Teaching piano to younger children is quite different from teaching adults. Most adults are self motivated when it comes to learning piano and practice piano.
Here are a few points to help motivate younger children to practice piano. Prizes and awards only works for a while. The motivation needs to stem from inside.
1. Help the children pick songs they like to learn. Most children enjoy playing music pieces they are familiar with such as disney theme songs, popular songs, etc. Many method books use classical pieces or songs that are foreign to children. If you let them choose a song they like to learn, they are more likely to practice.
2. Make the parents and students accountable for their practice session. Assign a practice log to each student. If the student fails to practice for more than 3-4 weeks. Sit down and talk to both parents and student and let them know that this is a serious matter. Sometimes, kids are given too much activities and they do no know how to prioritize their assignment. If the problem continues, inform the student and parents that the opening will be given to another student on the waiting list. It is a waste of time and money to continue with the piano lesson if the student is not interested in the lesson.
3. This one is my favorite strategy and works well. When a student attend lesson, watch a few short video clips on Youtube with him. Choose video clips that feature young childen playing piano. I usually type in "child prodigy" keywords when searching for these kind of video clips.
The student will be inspired and motivated after viewing younger children playing piano flawlessly. This is a good time to tell the student how much effort the other player has put into piano playing. It does not come overnight.
If you enjoy this post, you will enjoy my piano newsletters!
Here are a few points to help motivate younger children to practice piano. Prizes and awards only works for a while. The motivation needs to stem from inside.
1. Help the children pick songs they like to learn. Most children enjoy playing music pieces they are familiar with such as disney theme songs, popular songs, etc. Many method books use classical pieces or songs that are foreign to children. If you let them choose a song they like to learn, they are more likely to practice.
2. Make the parents and students accountable for their practice session. Assign a practice log to each student. If the student fails to practice for more than 3-4 weeks. Sit down and talk to both parents and student and let them know that this is a serious matter. Sometimes, kids are given too much activities and they do no know how to prioritize their assignment. If the problem continues, inform the student and parents that the opening will be given to another student on the waiting list. It is a waste of time and money to continue with the piano lesson if the student is not interested in the lesson.
3. This one is my favorite strategy and works well. When a student attend lesson, watch a few short video clips on Youtube with him. Choose video clips that feature young childen playing piano. I usually type in "child prodigy" keywords when searching for these kind of video clips.
The student will be inspired and motivated after viewing younger children playing piano flawlessly. This is a good time to tell the student how much effort the other player has put into piano playing. It does not come overnight.
If you enjoy this post, you will enjoy my piano newsletters!
No comments:
Post a Comment