Make Regular Practice a Priority

1. Regular practice. Maximize your investment in your child’s education by setting aside time for practice. Without practice, students cannot reach their full potential.

   Most students will need some help and encouragement to make practice a regular part of their schedule. The students and I set a weekly goal for them to practice on a certain number of days (usually 4-6 days per week). This takes into account your family’s busy schedule - if we expect practice every day and can’t achieve it, students will often become discouraged. On the other hand, if we take the attitude that “we’ll just practice when there’s time,” practice often doesn’t happen, and again, the student gets discouraged at their lack of progress.

   What I suggest is to make practicing an appointment in your child’s day, just like lesson time and sports practice time. Sit down with your child and look at your weekly calendar of activities. Determine on which days and times your child could usually fit in 20 minutes of focused practice. Write those days/times on the calendar. Ask your child to help with the grownup and responsible task of making sure those practice sessions actually happen.

If something unexpected comes up and you have to miss a practice session, reschedule it as soon as possible. This will emphasize to your child the importance of making practice a priority.

Helping your child look forward to practice

I know it can be difficult when your child complains about practicing. Try to head off complaints by making practice something your child looks forward to.

1. Set up a practice area that is calm and well-organized. Whether you have a piano or are using a keyboard, make sure that books and lessons materials are arranged neatly and are ready to use. If there is no quiet area that can be dedicated to practice, ask the rest of the family to choose quieter activities while the student is practicing to minimize disruption.

2. Praise your child for remembering to practice and, especially, for their progress. Say, “You are making a lot of progress on that piece!” or, “I love how you kept working on the difficult part.” You don’t have to sit with your child while they practice, of course, but can be keeping one ear open in another room.

3. Save a preferred activity - screen time, sports time, favorite book, dessert, whatever - until after practice is complete. Use positive language when explaining this to your child. Not, “You can’t have screen time until after you practice,” but, “You CAN have screen time as soon as you’re finished practicing.” After 20 years in the classroom, I can verify that this small language change can make a huge difference.

I hope this information will be helpful to some of you. I value my lesson families greatly and want to be sure each of you is getting the most out of your lesson investment. Reach out if you have questions or concerns!

Kris Lytle