short attention span

[pibkay]

I have a six-year-old student who I can't get to sit still.  She comes to lessons, sits down and plays for about two minutes, and then is constantly up and down, running around my home, and I can barely get her to come and look at the music.  She seems to have a talent for playing the piano, but I can't get her to sit still long enough to practice and improve.  Also, she refuses to even try without me constantly guiding her through every note.  I know she can do read the music if she wanted to and would sit still but she doesn't want to.  

Any suggestions for something I can do to get her to do her best and sit still?

[Chitch]

*Running around my home*

I suggest you cage off the area for her lesson. Spend the money, you'll be happy you did.

Seriously though, you may need another authority figure in the room to tell her to pay attention to you. Ask one of her parents to sit in on the lesson and witness the madness, that is, "the six-year old's sugar frenzy". If having parents sit in for lessons make you uncomfortable be to sure to have a very serious talk with whoever drops her off and takes her home, then on the car drive home "all hell breaks loose" and they return the next week as "little angels".

[jo.clarinet]

It sounds to me as if this child isn't yet mature enough for having music lessons - I'd suggest that you put her back on your waiting list and start her again in a year or so's time. 6 years old is usually fine, but children do vary and it appears that this one is a bit young for her age!
I had a similar thing - the parents of one of my pupils were very keen to start his little sister with me. She was only 4-and-a-half, but I said we'd have a try and see how it went. After a couple of lessons it was obvious that she wasn't ready, so we stopped. She began again in September and is now making extremely good progress and loving every minute of her lessons. Had we made her continue when she didn't have the attention-span and will to do things herself, I think she could easily have been put off the piano for a long time!

[lc3606]

I've had success with a brightly colored chart I created and taped right up on the piano in front of us.  Did she sit down and check her position? One sticker goes up.  Is she listening to me? Another sticker.  The sheet goes home so mom can see our progress. She improved dramatically.  

Also, I do many activities or switch the focus often.  I plan for at least 8 activities in a 45-min session. but will drop the activity immediately if I notice her attention straying.  I use a combination of traditional lesson content, worksheets with brightly colored pencils and highlighters, listening activities where either one of is seated at the piano and the other across the room - anything I can think of to keep her interested and to move around a bit. Drawing, creating pictures with stickers, listening to CD's.

[bernhard]

I've had success with a brightly colored chart I created and taped right up on the piano in front of us.  Did she sit down and check her position? One sticker goes up.  Is she listening to me? Another sticker.  The sheet goes home so mom can see our progress. She improved dramatically.  

Brilliant idea! I shall try it myself!
Thanks!

[surendipity]

Who's teaching who.
Sounds like this student is testing your level of patience.
And if you show to much, chances are this student will take you for a run for your money (literally)

I've had young energenic students who will be little wiggly worms while sitting through the unentertaining adventure of piano lessons.  They usually act this way durring the first 2 to 4 lessons.

What to do, climb the walls with them would be a good start.

So, you want to run around, lets...

I pull out the bench far enough to get around it.
After I've instructed them to find all the C's on the piano.
I challenge them to a race.  I will play all the C's and you run behind me and play all the C's, but you must run around the bench before you can start again.
I exhaust them. I win! and then voila they are ready for a drink of water and a lovely easy lesson of sweet melodies and of course drawing huge colourful pictures of PIZZA.  I use pizza to introduce note values.
They all love their pizza days.

PS  I've never had any second requests for a race of Ring around the Piano.  ever...

[minsmusic]

WOW  These are such great ideas!  Now all I need is a kiddy to run around the house...

I love the chart behaviour - I remember reading this idea for kids with ADD ADHD ... Something to reinforce good behaviour, instead of always 'ratting' on their bad behaviour.

I am absolutely intrigued by the pizza idea.  Please tell us more - in detail.

Pibkay.  I've had kids doing cartwheels, handstands what have you in the studio - so I wrote it explicitly in my policy that this is unacceptable behaviour.

I would take the child away from the piano, sit her down somewhere else and quietly explain what behaviour is acceptable and isn't.  If she finds it hard to focus, then use her name sternly, "Isabel, look at me ..." then say what you need to.  Don't yell; this often excites them more.  You must demonstrate the calmness you want from her.  Talk in your lower register, firmly, with much eye contact and physical nearness. Tell her "we'll try again" along with what will happen if she runs around again.
Then, when she has sat still for say, one minute - congratulate her, praise her efforts, tell her this is exactly what you want and that you appreciate her effort.  Set another challenge. "Let's see if we can play from here to here."  

Like Ic said, little bits, different bits often.   In primary school, they do one activity for 10 minutes only.  And have you ever watched children's programmes?  Their segments are very short; they teach the same concept in lots of different ways.  If you've never watched a kiddies programme (educational, like Sesame Street eg), then put it on your TO DO list.

Most T.V. programmes have at the most 15 minute segments, then 8 minute segments, then a commercial break!  (at least here in Australia, where cable is still not found in every household)

I'd advise against getting another authority figure for control.  YOU must disciplin, otherwise, she'll never respect you, and she'll never do what you ask.

Be firm, determined, respectful, but not mean, and not angry.

As they say, "show 'em who's boss!"

[cellodude]

...  

but will drop the activity immediately if I notice her attention straying

...

This is excellent advice. I learnt this from babysitting (Bernhard's equivalent of 'personal assistant') my children's practice. My son started violin lessons at 5 and initially his practice sessions lasted no more than 4 or 5 minutes. We stopped the moment he started to lose interest. It took less than 3 months to progress to half-hour practice sessions.

dennis lee

[cellodude]

...

I'd advise against getting another authority figure for control.  YOU must disciplin, otherwise, she'll never respect you, and she'll never do what you ask.

...

Another excellent advice. But I would add that you must show your stamp of authority right from the beginning. It is a lot easier to be hard at the beginning and then be soft later. If you are soft at the beginning you almost always never get their attention later no matter how hard or even harsh you get. I think it's the 'first impression' principle.

I learnt this years ago when I was a student in Canada helping out at summer camps with children from all manner of backgrounds.

dennis lee

[Kaaryn]

With the little wiggly-worms I limit them to 15 minute lessons at first and build up.  They still pay full rate though.  I have a sibling set, he's 9 and she's 6, he gets 45 min and she gets 15.  As she settles down her time gets a little longer, or shorter if she's wandering again.

With older kids if they start wandering then I put everything down and sit their quietly, I don't say a word, maybe I'll look out the window or something.  When they realize I'm not paying attention they usually settle down - one says, "Okay, I'm ready now."

I also have a treat bucket for consistent and exceptional behavior - it comes out now and then.

I love the idea of the chart, I'm going to use that if you don't mind!!

[WhiteKnight2k5]

One word: ritalin

But on the seirous side, if I was good when I was little my mom would give me a penny.  It worked very well!  Kids today would probably only settle for a quarter or a dollar.