This & That: How Can You Best Assist A Student Who Struggles With Timing?

[...]taking a rhythmic motif and turning into a real physical gesture, away from the keyboard, by using the feet (dancing) or the arms, (tapping or gesturing rhythmically and expressively), can transform the literal struggle at the keyboard into a liberating movement. - Prior to the lesson, I simplify the chart to match the level of the student (for example, ensuring that the tempo is appropriate and that key and chord symbols are familiar, lining up chord symbols with the lyrics, marking the number of counts above each chord). At the lesson, we use the chart to clap/ count each chord change with the recording, feeling the pulse (clapping tied whole notes: "D 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, G 2 3 4 5 6 7 8").