100 Days of Practice Challenge

100 Days of Practice Challenge

Welcome to the 100 Days of Practice Challenge! Achieving the 100-day goal is a commitment on the part of the parent as well as the student. Just a little bit of good change on a daily basis will take them far. The choice to take lessons is the choice to make a lifestyle change. Being a part of this challenge is a great way to build strong daily habits and for students to prove to themselves that they’re capable of that commitment.

Guidelines for the Challenge

· Challenge will run from Monday, January 3rd—April 22nd.

· Participants are asked to practice their instrument for 100 days in a row. No skipping days!

· Lessons can count as practice for the day.

· Fill in the practice chart every day. Missed days “break the chain”. If this happens, the participant becomes disqualified! Progress will be tracked in the studio as well as at home.

· Completed practice charts must be signed by both the teacher and the parent or adult student, and sent into the office.

· Prizes will be handed out to students who complete the challenge, and they will receive recognition in the newsletter and on our website!

· Most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Tips and Ideas to Help You Succeed

· To make sure that practice happens, use a trigger or cue. This is a daily activity that leads you to practice like practicing after breakfast. Visual triggers work well too.

· Set a daily number of practice tasks or objectives instead of a set time for practice. Students who have to practice for a set number of minutes quickly learn how to waste time.

· Remember that when starting the Challenge, less is more. Suzuki said that 3 minutes, 5 times a day is ideal for beginners. Remember that there are always several 3-5 minute time slots, in any day. In fact, micro practices are perfect for learning to focus.

· Celebrate the milestones along the way with a small family celebration! Looking at the chart you will see special markers for every 25 days of practice. Decide together on how to celebrate each milestone! Little rewards along the way can keep us going. The difference in motivation is HUGE between families who celebrate practice milestones and those who don’t.

· There are many things a student can do to practice when away from the instrument. Whether they are sick, in the car, or on a trip that didn’t allow for an instrument, here are some examples of things they can do to practice: Air bowing to the CD, singing the songs, clapping rhythms, active listening-paying attention to trouble spots while following along with the music, etc. If you need more, ask your teacher!

Resource: https://www.chilidogstrings.com/post/2016/12/29/100-days-of-practice