Thank you in advance for your opinions! I haven't used Ying Ying's books yet, but have heard favourable things about them. The Lena Ng books are the ones I have been mostly using. I think they are very good, and definitely an improvement on the Music Theory in Practice books (ABRSM), but she does seem to occasionally throw in some unneccesary complication in the form of an obscure puzzle that I find unhelpful.

Yes, I've used both (at least at the lower grades: probably not beyond grade 2 yet) and I prefer the Ying Ying Ng books. They are more attractively produced, and well thought through.

(I did try another series: dark blue cover and a name I don't quite remember, but something like *Ng Ching Ching. Having worked through the grade 1 book with a couple of pupils, I probably wouldn't buy this one again.)

With the pre-grade one (baby!) theory books, I still like both Lina Ng and Ying Ying Ng books, and will probably continue to use both, depending on the student. I've just started Ying Ying Ng's Music Theory for Young Children with a nearly-5 - and it's going well, but I've used the Lina Ng first book with this age group too. Just the odd puzzle (the peas in a pod? eg) is a little too complex to do without supervision, for most children.

(edit) * that should be Lee Ching Ching. Books of perfectly good exercises, but a little repetitive, with much less variety than the other two series. Maybe better for adults.

I use the Lina Ng books bercause they are easier for children whose native language is not English. The pages are set out rather more clearly and there is less reading material.

I bought one of the Ying Ying books after seeing it praised on the forums and thought it very nice but not quite right for my French children. However I have a couple of English children with whom I may well use them as it will make for a change for me (I get bored with the same books for ever).

I do like the Ng ones with the stickers etc. for the very young children or for very slow learners. I have also found them useful for small group work.

Yes I've recommended one to a little pupil who's now finished lessons for this term at school. I know mum and big sister will be able to help her out if she has a problem and it'll keep her mind on music over the summer.

I find Lena Ng's books excellent for very early theory and they appeal to young children, but have switched to Ying Ying for those preparing for Grade 1. The Ying Ying books are very well laid out and presented, and build on skills gradually. I have one very reluctant 11-year-old, who last week amazed me by arriving with around 10 pages completed!

I like the Lina Ng books alot, but also found some of the puzzles a bit odd. I have grade 8 theory, but was completely incapable of doing the puzzle on page 31 of My First Theory Book! My 7 year old pupil worked out what was supposed to happen and explained it to me! Mimi is the rabbit, Lili is the duck and Lulu is the cat!

Thanks for that - it's had me puzzled for a long time!
I've been using Lina Ng's books from the Theory Made Easy for Little Children right up to the Grade 5 book for several years now.
My pupils really like them and I find them very suitable for young people.

I'm using both.

Started most on Lina Ng Sticker book 1. But one child got to the end and was still struggling so I've hopped her onto Ying Ying Book 1. However it's very basic at the beginning so I wished I'd started with that.

Meanwhile a couple have moved to Lina Ng book 2 and tbh it doesn't cover much more, and only half of what Ying Ying Book 2 covers so I'm intending to jump all the kids from Lina Book 2 to Ying Book 2 and then progress through those. The advantages of Ying Ying is that there are 4 sticker books instead of 2 so the littlest kids will be happier with that format.

I am yet to establish if older children will be happy with stickers. If not then I'll continue to use Lina's My first/second/third.

Does that make any sense!!!! I've done a spreadsheet which compares the content of each book so it's easy for me to see which book to jump to!

New young ones will be starting on Ying Ying

Good to know it's not just me - I also was flummoxed until a small child happily explained it to me!

Strange puzzles aside (if the kids like it, who cares if I have no idea what's going on! ), my only real gripe with her books are the exercises where she asks children draw in accidentals to 'indicate the key'. When they've only just learned the difference between accidentals and key signatures, I don't feel that drawing a load of F sharps in to 'indicate G major' is really helpful! But I just alter the question on those pages so they're doing something more useful!

Other than that, I do really like them. Definitely going to check out the Ying Ying Ng series though.

ExpressYourself - Oo, I'd love to see that spreadsheet...!

My students prefer Ying Ying's books - I think the cartoons and stickers are more engaging and visually appealing, although the pinkness of the first sticker book does not appeal to all students. However that is only a small gripe as the books are very good for teaching theory in a fun way.

Your wish is my command!! I have a spreadsheet for everything!!!

