Starting young students can be a challenge - how do you get them playing music as soon as possible and build a technical foundation at the same time? There is a way:
As a teacher, I have found that students thrive on the familiar. Capitalize on that enthusiasm by using well-known tunes to gradually introduce typical guitar techniques and textures in a progressive way. "Songs of Childhood", Book 1, contains progressive variations on five melodies: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "Old MacDonald", "Ode to Joy", "Frère Jacques" and "This Old Man". The treatments introduce basic themes of technique - finger alternation, playing with the thumb, simple arpeggios - in a gradual way and consistent with typical guitar scorings.
Book 1 is offered in two volumes:
Songs of Childhood - Progressive Variations for Guitar, Book 1, Vol. 1: Themes and Var. 1 - 4
Songs of Childhood - Progressive Variations for Guitar, Book 1, Vol. 2 - Var. 5 - 9.
The individual tunes and all their variations are also offered separately:
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" - Progressive Variations for Guitar
"Old MacDonald" - Progressive Variations for Guitar
"Ode to Joy" - Progressive Variations for Guitar