One of the most significant ideas I ever implemented in my studio was designing a year-long practice incentive program and then building everything in the studio around that theme for the year. Once the program is set in motion, lesson planning for the year is a breeze because we already have a framework to work within as students select goals and work toward mastering specific level-appropriate skills. You can find out more about how I develop these incentives by reading my blog post: 4 Components of a Good Practice Incentive. Each of the following practice incentive programs is a downloadable zip file that contains all the documents, files, pictures, and information you need to implement the program successfully in your studio. My hope is that teachers and students alike will find these practice incentive programs a helpful tool for developing enthusiasm and excellence in their music lessons! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
~Natalie
Up, up, and away! In this fun practice incentive, students hone their sight-reading skills as they tackle piece after piece to advance to the next rung of the ladder. Students are given a 4-step outline for learning each piece and must demonstrate excellence in order to move on. Along the way there are numerous opportunities to earn Diligence Dollars, which can be accumulated all year long and turned in for an incredible prize at the end of the year!
(See this post for more information.)
$20
A musical ball, that is! This exciting practice incentive is especially designed to promote camaraderie and help students become "well-rounded" musicians. Different aspects of the theme will have them developing brains, brawn, and beauty. Throughout the year students can earn rubber bouncy balls for completing various assignments and practicing consistently. Balls can then be traded in for entry slips into a drawing that is held at each of the themed musical balls throughout the year. You will be amazed at how much your students will learn to enjoy performing using this approach!
(See this post for more information.)
$20
The Olympic spirit of both team cooperation and competition is in full force with this energetic practice incentive! Students are assigned to a team color at the beginning of the year and have the opportunity to earn lots of points each week that contribute to their individual and team scores, all in the hopes of propelling their team toward the GOLD! Designed to focus specifically on three areas - written theory, sight-reading, and ear-playing - this format capitalizes on the strengths of each student while motivating them to work diligently to develop their weaknesses for short designated sessions.
(See this post for more information.)
$20
Calling all super sleuths to the scene! The suspense is high in this captivating practice incentive. Weekly mastery challenges selected by the student will be the key to cracking the code and unlocking the mystery. Categories like "staff scout," "terminology trainer," and "rhythm recon" will have students enthusiastically advancing in their musical studies, eager to receive the next clue and earn a listing in the official studio Agency Directory! (See this post for more information.)
$20
Exploring
a Galaxy of Music
Blast off into an exciting year of lessons! This "out-of-this-world"
practice incentive will have students eagerly striving toward new heights
in their musical studies. Mission details are custom-designed by the teacher
each week, with the student choosing his own "Stellar Student Selection"
and "Cosmic Challenge" to accrue more points toward placing
objects in his team's galaxy. Students take ownership for their progress
by determining their own mission rating each week, and you'll find them
jumping at any opportunity to earn extra points!
(See
this post for more information.)
$20
Bring the entrepreneurial spirit alive in your students with this highly educational and creativity-driven practice incentive! Each week students have the opportunity to invest in the stocks of their choice - improvisation, sight-playing, performance, and listening. With stock prices fluctuating from week to week based on how much is invested, you'll have students plotting out new strategies so that they can earn more capital. A list of Capital Improvement Projects will get the creative juices flowing, especially when students realize that they can make real money by selling their creative projects! Package includes: Assignment book files, instructions for teachers, wall decor templates, pictures, and over 50 printable pages of supporting materials for all the stocks!
(See this post for more information.)
$20
Piano
Camp Lesson Plans
This is the
daily outline for a week-long piano camp, with lots of hyperlinks to correlating
resources and websites. If you’re interested in planning a fun, memorable
Piano Camp for your own studio, this will give you the information and
tools you need. The outline is succinct and easy-to-follow. It can be
implemented “as-is” or adapted to incorporate your own ideas.
Here are some blog post links to give you a glimpse into this fun week!
Preliminary Planning | Glimpse One | Glimpse Two | Glimpse Three | Glimpse Four |
$12
Pre-Piano
Camp Program Package
A six-week outline
of lesson plans designed for children ages 4-5. The format is designed
for a one-hour class that is held once a week. The activities, games,
and lessons are suitable for anywhere from 2-12 children per class. Each
week's lesson plan includes a focus on: rhythm and pulse, keyboard skills,
memory work and choir (including hymn history stories), written theory,
and music appreciation (including listening to music and stories about
the lives of the great composers). Each class is divided into 10-minute
segments that will keep young children fully engaged and eager to continue
their musical studies!
Includes a
FREE 31-page student workbook that correlates with the lesson plans and
provides each student with a fun keepsake from their musical adventure!
(See
this post for more information.)
$20
Kick-it-up-a-Notch! a one-week intensive piano course
Specifically designed for middle school and high school students who are willing to devote one week to focusing intensely on improving their skills. Two or more students meet for a daily 2-hour class and are expected to practice approximately 1-hour between each session. Each day includes time segments for: Finding Focus, Ensemble Improvisation on a Psalm, The Language of Music, Technique Concepts, Technique Training, Ensemble Repertoire, The Heartbeat of Music, Solo Repertoire, and Today's Take-Away.
Includes a 22-page lesson plan guide for teachers, a 134-page student workbook, and links to additional resources. (See this post for more information.)
$20
Ever wish you could come up with a quick game off the top of your head to engage a student or help them better understand something? 5 For Fun! is a collection of easy (5-minute!) games and activities for the private piano lesson. From Keys on the Piano, to Notes on the Staff, to Intervals, to Chords, to Key Signatures, to Rhythm, plus an appendix with additional resources, you're sure to find just the perfect game to help introduce or reinforce music concepts to your students. Each page is laid out in a clean format, with a picture of the game, a list of supplies needed, step-by-step instructions for how it works, several ideas for variations, and a collection of links to related resources on the Internet. These are games and activities that have been favorites with my students over the years, so we hope that you love them, too!
Package Includes: PDF eBook for on-screen viewing, paginated file for booklet printing, black and white paginated file, cover file, and instruction page.
$15
Whether you want to give your students a special, but practical gift, or use a manuscript book for their regular written assignments, you can get lots of use out of this versatile and attractive manuscript book! Download once and then use it as often as you like to print books for your students. (You can e-mail the whole file to a print shop and have them run as many copies as you need and bind them. The book is set up with margin spacing to allow for double-sided printing.)
$12