Parental Involvement

[meli]

Hi everyone, I am a new teacher and have been teaching for about 1 year. I have this beginner student, age 7 who I have enjoyed teaching. She is quite musical, but doesn't practice enough. I noticed lately, her mother has been showing an interest in her child's progress, which is terrific. However, she told me she has no knowledge of music (doesn't read or play), and doesn't know if her child is practicing right. I feel that the mother would like to help but doesn't know how. Apart from telling her to make sure she practices every day, I thought of suggesting simple duets and flash card games etc..  I just wonder how to involve parents in their child's music education or should they be involved in the first place?

[prins]

Is the mother present at the lesson? If she is, she might pick up enough to understand what the child is supposed to do at home.

And indeed flashcards  are a great help for a 'non-musical' parent, because the answers are on the back of card. It is nice if she is willing to do that.

I also have a young student (boy) whose mother cannot play or read music. She is not present at the lessons. (The lessons are more relaxed when she is not there and she realizes that too). This mother found the CDs that come with the lesson book very helpful. It is not only fun for the child but the parents have an idea what the pieces are supposed to sound like.

[musicrebel4u]

Hi everyone, I am a new teacher and have been teaching for about 1 year. I have this beginner student, age 7 who I have enjoyed teaching. She is quite musical, but doesn't practice enough. I noticed lately, her mother has been showing an interest in her child's progress, which is terrific. However, she told me she has no knowledge of music (doesn't read or play), and doesn't know if her child is practicing right. I feel that the mother would like to help but doesn't know how. Apart from telling her to make sure she practices every day, I thought of suggesting simple duets and flash card games etc..  I just wonder how to involve parents in their child's music education or should they be involved in the first place?

I think, learning skills especially skills to read and play music should be INTERACTIVE. When students attend private lessons, they interact with a teacher, but at home they are on their own.

This lack of interactivity many teachers and methods (Suzuki) try to combat with parental involvement. But there are some hidden problems in such approach:

1.   Psychologically child considers mother as a nurturing influence and may not agree to treat her as a ‘teacher’ model
2.   Majority of parents are musically illiterate and unable (and due to that unwilling) to help   
3.   Majority of parents are pedagogically illiterate and sometimes do more harm then help.

Solution: Mozart’s dad was a great teacher and great musician: he provided interactive learning for his child 24/7. Can we duplicate this model?
Use teaching tool with as much interactivity as you can find, tool that beginners can use at home for effective practice by themselves, tools that tell what they do right or wrong and how to fix it.

[keypeg]

This article is excellent and it goes past the usual.
https://www.practicespot.com/article.phtml?id=120&t=88
Let the parent read this article - perhaps you should read it too in case she wants to discuss any of the ideas.

[janef88]

I think parent involvement is great as long as it is welcomed by the child.  If not the child would just get frustrated and not want to practice anymore. 

[lostinidlewonder]

I have many parents who can play piano and help their children out, it works wonderfully. I tell these students how lucky they are that they have family that play because with many of my students often they are the only person in their whole family who plays. It is important to make the child notice how valuable it is to have a family member who can help at the piano, I don't tell them directly I just say what I think and how wonderful I think it is. Children do not like to be told that "they should" etc its better to say what you think and how great you think something is.

I always report a summary of young students lessons the parents. I even teach some parents how to ensure that their children are practicing right. I will give them a quick lesson in what to look out for. It is easier to look out for something than to do it yourself, so they can still coach their children in the right direction somewhat. I don't like to think that the parent is unable to teach the child because they fight and complain and clash. If this happens it might be a good idea to observe how they work together and put in your own comments when things are said wrongly to each other etc. Very much like a therapist I have often told off students for talking harshly to their parents. I say, You know if I talked to my parents like that when I was your age I would have got a wooden spoon over my mouth. lol I have also reminded parents that honey catches more flies than vinegar, so they shouldn't be too critical and hard on their children.

[keypeg]

Has anyone looked at the link I provided?  It has some very good and different ideas.  For example, it talks about simply being interested in what your child is doing, and in what he finds important at the moment.  They mention "reflecting" which is a way of helping your child retain what he has been taught, but not by drilling it into him, but rather with his memory.    The practicing stays with the child, and the parent does not need to know how to play the instrument in order to be supportive.

