasing sense of stepping forward without taking a leap.

Book 2 is designed for young pianists who have completed Book 1 and are ready to expand their range and rhythmic complexity. Students benefit from clear, manageable progression that builds confidence without jumping to abstract concepts like key signatures.

• Play through the pieces without the student first to model how hand position changes should feel seamless, not jerky. This shows them what you're listening for.
• Isolate any passage where sharps or flats appear and have the student name the altered note aloud before playing it. This builds awareness without the pressure of tempo.
• When eighth notes first appear, count them out loud as a group before playing. Many young students benefit from hearing the subdivision spoken before their fingers execute it.
• Mark hand position shifts with pencil cues above the staff if a student hesitates. Over time, fade these visual reminders as comfort grows.

Use Book 2 as the foundation of your early elementary piano curriculum, moving through it over the course of a school year or two depending on student pace. Pair it with complementary listening and music theory workbooks to reinforce the concepts introduced here.

• Reading notes extending to Treble C and Bass C
• Hand position changes within a single melodic line
• Performing eighth notes in simple and compound meters
• Recognizing and playing accidentals (sharps and flats)
• Responding to Italian dynamic markings (forte, piano, mezzo-piano)
• Maintaining steady tempo with English tempo indications