Teach the child the numbers of his fingers. Have him place his hands out in front, with the back of his hand facing his face. Teach him that the thumbs on both hands are numbered one. Then each finger outwards to the pinkie are numbered two through five.
Teach the natural minor scales by relating them to major scales. Natural minor scales use the same fingerings as the major scale but are three half steps lower; this relationship between scales is referred to as relative. For instance, A minor and C major have the same key signature, so they are relative to each other. Tell the child to use the fingering for the major scale while playing the notes for the minor scale. The only difference between a C natural minor scale and a C major scale is the natural minor scale has a lowered third, sixth and seventh.
Instruct the child to practice the scales very slowly, with one hand at a time. Start with the right hand and use the correct fingering for the scale, then teach the left hand. Start with the A minor scale first, since it is relative to the C major scale.
Proceed through all the scales by moving through the circle of fifths, starting with the sharps. For instance, A minor has no sharps, so the next scale will be e minor since it has one sharp. Then, B minor with two sharps. Once all of the sharps have been learned, move on to the flat key signatures, starting with D minor.