Parent Education
The home-teacher can be a mother/father, aunt/uncle, grandparent or guardian- as long as the home-teacher is one and the same person for the following role:
- Before the child begins lessons, the home teacher discusses certain lifestyle issues discussed in parent education with their spouse and children such as: prioritizing the family schedule and paring down commitments in order to make a commitment to: 1. Weekly private lessons during the weekdays, 2. Weekly group classes on Saturdays, and 3. When signed up, monthly recitals and occasional community outreach event. Further family discussions include: setting the tone for a respectful/supportive environment that honors the importance of daily practice with the home–teacher and daily listening to classical music (Suzuki CD, Pandora, NPR, CDs, DVDs, live concerts). As it is the home–teacher’s job to create the nurturing environment for their child, it is the home–teachers job to be the one in charge of "pushing play "on the radio, CD, DVD player (no iPods or anything that uses headphones/ear buds).
- The home-teacher comes with the child and attends all lessons and group classes while taking notes and making careful observations.
- The home-teacher practices the given assignment at home with the child on a daily basis.
- The home-teacher uses a "positive approach " and "one step at a time" teaching concept along with parent education tips and other tips from weekly lessons and group classes.
- The home-teacher creates a distraction-free/quiet/interruption-free/private area for practicing with the child.
- It is the intention of the private teacher to nurture and develop the working relationship between teacher-parent-child over many years through all the developmental years. The teacher is dedicated to supporting and problem solving with the parent to improve home-practice.
- The teacher is dedicated to identifying different learning styles of the child and adapting their teaching style and strategies for the success of the child. Therefore, it is important that the parent maintains good communication and frequent updates (in private, not in front of the child) regarding practicing as practicing will go through a natural cycle of "ups and downs as well as plateaus ".
- Get a head start with parent education and begin reading:
- NURTURED BY LOVE by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
- HOW TO PRACTICE WITHOUT RESORTING TO VIOLENCE by Cynthia Richards
- TALENT CODE by Daniel Coyle
- TO LEARN WITH LOVE by Constance Starr
- MAN’S SEARCH FOR TALENT by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
- FROM AGE ZERO TO ABILITY by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki
- LIKE A DIAMOND IN THE SKY by Cannon (A short biography/story to read aloud to young children)