Help! How do I get my kid to practice?!
Support and encouragement from parents will have a significant impact on a child’s progress and commitment. I recommend sitting in on lessons, if not every week, at least once a month. I don't have children of my own and so have yet to really fight this battle in the home. But here's tips I've gleaned from others. Try a few!
1. “Teach me!”
Sit down with your child immediately after the piano lesson (if not possible, the next day will be best). Ask him/her to show you the teacher’s notes, demonstrate the newest material, and tell you what was covered in the lesson. Or ask the child to teach their lesson to you or to a sibling. Communicating concepts to someone else will enhance his own understanding and retention.
2. Set a time
Establish a realistic and predictable practice time that can easily happen every single day...regardless of other family activities. Five days a week is a good minimum goal to see consistent progress. Count completion of the assigned theory pages or other assigned projects in this time. Respect your child’s practice time and try to protect him from interruptions and distractions. Leave their books open on the piano between lessons!
QUALITY
(frequent, focused, purposeful,
repetitive with tackling of challenging parts, even if brief)
is more important than QUANTITY and cramming.
3. Have the piano in a friendly location
Avoid having the piano in a dim corner of the basement. Will your child be reluctant to leave the well-traveled areas to practice, for fear of missing out on the social nature of the home? Keep the piano in an area that is welcoming and has good lighting. Double check they have healthy posture, use a stool for feet that don’t reach the floor, and stack phone books if the degree at their elbows is not 90. I’d happily double check their setup if you
send me a photo!
4. Check the assignment book!
At first, young children may need to you sit beside them for the entirety of their practices, giving your undivided attention. As they age or progress, it is still good for you to check in (and look in their assignment book) in their first and last practice of each week to ensure everything makes sense to them and was covered.
5. Be their cheerleader
Provide opportunities for them to share their musical gifts, be it a special show when relatives are over, including playing for each other on play dates at friend’s houses, at a nursing home, or in school talent shows. When he is working hard, tell him you appreciate his time and effort. If a song isn’t going well, remind him how great it’s going to sound when he finishes learning it. One teacher’s mother used to say, “Oh, I love that song! Would you play it for me again?” She now realizes that was her clever strategy to get her to "practice" the piece again. It worked.
Wise parents don’t allow their children to drop out of math when fractions become difficult; they don’t allow them to live on chocolate if they don’t like vegetables. Children need guidance and discipline in every area of their lives, and they eventually must realize that worthwhile endeavours require hard work and perseverance.
6. Record them
Students sometimes feel as if they aren’t making progress, because their growth from day to day is gradual. Occasionally record your child’s pieces. Over a period of time he will be able to hear how far he has come. This can be encouraging during a time when he feels as if he isn’t getting anywhere. The recordings can do double-duty as gifts for grandparents, or precious memorabilia in years to come.
7. Value lesson attendance
Consistent lesson attendance will convey to your child the value you place on his music study. The fewer things you allow to interfere with lessons and practicing, the higher priority the child will give it.
8. Encourage exploration
Allow free exploration on the piano. This would be a great intrinsic reward for a good practice session! (I actually had a friend in college who would reward himself when his timer went off by bashing his hands around the piano!) It may sound like “noise”, but [provided they’re not just bashing like my friend] they’re actually making important connections. Free play also serves as a confidence-boosting, creative outlet.
9. Give musical gifts
Giving your child gifts of music books or sheet music will communicate to him the value you place on his endeavours. I would love to give you recommendations on music to inspire your child. Other gift ideas include: music reference books; composer biographies; children’s novels related to piano (I have a list!); a metronome; recordings of good music; and music games (I have links to many fantastic games).
10. Regarding stage fright...
Help your child prevent or overcome stage fright. Illustrate to him the concept that a self-conscious person is a self-centered person. If the purpose of a performance is to brighten someone else’s day, there is no reason to worry about how “I” look, or what others will think of “me.” We can be certain that many of the people in any audience are facing some kind of problem. Inspire your child to make it his ambition to refresh their spirits. If a musician enjoys what he’s doing, and gives
from the heart, he and his audience will be drawn to each other
through shared joy.