| Beginners, just like advanced students, need a routine | | | | they dream they can play. Their picture might include |
| to keep their piano promises to themselves. But young | | | | "stars" and "rainbows" Imagination and inspiration are |
| beginners don't have the perspective or the | | | | important to success. Put their picture on the |
| experience to appreciate this. Help your piano student | | | | refrigerator or over the piano where they will draw |
| at home by establishing a routine practice time. Over | | | | daily inspiration from it. |
| time this will make sitting down at the piano to practice | | | | What: What will you child have to do in order to bring |
| feel more natural to your young child or your older | | | | their piano dream to life? Have your child make a list |
| beginner and make learning easier. | | | | and put this on the refrigerator too. |
| To help parents do this with as little friction as possible | | | | Institute: Institute is a hard word for kids. Explain that |
| I've developed a plan called WWW I. It's an acronym | | | | institute means "order." In order to establish order you |
| that stands for | | | | have to institute priorities. |
| W - When W - Why W - What I - Institute When: | | | | |
| When will the piano practice time be? This is a choice. | | | | 1st = Piano 2nd = Homework 3rd = Friends 4th = |
| A choice is very powerful motivator, so get your child's | | | | Television/Video |
| input on this. | | | | By substituting the word "Commitment" for "Routine" |
| Why: "Why" is another powerful motivator? Ask your | | | | it's easy to see why this WWWI plan works. Having a |
| child, "Why they wanted to play the piano in the first | | | | daily practice routine is a way of pre-committing to |
| place?" Have your child write this down. "I want to be | | | | piano every day. This is important to success because |
| able to play really well, like Grandma, or Aunt Sally, or a | | | | the battle of choice is won ahead of time by focusing |
| pianist they heard at a concert." This is your child's | | | | on long term goals rather than short term desires that |
| inspiration. Next have your child draw a picture of | | | | will change on a daily basis. |
| themselves in the future playing the piano they way | | | | |