If your students don’t touch the piano this summer they could lose two months of learning.
It is called The Summer Slide and it is a real problem for piano students and teachers. If your students return to lessons after a musical hiatus they are going to be frustrated with their rusty skills and bored with having to review pieces they have played in the past.
Bored and frustrated piano students do not reflect well on a piano studio… which is why we’re sharing a simple, summer practice incentive that will keep your young piano students coming back to the bench day after day.
Practice For Penny: A Summer Piano Practice Incentive
The Practice For Penny Summer Incentive revolves around the story of a lonely little whale who has lost her pod AND her ability to sing. To find her song and call to her pod, she needs the help of your piano students… and their parents.
Before reading the instructions below, check out the Practice For Penny Student Page and the Practice For Penny Parent Page for clarification. You can download the Practice For Penny Package here.
Practice For Penny Instructions:
- On the last day of lessons, read the story on the Practice For Penny Student Page.
- Before you say goodbye for the summer, hide a laminated Penny card (found in the package above) on a page in your student’s piano book (containing a piece she has played before). Use rolled masking tape to stick the card to the page.
- Instruct your student to search for Penny in her piano book when she gets home. When she finds Penny, remind her to play the piece where Penny is resting.
- Send home a copy of the Practice For Penny Parent Page that instructs your student’s parents to hide Penny in her book each night after she falls asleep so she can search for Penny the following day (and be reminded to practice the piece on which she finds Penny).
- And that’s it… you have solved the summer practice problem! Not stopping lessons for the summer? This is a fun way to keep practice happening in the weeks between lessons when the sun and surf beckon.
Want More Summer Practice Fun?
If you recognize Penny, that’s because she was the star of a recent piano game from Teach Piano Today’s PianoGameClub. If you want to reinforce theory with your students this summer, consider sending them home with a piano game or two that can be played with friends and family!
For just $8/month subscribers to PianoGameClub receive four hilarious, theory-based, printable board games every month. If you’re not already a member of PianoGameClub and want to kick your theory teaching up a notch, click here to learn more.
Melissa Longworth says
Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Andrea says
You’re so welcome, Melissa! Have fun with it 🙂
Jeanne says
Love this! Thank you!
Andrea says
You’re welcome, Jeanne! We hope it keeps your young ones excited to hit the bench every day in the summer 😉
Rita says
LOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEE this!!!!! Bless you!!
Andrea says
So glad you love it, Rita! Enjoy 🙂
Mary Beth Mathews says
Great ideas, but will have to save for next yeat. Summer break started 3 weeks ago here.
Andrea says
Hi Mary Beth! This is something that can also be emailed to parents to print if you’re already on break! It might be a nice little boost in motivation for them if they’re already on holiday 🙂
Felicity Palmer says
Wish I had seen this in June. September and they’ve forgotten everything!