Using Games for Practice Rewards
Games for Practice Rewards
Does this scenario sound familiar to you?
You have a student learning piano, you’ve purchased the books, materials and carpool to get your student to his piano lessons. You have a good practice routine set up at home but your busy lives keep ruining this planned routine. Now what?
Some people conclude their child would practice if they really loved piano, and quit when it doesn’t happen. Some believe they are just busier than others and it’s not a reality to expect regular practice.
If you are committed to helping your student succeed at the piano, it takes a little creativity along with that commitment. Enter with some motivation right here.
Use games as a practice reward
My children are older now, they were practicing before Pinterest made things prettier, but it didn’t stop me from making a simple modified poster of the Candyland game, firmly mounted to the refrigerator.
Each child got their own magnet. They got to move one space each day they practiced. Many days the only reward was moving ahead one space. Rather than licorice alley though, their reward spaces
included things like making a visit to the pet store, getting a helium balloon, or even staying up late that night. What is something your child would love as a reward?
Are children (or adults) just going to add something challenging like practice to their routine and succeed in doing it happily all the time?
Nope, no one is self-motivated forever so we need to add something fun to help motivate their practice success. Games are fun. Rewards are fun. Having a good balance helps develop this process.
The Rub
Practice was an expected daily responsibility in my home. I couldn’t practice for my children, they had to learn the value of this investment in their time at the piano. So, there was a built in rub. It was that my children had to practice at or before their chosen times to move their marker on Candyland. If they didn’t practice on time, they still had to practice each day. They just didn’t get to move their marker. It happened from time to time, but I was no longer the practice nag. They were either rewarded for practice or they only practiced. Which sounds more fun for your student?