These ideas seem spot on.  My children are young adults so they don't pertain to me.  I can see some things in retrospect, though.  I always gave my children my full attention when they were involved in something and chose to tell me about it.  I can also remember trying to tell my parents about things, and being deflated if they were too busy to listen.

The article has seven tips.

[a-sharp]

Make the instructions for the child very clear; have the parent come to *passively* observe a few lessons; ask the parent to have their child tell them and *demonstrate* to them their assignments. Those are the key things. Obviously - flashcard practice - that is something anyone can do too...

[dan101]

As has been mentioned, I believe it's important to be clear when assigning a piano student's homework for the week. I never assume that a child will get help from a parent at home. Of course, it's a bonus if they do, but I know that it is my responsibility to make sure that my student understands their practice instructions independently.

Of course, a parent sitting in on lessons will pick up things. I've even briefed parents (for a few minutes at the end of a lesson) on some of the basics of piano (which note is where, etc...)

[timothy42b]

I think, learning skills especially skills to read and play music should be INTERACTIVE. When students attend private lessons, they interact with a teacher, but at home they are on their own.

I think this is a profound insight.  ( I don't often agree with r4u but on this one I do.)  I would even go further and say interactive "in real time" to the greatest extent possible  The most interactive a teacher can be is playing duets.  I'm not sure how many parents could do this for long, but with a young child at a beginner level, might it be possible?  If a child were assigned to play 10 minutes of duets with a parent per day, that would force time commitment from both.  If not, the child could play with a recording with the parent nearby. 

Better yet, DDR.  But I don't think it exists. 

[a-sharp]

What's DDR?

sorry - 

[anna_crusis]

It's no use making provisions for parental involvement because they are too undependable and often only say and do the wrong thing. They aren't trained in teaching children, so how can you possibly expect them to know what to do? They'll just be working against you.

[timothy42b]

What's DDR?

sorry - 

Dance Dance Revolution is a PlayStation game where music plays and symbols show dance choreography, which you follow while landing your feet on a special controller mat.  You have to land on time in the right spot at tempo to make a score.  You normally play two at a time in competition.  My kids have it and play it willingly, much longer than I could ever get them to practice.  It's good exercise and teaches rhythm.  And I can't keep up so they get to laugh at me. 

The basis is of course reinforcement schedules, straight out of your Psychology 101 course. 

[a-sharp]

Thanks Tim.

Anna ~ Of course we wouldn't expect (or want!) them to be *teaching* them.... But - they can be involved in other ways. I always ask my student's parents to have their child demonstrate their practice plan to them. Right away they can tell if they understand it or not. They can listen to them as they practice performing recital pieces - they can inquire how practicing is going - they can be reminders and helpers with the practice schedule (necessary to varying degrees from young to older). With the younger ones (ages 5, 6, 7), they DO know what to do (in my situation) as I require that the parents sit in on the first few lessons. They need to be checking their position at the piano, make sure their child has a cushion or stool if needed... they can drill them with finger numbers - flashcards. Anyone can do that sort of thing.

In any case - I have found that communication is the key to it - once I got over my fear of asking parents directly what I was after in terms of their involvement/support, I've found that most are genuinely interested in helping. It is their money & their child, after all. Every situation/family is different though. (that is the fun of it).

Anyway - just my thoughts.

Parents can be taught too...

[mcdiddy1]

I think your solution is to simply have parent sitting on the lessons to see which spots the student has problems one. For example yesterday a parent decided to sit on the lesson and after the student played I told her you need to see the difference between the two gs, so I marked all of them and pointed and had the student play it.

It doesnt take a musical genius to point at the note for the child at  home and the parent can more rapidly spot the difference quicker than a five year old. And spotting error detections from mary had a little lamb or happy birthday is not something over there head! They can point out dynamic signs or help remind the student what hand position it is in as well using flashcards.

The key is to make it a fun time and interactive time to build a relationship between child and parent as well as forming a relationship with music

[pianoplayjl]

Yes, I reckon a parent's involvement in a child's piano studies is very important. It is important that a parent encourages and praises a child for doing something even as simple as playing a note or scale correctly. Parents should set aside time for their kids and go through what is necessary to be practiced. I think this is the right way to bring up a child's piano studies. This should be applied for children from 4-8 years old or beginners.