Cooper 6y.o - U.K

This is great to see how you are implementing. Where did you get this lesson plan. We just joined and I have a 6 and 8 year old.

Also how long and how often does Cooper practice?

Thanks! Emily

Hi Emily,

Sorry for my delayed reply, the notification went into my junk mail. We loosely follow the lesson plans c and level one. Found here www.softmozart.com/forum/63-lesson-plans.html

We have adjusted it slightly to make it work for us. His lesson starts with scales, or finger exercises. He will do these mostly by himself and I will once or twice a week come in and listen and make sure he's doing it correctly. Each month we introduce a new scale or make it harder. So this month, he was alreading doing hannon #1 and chromatic scale, so we made it harder by starting to practice both hands together. Next month we will start c major scale, because that is the next scale introduced in the lesson plans.

Next he plays the fruit game for five minuets, independently, I will just write down his score at the end.

This month has slightly changed our music lesson because of Hellene advice, previously he would then go onto gentle piano. He started with introductory songs and made his way through the list. Which is different to the lesson plans, but it works for us. So each lesson he will start with hot Cross Buns, as long as he gets 100% and a score under 10 he will go on to practice the next song in the list, for example ode to Joy. If he gets under 100% he has to try again, he can't move on until he's got it. Now he has moved onto favourite classics, which is more challenging, and he is doing the same thing. He gets to choose the song but can't move into another until he's reached his goal. We practice right, then left and then both hands, just like the lesson plans suggest. This is all done on screen 1 at the moment. I record his scores on Fridays.

We have just added in sight reading practice, where he practices pieces without the symbols (screen 2). This is done through nursery primer at the moment. And again, he chooses the song but because it's sight reading he plays it twice with right, twice with left and then twice both hands together then moves onto another song the next day.

We also just added I the playing along with Hellene, in the teaching videos, it we only do this once a week. And only on pieces he can play off by heart correctly.

He practices most afternoons, sometimes that ends up being five days but sometimes only three, for as long as it takes really. He makes his way through the scales and pieces. At the end he puts a timer on for 10 mins to practice whatever the new song he is learning is. I would say most days that's between 30-40 mins. Less if it's a sunny day

We stated a couple of years ago, but ended up moving around a lot so music practice didn't happen and we cancelled our subscription. We only just got back into it in February this year. I look at the lesson plans each month to work out what we will add in for the next month. Thisnseems to be working for us at the moment.

I hope that answers your questions.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply! We found the lesson plans and I am starting my kiddos this week. My 6 yo daughter is really taking to it, and my son is working through some frustration.

Doing the "sight reading" on the "surprise symphony" song was hard/frustrating for him. I think finding some finger scales for them would be a great idea! Thank you,

Emily

We were away for most of April so we missed doing a video for that month. This is our May records and video.

This month (May) Cooper practiced his;
Finger exercises
Five finger exercises
Hannon exercise #1, left, right and both hands
Chromatic Scale, left, right and both hands

Guess key school
Week 1 scores - 237, 237
Week 2 - 211, 270, 252, 236
Week 3 - 240, 134
Week 4 - 279, 198

Gentle Piano
We are doing these pieces on screen 1
Introductory Songs
Hot Cross Buns - 37/37, 1
French Song - 48/48, 3
Ode to Joy - 48/48, 3
Jingle Bells - 77/77, 7
The Small Fir Tree - 68/68, 8
Happy Birthday for beginners - 37/37, 7
A New Years Tree - 57/57, 7

Favourite Classics
Musset - 70/70, 7
O Sol Mio - 75/75, 54

Sight Reading
We are playing these pieces on screen two. He only plays them twice and does not listen to the piece before he plays it.

Nursery Primer
Alphabet Song
1. Right hand - 31/38, 116. Left Hand - 8/10, 11. Both hands 46/48, 22
2. Right hand - 37/38, 21. Left Hand - 8/10, 8. Both hands 45/48, 33

London Bridge
1. Right hand - 33/46, 100. Left Hand - 4/6, 8. Both hands 36/52, 112
2. Right hand - 32/46, 79. Left Hand - 5/6, 1. Both hands 35/52, 46

Mary had a little lamb
1. Right hand - 49/53, 28. Left Hand - 8/10, 5. Both hands 61/63, 30
2. Right hand - 50/53, 11. Left Hand - 7/10, 4. Both hands 62/63, 26

Ten Little Indians
1. Right hand - 25/27, 25. Left Hand - 9/13, 26. Both hands 35/40, 33
2. Right hand - 27/27, 19. Left Hand - 10/13, 26. Both hands 38/40, 32

The Farmer in the Dell
1. Right hand - 17/18, 20. Left Hand - 12/15, 23. Both hands 28/33, 70
2. Right hand - 16/18, 17. Left Hand - 11/15, 20. Both hands 32/33, 24

Humpty Dumpty
1. Right hand - 28/32, 32. Left Hand - 11/11, 14. Both hands 35/43, 59
2. Right hand - 29/32, 32. Left Hand - 10/11, 8. Both hands 42/43, 49

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
1. Right hand - 31/31, 14. Left Hand - 9/13, 15. Both hands 43/44, 36
2. Right hand - 31/31, 13. Left Hand - 13/13, 14. Both hands 41/44, 29

Introductory Videos
Hot Cross Buns
French Song
Ode to Joy



Just one question. Can Cooper listen to the song for sight reading before he plays it?