Maybe one of the best things I learned from Randall Faber at a recent conference was how different age groups approach learning.

• Under Seven age group:   Their mentality is “I can DO IT.”  They are more excited about the doing than anything else.  They don’t care so much about progressing or achieving goals.  They just want to have fun.  Activities at the piano and away from the piano are great motivators.  Because they are motivated, they achieve success more readily.
• Seven to Thirteen Year Olds:   “I CAN do it.”  They are motivated by their ability.  Stickers are great motivators.  Acknowledging and reinforcing their competence helps foster great self esteem and motivation in this age group. 
• Adolescents:   “I can do it.”  They are proud of themselves.  Treat them as competent and capable, and they will achieve better success.

I think I approach each of my students with the “I CAN do it” mentality- focusing on and praising ability.  This works well, because most of my students fit in the seven-thirteen age range. 

But I do have a few students under seven and one over thirteen.   I have been so glad to have this insight.  It has opened my eyes, and I am approaching my younger and older students much better, keeping their age appropriate mentality in mind as I teach.

I know this isn’t original.  I’m pretty sure I read this in a forum somewhere.  So I am totally stealing somebody else’s idea.  But it’s been SO effective in my studio lately that I MUST share it here!

When introducing eighth notes, tell your student to say “apple” instead of “1 and.”  Quarter notes will also now become “pear.”  This is much easier for a child to do.  Instead of counting “1 and 2, 3 and 4,” they say “apple pear, apple pear.”  Surprisingly, this does not seem to confuse them in the slightest.  And they actually get the rhythms right!  Even successful “1 and” counters tend to get choppy rhythms.  But “apple pear” counters don’t have that problem!

Plus, it’s fun for their families to hear them saying such sill things while they play the piano!

Do you do this already?  Do you have any other silly words you use?

Happy Monday!  I am so excited to announce this giveaway!

Pianomorning is giving one lucky Piano Teacher’s Retreat reader a free month subscription to their awesome site! 

PianoMorning.com was created by a staff of qualified teachers and composers from the “Canyon Country” area of Southern Utah and Florida’s Orange County in central Orlando.

They provide high quality services to piano teachers everywhere with downloadable theory supplements, new music, monthly articles and “contact” services.

A subscriber to www.pianomorning.com has access to over 200 sheets of theory supplements and music (primer to late intermediate level) with new items added weekly!  You can download the resources as many times as you need while you are a subscriber. 

Doesn’t that sound like a great service?

Now, you’re asking yourself, “Just what do I have to do to win this awesome subscription for a month?”

It couldn’t be easier!  Simply leave a comment on this post telling me why you love me.  Just kidding.  Leave a comment on this post about anything and everything and you will receive one entry in the random drawing which will take place at midnight on Monday, May 25.

If you want to increase your chances of winning this awesome giveaway, tell a friend!  When you tell a friend (that friend must tell me you sent him/her), you will receive THREE additional entries in the random drawing that takes place on Monday, May 25.

If you want to increase your chances even more, blog about this fantastic giveaway!   You will receive FIVE additional entries in the random drawing that takes place on Monday, May 25.

If you’ve been trying to keep track but got lost, I’ll summarize for you:

1. ONE entry for a simple comment on this post. 
2. THREE additional entries for telling a friend (there’s no limit to how many friends you can tell).
3. FIVE additional entries for blogging about this awesome giveaway!

Go check out www.pianomorning.com!  And don’t forget to leave a comment here!

Actions often speak louder than words.  At the advice of a reader, I’ve been video taping some of my students during lessons, then playing the recording back.  It has been a tremendous help for some of my students to SEE what I’ve been talking and drilling about for so long. 

The student who plays with flat fingers?  Now, she SEES the flat fingers and understands what she needs to work on.  The student who plays much too quickly, causing the piece to come out sloppy?  Now he SEES his fingers flying across the keys without control and HEARS the missed (and extra!) notes.  The student who plays much too slow and with no feeling?  Now she yawns as her piece is played back to her.  She knows what to do to make her piece more interesting.

Do you use video recording to assist you during lessons?  What successes have you found?

Please take a moment to visit the new sponsor of Piano Teacher’s Retreat, iNoteTrainer.  Just click on the ad to the right, and it will take you to a site about iNoteTrainer.  This fun note reading App was designed by a piano student to help him get better at reading notes in his spare time.  In the game, a note pops up on the screen and you identify it by letter name or piano key.  There is a demonstration you can watch at the site.  What a great App for your students (or students’ parents) to put on their iPhones or iPod Touch!  You could even assign iNote Trainer time as part of practice every week!

Do you have a piece of carpet left over from your last carpet replacement? Or a small rug or sturdy placemat? Use it as your “station” for off-the-bench activities. My younger students love running to the “special spot” to play flashcard games or to do theory activities. It’s a silly thing, but it does make lessons a little more exciting for those with short attention spans!

I’m always searching for new games to play with flashcards.  Flashcards by themselves are so helpful, but simply drilling can be boring and even ineffective with some students.

Susan at Piano Teacher’s Resources posted this great Tic-Tac-Toe flashcard game.  We’ve been playing it a lot this week, and it’s a hit with every student.

We have also been doing a simple matching game on my old flannel board.  Students match the note flashcard with the correct letter.  They love using the flannel board, but you could use magnets on a white board (or even your refrigerator if you teach at home!). 

Both games have been particularly helpful for one little girl I teach.  She lacks the ability or desire to sit still and answer questions.  So every time I try to drill with flashcards, she gets frustrated, stops trying, and eventually gets angry.  NOT a fun time!  But she really needs work on identifying notes.  These games are so fun for her, she’ll actually take the time to figure out the notes- something she absolutely won’t do at the piano bench.

What games do you play with flashcards?  If you would like to do a guest post about your fun flaschard game ideas, email me at pianoteacherblog{at}yahoo{dot}com.

I have a brand new beginner student who needs a little more work than his book provides. The book is ready to move him on to half notes, but he hasn’t even mastered his finger numbers yet. I don’t have a computer program to write music, so I just spent 5 minutes drawing quarter notes with finger numbers on a regular piece of paper for him.

It worked just fine, and he even feels special having a new sheet of “music” from his teacher! He has no idea I’m buying time and holding him back in the book! What are some tricks you have found for buying time before moving on in the lesson books?

We’ve been playing this fast paced game during lessons, and it’s been a hit. All it takes are note flashcards and a metronome.

Object: Your student wants to get all the notes on the flashcards correct.

Set the metronome at the slowest speed. Hold up a flashcard to your student on one beat. Your student has to tell you the name of the note by the next beat, or the card goes in the “Miss” pile. If your student gets it right, it goes in the “Win” pile. After you have gone through all the cards, add up how many are in the “Win” pile. Play again and see if your student can beat his/her first score. When your student does well on the slowest speed, speed up the metronome, and try again!

This is good for my students because it forces them to go with their first instinct when they see the card. Most often, they are right, and this gives them that confidence they need!

One student didn’t do very well, but even still, he still was able to beat his score by one or two cards each time. And he had a lot of fun!

One of the simplest ways I have found to help brand new beginners understand rhythm is this: simply set a metronome and march around the room to the beat of the metronome. Works like a charm every time!