Beginners, just like advanced students, need a routine to keep their piano promises to themselves. But young beginners don't have the perspective or the experience to appreciate this. Help your piano student at home by establishing a routine practice time. Over time this will make sitting down at the piano to practice feel more natural to your young child or your older beginner and make learning easier.

To help parents do this with as little friction as possible I've developed a plan called WWW I. It's an acronym that stands for

W - When

W - Why

W - What

I - Institute

When: When will the piano practice time be? This is a choice. A choice is very powerful motivator, so get your child's input on this.

Why: "Why” is another powerful motivator? Ask your child, "Why they wanted to play the piano in the first place?” Have your child write this down. "I want to be able to play really well, like Grandma, or Aunt Sally, or a pianist they heard at a concert.” This is your child's inspiration. Next have your child draw a picture of themselves in the future playing the piano they way they dream they can play. Their picture might include "stars" and "rainbows" Imagination and inspiration are important to success. Put their picture on the refrigerator or over the piano where they will draw daily inspiration from it.

What: What will you child have to do in order to bring their piano dream to life? Have your child make a list and put this on the refrigerator too.

Institute: Institute is a hard word for kids. Explain that institute means "order.” In order to establish order you have to institute priori

1st = Piano

2nd = Homework

3rd = Friends

4th = Television/Video

By substituting the word "Commitment” for "Routine” it's easy to see why this WWWI plan works. Having a daily practice routine is a way of pre-committing to piano every day. This is important to success because the battle of choice is won ahead of time by focusing on long term goals rather than short term desires that will change on a daily basis.