I created a checklist for students learning a jazz tune. Obviously there's a lot of nuance to each line item and every song has a different learning objective, but what would you add to this list?
The very first thing I teach any student is to say the alphabet backwards 10x fast - G F E D C B A.
Music doesn't just go up; it also goes down. Students must master manipulating letters backward.
Most kids learn the alphabet to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Here's a great learning tool I created to help young kids learn the alphabet backward.
*Sing this to the melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star*
A B C D E F G
G F E D C B A
Lines and spaces quarter note
Sing the song that Mozart wrote *
A B C D E F G
G F E D C B A
** Mozart didn't actually compose Twinkle Twinkle, here's the wiki on the history: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - Wikipedia. Feel free to change the lyrics of line 4.