Start by teaching the musical alphabet frontward and backward. Have students say the letters up from A to G. Then have them practice down from G to A. Next have them practice with an octave or more until they become expert in both directions.
Use your fingers to represent the lines of the staff. Stephanie Wallace, author of "Got Notes," suggests using the fingers of your hand to represent the five lines. The spaces between the fingers then become the four spaces. Have students point to their own fingers and name the lines and spaces of the treble, bass or tenor staff.
Teach the letter names of staff notes by means of mnemonics. Wallace suggests students make up their own sayings for each staff they are learning. You can also teach the traditional ones. For example, the word "face" names the treble spaces, and the first letters of "Every good boy does fine" represent the lines.
Ask students to write the notes. Purchase note spellers for practice at home and ask them to use staff paper to write down your dictation in class.
Use flash cards for practice at lessons as well as at home. Wallace suggests timing students as they name the notes with the cards. Make up games with the cards for class practice.
Make naming the notes part of introducing a new piece to beginners. Keyboard players should name the notes as they play the right hand alone. Then they should play the left hand alone and name the notes. Wind or brass players can name the notes before they play the first time.
Teach patterns to facilitate note reading. Fluent sight-reading requires reading groups of notes just as reading a story requires reading phrases. Give regular assignments in a theory book to help students grasp the patterns of chords and scales within their music.
Teach the rhythms of the notes from the beginning. Ask students to clap the rhythm of a piece before they play the first time. Have them count out loud or tap a foot while they are learning a piece.
Use note-reading software to help students learn the notes. Download or purchase software so students can practice reading music while they wait for lessons in your studio or in the school lab. A variety of techniques and resources make learning the notes easier and more enjoyable for your students.