So, your child doesn’t like to practice. Well, have we got good news for you. With a little bit of effort, you can transform your child’s home practice time from boring into fun.
Children are a blessing. They really are. But (as in many areas of life) motivating children along in their musical development can be pretty challenging at times.
What do you do when you’re trying to motivate your youngster to practice their piano lessons, and they just don’t want to practice? Well, here are some tips that might help you motivate your child to practice.
TIP 1: STICKER CHARTS
Sticker charts are fun for kids no matter how old they get. Try giving a sticker for each time your child practices their lesson throughout the week. Have an incentive such as a candy bar, a treat from the dollar store, or a trip to McDonalds for every time they accumulate a certain amount of stickers for the week.
TIP 2: COMPETITION
If there is one thing kids can’t seem to get enough of, it’s competition, even against themselves. Have them start the week with perfecting one song. Then time them. Each day, see if they can beat their time. Try to add one second for each mistake made. It will make them slow down a little, and they will pay better attention as they perfect their piece.
Another method is to time how long it takes them to play through their assignment each day. Going over it once or twice a day, no matter how fast or slow, will get them into their music and will make a difference in their progress.
TIP 3: MYSTERY BOX
Write down each part of their assignment on a separate sheet of paper and place in a box. Each day they can pull a sheet out of the box, and that part of the assignment is all that they have to practice for that day. Be sure to place a mystery paper in the box where they can choose anything they want to practice. This provides a good opportunity for them to develop their creativity on the piano.
Make it even more fun by adding “play with nose” or “play with opposite hand” or “play with hands behind your back”. Be creative. You will both have fun!
TIP 4: MIX IT UP
Feel free to use any or all of these ideas. Change it up from week to week so your child is always anticipating what kind of practice they will have. It will take a little extra effort on your part, but I guarantee it will be worth your investment, and your child will love it.
These are just a few ideas that can help you transform your child’s practice time at home. Remember, everyone is motivated by something. Be creative. Find out what motivates your child and plug in a system that rewards them for their practice with that motivating incentive.
Surprise your child with these cool tips. We guarantee your child won’t think practice is boring any more.
We’ve thought very deeply about motivating young students to practice. We know the process can definitely be a pain but that’s why our team of musicians and entrepreneurs developed an app called Music Quest. The sole purpose is to motivate kids to practice more.
http://www.musicquestapp.com
It tracks their times and gives them a pet to train by listening to their music practice. Results look promising so far! Give a try with kids.