How should I approach teaching S-Cubed when "old" and "new" students are mixed?

I get this question a LOT from teachers who use S-Cubed in year two and beyond...

How should I approach teaching S-Cubed when "old" and "new" students are mixed?

When I taught S-Cubed Sight Singing Program to my students, I always repeated it the second year I had the students. 

 The reason was because there are so many skill sets taught in the program that to really ingrain those skill sets, it took two years. 

The results you get in year two are incredible. You get to work on tone/ear training/mouth position and so much more as you teach it because they are more confident than they were in year one. 

I never progressed to Level TWO until the third year I had the students. 

If you are wondering whether to progress to Level two in that second year with students when you have some old and some new students in the same class, here are some things to consider- 

 What is the percentage of NEW students versus OLD students? If the percentage of old students is 85% or greater, you could consider moving ahead if you didn't want to repeat it. Before you move on, you may want to review quickly through some lessons at the start of the year...or not. It's up to you. 

 Think of S-Cubed like learning a language. If you drop those new students (the 15% group) in France without a translator, they would pay really close attention, and they would likely listen intently to learn quickly. Their brains would be determined to absorb and learn. 

I've seen that happen with students who move to the USA from a country where they don't speak English.  They start the year unable to speak confidently (or at all) in English. By January, they are feeling way more confident.  The immersion is what does the trick.  When most everyone around you is doing something confidently, it makes you want to do it that way too.  That determination and focus awakens the brain in powerful ways. 

For the students who don't catch on as quickly, you could use peer tutoring. I used to set peer tutoring sessions up in my room before school. 10-15 minutes maximum spent with a student a few times goes a LONG way once they've experienced the program in your class. 

 Sometimes, students teach each other way faster than we teach them. I guess it's because they understand how each other's brains work! 

 I hope that helps you!