How Does it Work Academic Environment

So How Does This Work?

Step 1:

    1. Your music teacher/facilitator will show Perfect Praise study’s lesson’s video for the classroom (recommended on a big screen TV)
      1. OR Depending on desire and ability of the teacher, they may lead the class in singing songs, rhythm activities etc. all included with that lesson demonstrated on a big screen TV in their classroom.
      2. OR your may have an instrument that will play the MIDI backgrounds (included) for the class to sing along with.
      3. OR based on the Teacher Manual, the teacher may just teach the lesson using tools on the videos, based on the teaching time on the video, or a combination of the two.
      4. Step-by-step Teacher Manuals to help guide a Facilitator through the Online Course. It will include showing how/when to show the video and also tips and instruction for active participation activities as part of the class.

Step 2:

    1.  1. The lesson is structured on an accountability HomePlay overview for that lesson. Following the lesson plans, your teacher will assign a HomePlay sheet for students to complete at home.

 

  1. Step 3:
    1. 1. The parents will take it from there. At home, they will view the at-home version of the Online Course for that lesson and support practice at their keyboard or piano for 5 days that week. Note: Daily practice time will not exceed 10 minutes a day for classes up through 1st grade.
    2. 2. Parents will mark their progress and return the completed HomePlay Sheets to the music classroom the following week. (We recommend back-and forth plastic folders for communication with home. These folders will serve to also send rewards back home, along with comments written on their completed HomePlay sheet.)

 

  1. Step 4:
    1. The music teacher reviews the completed HomePlay sheets. When the completed HomePlay sheet indicates SOLO, then the student will perform the SOLO for the class. If it was performed to mastery, that student will move to the next lesson.
    2. Ideally, the entire class of students will move together, but that is not realistic since the teacher is not in charge of the student’s practice time at home. If your school is able to schedule the students to practice at school on a daily basis, then they could progress together.  So the teacher will vary the class time progression on the majority of the student’s progress.

Rewards and Incentives

If you say to a child, if you do X you will get Y.  They will be more motivated to do it. It usually doesn’t matter what Y is.  We recommend that you use lots of rewards and prizes. We like to give the same prize out to everything who worked that week, and you can announce ahead of time to build excitement. Amazon Prime is great, and you can take advantage of Prime deals.

This is the procedure that we have used in our Model School.

  1. We give prizes for COMPLETED HOMEPLAY sheets.  Completed, means they have viewed the at-home Online Piano Course, they have practiced and marked their HomePlay Sheet for completing the recommended practice time, they have checked off all of the other activities indicated on that HomePlay sheet.
  2. Put a stamp or sticker on it, along with the date and issue a small prize in their plastic folder
  3. If their completed HomePlay sheet says SOLO they have the opportunity to perform that song for the class. You need to require PLAYING THE PIANO and SINGING. If they don’t know where to start, then they have not mastered it. Have them practice the same HomePlay Sheet again.  If they passed it, then assign them the next lesson at home.

Classroom Visuals and Incentive Ideas

We have found that having a VISUAL incentive program really encourages group learning. Here are a few ideas that we have found that really motivate students.

Solar System:  We put pictures of the planets of the solar system in order on the wall around the classroom. Every student has their name on a STAR.  When they pass a song to mastery at the piano, their STAR will move to the next planet. If they complete the rotation more than once, put a sticker on their STAR every time they circle. Students who make it to the end of the solar system earn a medal at end of school. We included required Christmas and Spring Recitals in their STAR movement. You might include movement for anything else that is important or a weakness that needs strengthened. Every month, you might have OPEN STAR DAY to give students who have not completed a HomePlay Sheet an opportunity to perform a song to mastery, and to move their STAR.

Karate Belts: Using the same idea above, have a figure of boy or girl with their name on it, that will move about the room based on the color belts of karate.

Continental Study: Using similar ideas to Solar System above, students have a paper airplane with their name on it, and will travel around the room visiting each continent. Lay the room out for the 7 continents plus 2 recitals. Pre-select one country in each continent, teach how to say HELLO and study customs and musical instruments from that country as part of their study. Also, issue each child a PASSPORT (AMAZON) that will receive stamps and stickers for their achievements. We issued stamps or stickers for 1.) Listening skills in class  2.) Completed HomePlay sheets 3) SOLO mastery.  Once a month, move the airplanes forward based on the stamps in their PASSPORT. The Christmas recital was International Christmas, where every child could represent a country of their choice and dress in costume. They introduced themselves, saying Hello from that country.