I don't teach music, but I firmly believe and advise others that the most important part of learning music is learning what it's supposed to sound like before you try to play it. Otherwise it's like learning to type in a language that you don't know. Sure you can learn that way, but the whole process of expressiveness is taken out of the loop. I know there's been tons of research on prodigies, but it seems usually that they are the ones who had exposure to music that clicked just right with their receptive brains and they took off with it. Play music for children! Maybe you can get them before their peers do.

Chet