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To the OP, I don't think it is such a problem. I would just be glad that she is interested in playing music. Reading music is an enabling skill, in that she will be able to expose herself to a wider range of written material, and also more easily self-teach music theory.

But in the end I think that the single most important thing about learning music is to play and enjoy playing. Also, when your daughter memorizes a piece learned by any method, she internalizes it, just as she would if she originally got the piece into her brain by reading it from a printed page. I think it is actually a better indicator of musical talent, and a better starting skill to have, to internalize a piece of music by simply hearing it than by reading it.

I don't think you will be wasting money on a good piano teacher if your child can't read music by the fall, either. If your teacher gives written lessons, that will likely help to resolve the reading issue quickly, since your daughter will probably memorize the small pieces and compare them with the written notes in front of her as she plays. Plus there are all sorts of non-written things that a good music teacher teaches, including beginning theory, posture, fingering, breathing, etc.

If I can add a suggestion... do different songs each day. This forces her to read the music and does not give her a chance to memorize. Just work on sight reading. Give her a few new songs each day and give her only one or two chances to play each song. You can pick up exercise books of varying levels and just blast through them. A lot have rhythm/clapping/other exercises to mix in as well. You can make a challenge out of how many new songs she can play each day or how slow/fast she can play each or play the right notes but make up her own rhythms to see how different she can make the song sound. You could also pick up a pad of staff paper and have her compose her own song and write it out.

Her teacher is obviously aware that she memorizes. Maybe ask her about adding in sight reading exercises next year. I taught piano through university and I had a few kids who were memorizers. We would spend time sight reading each lesson.

My daughter is probably the 'worst' memorizer out there. But, as she often reminds me, she has her own piano teacher. I have been instructed to stay completely out of it (by both of them). I can't even be around when she practices because we butt heads too much. I leave it to the teacher and dad and DD. If they want help, they ask. I would love to sit down with her and work on her sight reading, but that would never fly in this house.

Good luck!

We had the same problem, DS4 easily remember all the pieces he just played once or twice, or memoried by just listening
which is..musical talnet

but also caused the trouble of the speed of site reading notes

Our piano teacher gave him music pieces that he never seen and let him played. Or let him play first before he listen them

DD is going back to the same piano teacher in the fall. She auditioned for this teacher, so we are happy with her.

During the summer, while we are at the beach, we just decided to focus on the sight reading. And the teacher laid out a program. So I happy to get the suggestions. It is just boring for her and she was resistant. You know how it is when a child gets resistant. But we are over the hump over the last few days and she is getting into her theory book. Strange, now that school is over she is doing workbooks, math, piano, phonics. DH gets them at a dollar store and she is going through them. Particularly math. Too much beachtime?

Ren

Many people told me, it is very important to get a good piano teacher from beginning, some teachers just had no experince for talent student, like ours.

I went to students piano ratical yesterday, one of 9 yeard old boy display very high level technique skill which at least grade 8 or higher, his mom told me they have changed a few teachers until they found the right one, then her son toke off in just a few years.

Funny thing is, this boy played whole music without looking any notes, he must had expentional memory too.

For math...I rather play numbers game with my son,get him idea the connection and pattern of the numbers,try to sole a math problems with different ways even a very simple one, it will help the math ability in long run.