Sometimes kids need help learning how to practice. If you find that the child or children you teach seem to be unsure of what to do when they sit down at the piano for practice, you may want to introduce spot practicing.
How to Teach Kids to Spot Practice
Identify a small portion of the song for the child to focus on. This may be a section that the child has been struggling with. The section could be two lines long or maybe even just a single measure that has proven difficult for the child to master.
Tell the child that you want her to practice that specific section a certain number of times each day. I guarantee you’ll see improvement when kids apply this technique.
Use Charts to Track Effort and Encourage Accountability
I created a spot practice chart to help kids learn how to spot practice. There’s a place for the teacher or parent to write in the “spot” to be practiced as well as a goal. Kids keep this chart beside them at the piano and then write in the number of times they practiced that spot each day.
I also love that this chart helps kids feel a sense of accountability for their progress. Some students can spend months and months on a song, without making much noticeable progress from week to week. Knowing that they will be reporting their practice helps these kids to make time for practice and to practice effectively.
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Images used with permission from mycutegraphics.com.