Have you ever come home from the grocery store and realized you forgot to get something important? It’s hard to remember everything we ought to do all the time. That’s why we use lists. Using a list not only makes it more likely that you’ll get things done, there’s a certain satisfaction to crossing things off when they’re accomplished.
Why Checklists Work For Piano Practice
Using a short piano practice checklist can help young students make sure they’re practicing effectively every day. Breaking down piano practice into smaller pieces can make it seem more manageable, and give your child a sense of progress as each item is completed.
Your child might find it fun to create a “practice journal” with a record of their daily piano practice. You can use this journal to track practice time and offer incentives for consistent, quality practicing.
Of course not all children, especially very young ones, respond well to checklists. You know your child. If using a checklist proves frustrating, wait a while and try it again later.
A basic practice checklist should include:
- warm-up activities, like checking piano posture and playing some finger power exercises
- working on a new song
- reviewing old songs
- fun time to improvise, compose, or do an activity page from the lesson materials
We’ve included a sample piano practice chart below that can be used to track two weeks of piano practice. You can download and print as many copies as you like, or simply use it as inspiration for making your own.