Lately, SS ,my dyslexic child student, has been making great strides.
He’s become a much better guitarist in the last few weeks. The reason? Increased and consistent practice. For the past few weeks I’ve been forcing him to fill-up a daily practice log so that we can track how much practice he gets.
This idea was given to me by one of my other students.
One of my younger students likes to record her practice on a piece of foolscap paper. It was quite an ingenious idea. During my formative years, I also kept a practice log when I was preparing for exams.
Eventually, I abandoned the practice log to save on paper.
I implemented this for SS because he really needs it. The results are significant and very obvious. His mother has told me that his playing is much better than before. I agree.
I am thinking about implementing this system for all my young students. They need something tangible to remind them to practice. This also increases accountability.
This system has worked so well for SS that his playing ability could easily trounce some of my older students who aren’t suffering from any disabilities at all.
When I look back at how much difficulties SS has faced over the years, I can’t help but feel like some students take things for granted. SS’s learning disability is a much greater obstacle than anything else my other students face. If he can do it, there’s no reason why others can’t do it.
I’m thinking about implementing this feature for some of my students that need more structure and guidance. I hope that this will also ensure more accountability on their part. Like I tell my students, “If you really want to do something, make the time. Don’t make excuses.”
