Child centred approach to learning the piano

[tabbycat7]

I've been trying to teach my boys to learn to play the piano and although they want to be able to play it, they are not up for practising or having regular lessons! I've been using Pauline Hall's Tunes for Ten Fingers, which seems excellent, but my boys don't really want Pauline or me telling them what to do when they've had that all day at school.

I used to be a teacher and I recall vaguely child centred learning, where the child takes more of a lead and is gently guided by the teacher. I think this is what happens in EYFS (I taught ks2).

Has any body encountered this approach to teaching the piano? Are there any books out there I could read or websites with resources on? I think it could work, at least until they've got the hang of it, I just don't know where to start!

Thanks

[VodkaRevelation]

Could you give the responsibility to them to decide when they practice. Maybe start off just expecting them to do it three times a week on days of their choice. Have a sticker chart that, if filled, earns them a reward. If they don't practice three times they don't get a reward. If successful, and hopefully when they have gained more enthusiasm, up to 4 days and so on.

[MadeOfStarDust]

Personally, me teaching my kids piano just would not work..... they would rile against it and play up about practise and just not enjoy it... (they also did Pauline Hall books which were FANTASTIC)

hence we have paid for piano lessons - they will do whatever a "teacher" asks them to do willingly....

if we had done child centred learning then they would not have got anywhere - but now at 11 and 12, and 5 years on... one of my girls does piano with all the exams and plays in a couple of little ensembles and does keyboards in a secondary school band... the other just learns piano and practises when asked so she can show progress to her teacher and show off her skills to us... that choice is about as child centred as we got

[tabbycat7]

Vodka that's a good idea. I'm trying a similar approach with DS1 and his homework.

MadeofStarDust I have considered this as me teaching them might be the problem! I want the same kind of thing for my boys, exams if they want to do them but no pressure. I want them to play because they love it, but I know it takes hard work to get to that point!

I thought maybe if I tried to make it more like playing they would learn without realising, like learning lots of maths through baking and stuff.

[ShellingPeas]

If you fancy trying a different beginner series then I'd recommend Piano Adventures. It doesn't rely on a fixed middle C position (which can led to a problem with associating fingers with specific keys, and also relying on finger numbers rather than actual note reading). It's a US series but you can buy international versions from Musicroom.com. It has opportunities for game playing, improvisation, and composition and is very user friendly. They also have a website where you can download free ideas for use with the Primer book.

There's another US series called Pattern Play which is just for improvisation and worth a look too - it's not a tutor book but gives bass and treble patterns to improvise with and make up your own music. I use it with my students, initially for improv but then developing the improv into composition and on to theory when writing it down in notation form.

There are also many good websites/blogs where you can access games and other ways of making piano playing fun. Color in My Piano and Susan Paradis are good.

[tabbycat7]

That sounds just what I'm looking for! I'll check those out, thanks :)