Making Practice Fun!

"Where Learning is FUN, and Every Child is Special!"

Proudly providing music education in the South Bay since 1984!

Multiple locations, instruments and teachers!

Flexible scheduling options to fit your family's busy lives!!

HELP MAKE PRACTICE FUN!

by Beth Smith

Have you ever struggled with establishing a consistent music practice routine at home? Many parents express feelings of guilt to me every week because they know their child could/should practice more, but they just can't seem to find the time or energy to remind them consistently-- much less, follow through and make sure it gets done!

Well, I just finished a book called How To Behave So Your Children Will Too (yes, I enjoy reading parenting books in my spare time, even though I don't have any kids yet, ha ha). When I came to the chapter on how to use charts and contracts to motivate kids, I thought, "Hey, this would be a great tool for parents of music students!" Using charts for younger kids, or contracts for older kids, parents can clearly communicate expectations and visually track success in a positive way.

Curious to see if I could find any convenient chart-related resources online, I came across this cool website of free printable behavior charts for helping kids take responsibility for their own daily/weekly tasks. There are many options for different age groups and behavior categories. (The second link below gives general tips for using these charts.)

Maybe some of you already use charts for chores or allowance at home - if so, perhaps you could add music practice to the list? I encourage parents to try a new system consistently for a month in order to determine how well its working. Once a new routine is established, it's much easier to keep it going - just like remembering to brush your teeth every night!

You can keep chart systems fun and interesting by periodically changing up the rewards and consequences, depending on what is currently motivating to each child. Feel free to send us your own ideas or success stories so we can share them with other Music Place families!

http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com

http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/usingbehaviorcharts.htm

--Beth Smith, Music Place Faculty & Director of Professional Development

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