ZT)Readiness for Piano Lessons

Readiness for Lessons

by Kevin M. Coan

A few weeks ago, I posted some comments on the need to be careful
when teaching children in the 4-6 year old range. Most of these
students will have a much better learning experience if they engage
in a music readiness program rather than formal, on the bench piano
lessons (traditional lessons as we think of them). The question then
comes up, how does one know whether or not a student is ready
for "standards" piano instruction?

The single most important factor is that of attention span. A
student needs to be able to focus on a single activity for at least
ten minutes at a time to be able to practice effectively. Watching
how well a child focuses on a television show is one way to tell.
Watching how well they concentrate on a story being read to them is
another. If a child can focus on a ten-minute story, they often can
focus on ten minutes of practice.

A second factor is a child's ability to retain abstract concepts. We
aren't talking about the theory of relativity here! Rather, we are
talking about the ability to write letters of the alphabet, write a
name, recognize numbers, etc. If a child cannot retain the letters
of the alphabet, he or she is NOT ready for formal piano instruction.

A third factor is the parents' interactions with the student. If a
parent has taught a child how to write his or her name, that same
parent will probably be effective in helping the child with piano
assignments. If the parent merely sends the child off to day care,
it is probably wise to postpone lessons.

A fourth factor is the student's desire to study the piano. Does he
or she sing, dance, or attempt to pick out tunes on an instrument by
himself? I'm extremely leery when a parent wants to begin lessons
for a student in the 4-6 year range. Many times such parents are
guilty of using the children to show off. They are more concerned
with impressing their neighbors with little Johnny Mozart. But if
the child is eager to study the piano himself and shows personal
delight in music, he or she may well be ready for lessons.

Above all, we can only estimate whether or not a student is ready.
If we begin lessons and it becomes apparent that we have over-judged
a student's readiness, we can quickly switch from a standard primer
to a readiness program. The teacher should not consider this a
failure on his or her part. Every child learns differently and at
different times. Our job is to enable them to do their best
according to their individual time schedules.