Theory Comparison Spreadsheet

I am so relieved that I am not the only one who doesn't understand the puzzle about the baby animals!

I have to say that the one doubt I have about the Ying Ying baby book is the way treble and bass clefs are firmly glued to RH and LH. I've ignored this page for the moment, and I haven't decided what I'll do about it.

I know most beginner books start this way (although not all - I have some Japanese books - and I've heard of others - that begin with both hands in the treble!), I do not wish to get in to the mindset that treble = RH and bass= LH.

That's interesting. Why is that? Surely by the time it crops up then the student will be advanced enough to understand exceptions. Many of my teaching methods don't stand up to long term scrutiny.

Yes, I know what you mean about long-term scrutiny. Some things are fine explained as 'for now'.

But I don't think I ever teach that treble clef = RH and bass clef = LH. I prefer to rather skate over the topic, or sidestep it at the very early stages of reading from the stave, and then as soon as appropriate, encourage the understanding that treble = upper half of the keyboard, bass = lower half. And then, again when it feels right, teach the G and F meanings of the two clefs.

Some of the easy duet books send my students into a tizz because they have both hands written in the treble clef. I have a hard time convincing some students that you don't need two right hands to play the duet...

Hmm, good points. Maybe I need a rethink!

Oh yes! G1 pieces with LH in the treble tends to make them either play the hand an octave higher but read the notes as though they're in the bass, or stay where they are in the lower half but read treble pitches ("now why on earth would they do that to you?")

I haven't used any of the books in question - I much prefer to use the theory books that coordinate with whatever lesson book they're using, including the Writing Book that goes with My First Piano Adventure

Thank you!

So do I - I pick the page(s) that match with whatever practical work we are doing.

[quote name='Norway' date='Jun 22 2012, 11:23 AM' post='1155313']
[/quote]

I like the Lina Ng books alot, but also found some of the puzzles a bit odd. I have grade 8 theory, but was completely incapable of doing the puzzle on page 31 of My First Theory Book! My 7 year old pupil worked out what was supposed to happen and explained it to me! Mimi is the rabbit, Lili is the duck and Lulu is the cat!
[/quote]


Me too! I had to pore over it for ages before I worked it out.

[quote name='ExpressYourself' date='Jun 22 2012, 12:39 PM' post='1155333']
I've done a spreadsheet which compares the content of each book so it's easy for me to see which book to jump to!
[/quote]

I love a good spreadsheet, but had never thought of doing this with book content. Can I take a bet that you file your books in alphabetical order according to author surname? or is that just me

Back to the topic - I have used Lina Ng before - both the sticker books, the Theory for Young Children and the Grade 1 books. I haven't been thrilled with them though - there is so much repetition some it feels like they are doing lines!

Recently I tried out the Ying Ying Ng books (sticker books and Grade 1 books). I love them. The material is constantly presented in different ways. One of the parents told me that this is very like their schoolwork (mum of a six year old).

Are Lina Ng and Ying Ying Ng related? Or is that me assuming that the last part of a name is a surname, in the western style?

My laptop is a finely tuned instrument of organisation

My bookshelf, wardrobe and floor are most certainly not!!

I'm not sure if they are, but I don't think so. I think Ng is quite a common surname.

I do know Ying Ying personally - I must ask her! I think she reads these forums, too.

I've just bought my first Ying Ying book - I got her Grade 5 theory book for a young pupil who's just taken grade 4. It will be interesting to compare it with the Lina Ng book that I usually use.

I find the repetition a positive thing. All my students do some kind of 'homework' every week, and when we're going through a theory book it would be too much for younger children to be learning new concepts nearly every week. They love it when they look at the page and know they can do it - they don't see it as boring, but just as homework they're happy with and often actually looking forward to doing! And the reinforcement is really good for them. It can seem like just 'drill' work to us adults, but especially young children don't generally see it that way - they love repetition!

As for the Ying Ying Ng books, I finally got a chance to look at these yesterday, and I really liked them. Maybe it's just all the pretty colours, but it made me want to whip out a pencil right there in the music shop and start filling one in! So, that's more options to choose from for me.

Hooray for theory!

Aren't they lovely? I only have to open a page and I find I'm smiling. Delightfully produced.

Please do ask her. I have visions of very awkward family get togethers where the subject of theory is never raised.