Apologies if this has already been discussed, but I haven't had time to read the other posts.

My daughter has just started playing the piano (she's six) and I need to by her a keyboard (no room for a piano). Can you recommend the best one for her? Her teacher has recommended a Yamaha (I have a Yamaha flute so have no problem with that), she has also told me to get a touch sensitive one with full sized keys, nothing fancy and nothing expensive!

All of your recommendations will be very very helpful - need to be quick though because she should be practicing this week and so we are shopping for one at the weekend!

Thanks in advance.

I don't know models of keyboard but words you should look for in the description are 'touch sensitive', 'full size keys' (these 2 you mentioned already) and 'polyphonic'.
You should also get 61 key size NOT 49 as she will run out of notes far too soon with that size.

You might need a stand as it is important for her to be able to sit correctly when practising.

If she takes to the piano you will be looking for somewhere to put one in a couple of years.

I'd want a sustain pedal - or at least a socket so I could add one later.

(what does "polyphonic" mean?)

It means that you can play more than one note at a time.

I've just bought a Yamaha DGX 520 because I thought it was about time I managed to pull together some at least rudimentary keyboard skills. This has all the things you mentioned and a bit more and has 88 keys. I did intend to get the model down the DGX 220, but there were avaiability problems and as well as the extra keys the 520 has a stand and sustain pedal included so I bit the bullet and went for it. I was quite shocked by how big it was when it was delivered though, the picture I had in my head was more like the toy keyboards my nieces used to play with - this one came in a box the size of a coffin!

With the proviso that I know very little about pianos and what a young pianist might require I'm enjoying playing with this - using headphones to practise is a real benefit, I think subjecting my neighbours to even more after my nightly saxophone practice would try their patience a bit.

When I was looking I found that online prices were much lower than in shops, but of course you need to be in when it's delivered.

This has reminded me of a question I've been intending to post but have never quite got round to, rather than divert this thread from it's original purpose I shall start another.

I would choose a Yamaha also. They have a range of digital grand pianos which sound very good and are reasonably priced too. Make sure that it has touch sensitive keys and get a stand and a power supply lead too. Your local music shop may have some good deals on these.

I agree with all that sbhoa has said.

If you want a sustaining pedal, providing your keyboard has an appropriate socket, you can get one quite cheaply off the internet - they're not very big and don't look anything like a piano pedal. You probably wouldn't need a pedal until grade 2 at least which will be in 2 -3 years time (by which time you may be considering buying a piano itself).

Actually there is a pedal available for a Yamaha keyboard that is almost exactly like a piano pedal and costs abput £30. It is a Yamaha sustaining pedal FC3. She will not need one at first though.

I have one of those and thoroughly recommend it. I have used the cheaper kind in the past and did not get on with it so well.

Have you any room for a Yamaha Clavinova? Or at least a keyboard with weighted keys. They are a bit bigger than a keyboard, but would be better due to their weighted keys. My pupils who use keyboards do not last very long before they are dissolutioned, as it is very difficult to get the louds and softs (even with touch response) and find it difficult to play the piano in the lesson, due to the weight of the keys on a real acousitic piano (which I assume your daughter's teacher has). I would imagine that a child of 6 would find it even more difficult, as the keyboard keys are so easy to press (I am not against the keyboard by the way, as I teach this as well) and she will find difficulty when playing at her lessons.