Keyboardds, help understanding and reading music a lot...
OVerhere in Holland at schools they teach kids reading and understanding music with a keyboard, because of how its layout works.. On top of that, playing a single note on a keyboard does not require any technique..
IF they Master that, a whole world of other instruments opens up.
Try giving the kid a small keyboard first, it will make starting out a whole lot easier, and keep them more interested as they yield faster results.
Just saying....