I have a piano student which i took over from grade 1 at about age 7. She has taken grade1 theory n practical exam... merely pass (slow learner)

From there, it has been about 2 yrs till now and she cant seem to progress much. She is slow at reading notes and weak in rythm.
Her parents are pushy types to take exams.

From what the parent told me...they have been making the child practice evryday... which i don't think its true ...she totally forgot what i taught her in the previous lesson.


I make her go thru the same piece a few times each lesson during class and it gets better each time... if she has been practising..it wont be the case rite?

I tried getting her to play pieces she is more familair n games/ activites in class, it still dun work... she dont seem interested. She likes the songs but juz won't play

Furthermore, this child is sensitive..u cant b too harsh else she will cry.. the mother told me she even cry at school's exams when she can't do the questions..


Any suggestion on handling this type case?

They might well make her 'practice' every day.... but do they know what this involves? Does she?
At that age I think it takes a fairly exceptional child to REALLY be able to practice effectively without help.
How do the parents fell she is doing?

Once I heard this about the same child in the same week..
'TEACHER...'I don't know what his mother is thinking of!'
PARENT.... 'His teacher thinks he is doing really well'.

Maybe it is the parents who want her to play and she has no interest herself and also feels intimidated by their pushiness?

The child of a friend used to 'practice' on my piano after school.... turned up at my house, played everything once (whether it was right or wrong) then went home. refused to do more than that (and she was old enough to know what she was doing and claimed to be interested in learning). Parent thought the child was doing well.. 'it sounds lovely when she practices' (using a keyboard at home, usually with it on her lap or on the floor ).
After the earliest stages it doesn't always sound lovely ... going over the same bar or 2 several times until it is right doesn't.

The point that leaps straight out is "the parents...have been making the child practice". No matter how much a parent might force a child to practice, if they don't want to, they won't! Oh, and it's amazing how much practice a parent will think their child is doing if they're at their instrument making a noise (just ask my parents ).

Give your pupil loads of encouragement and praise, and also let them find a piece they want to play. If their heart really isn't in it, dull repertoire only makes a bad situation worse.

I'm not sure that lying is the issue here.

I'd be much more concerned that this child may be under too much pressure.

Does she get upset at school exams because she knows her parents will be cross if she doesn't do well ?? I wonder.

Pushy parents can be a nightmare, and counter-productive to what you are trying to do.

Resist pressure to do exams somehow, for now, and find some pieces that your pupil really enjoys.

Maggie

I agree with all that's been said so far. I'd say it sounds as if the child's notation skills are weak-I'd go for flashcard work at the start of each lesson, and sightreading simple duets weekly, which will also help her rhythm. I really sympathise with you about pushy parents-you will always get some who think exams are the be -all of everything regardless of what a child's playing is actually like. And I'd read practicing every day as playing every day-and not what you've set her! If she's finding note reading and rhythm hard work then it will make the whole thing seem like too much effort for her. I'd get her to work steadily (in your lesson at least) at building up her essential skills and make lessons full of lots of short activities so she's less likely to get frustrated.