Cultivating Sight-Reading Literacy at the Piano. Cognitive, Pedagogical, and Kinesthetic Perspectives

Abstract

Sight-reading represents one of the most complex yet under-taught skills in piano education. While its importance is universally acknowledged, most instructional contexts continue to prioritize performance memorization and technical mastery over real-time reading fluency. This paper reviews recent research on the cognitive, motor, and pedagogical mechanisms underlying sight-reading, identifies gaps in current curricula, and proposes a set of applied strategies grounded in the author’s pedagogical experience. These include cultivating inner hearing, multi-stave ensemble reading, kinesthetic keyboard mapping, and contrapuntal reading beyond linear limits. The discussion integrates cognitive models, empirical findings, and practical exercises to strengthen musical literacy through instantaneous musical representation and embodied reading.