Motivating Students During the Summer

As a music teacher, you have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to motivating and engaging your students . Whether it’s teaching them how to play a major scale or tackling a difficult passage, you have to make sure that they’re engaged and motivated. After class, what happens when they leave?

Although long weekends and short breaks aren’t always enough to take away from a student’s musical progress, the summer season can be challenging for music teachers. According to researchers, this phenomenon is referred to as summer learning loss.

A summer of not practicing music can negatively affect students’ academic performance or leave them without an interest in music. This is why it’s essential that music teachers put a lot of effort into developing effective strategies to keep their students engaged in music. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the various factors affecting a student’s learning loss and provide practical advice to help prevent it.

Summer Learning Loss

During the summer, students and teachers have the opportunity to take a well-deserved break. While it can be challenging for teachers to get away from school, it’s also important to note that school routines can be more challenging for students due to various factors such as social demands and performance expectations. This is why students usually take advantage of the break. Unfortunately, a complete break from school can also have detrimental consequences for students.

A study conducted by the RAND Corporation revealed that the average American student loses about a month of academic performance during the summer. It’s also disturbing to note that summer learning loss disproportionately affects minority students. They lose two months of their reading skills, while their wealthier peers who attend summer camps and spend time with their families make slight gains.

Another study revealed that highly skilled students in music are more prone to experiencing summer learning loss. This is because the physical and intellectual demands of playing music can affect students’ ability to retain and improve their skills. Despite the detrimental effects of summer learning loss, studies show that music students who practice consistently during the summer can improve their academic performance.

Stress How Important it is to Practice

Before starting the school year, it’s essential that music teachers set an expectation for their students that they need to practice during the summer. This can be a great way to encourage their students to continue developing their skills.

An effective way to encourage students and parents to commit to practicing music during the summer is through the Music & Arts Summer Sound Challenge. This initiative is a multi-faceted program that provides resources and guidance to help prevent summer learning loss.

It’s also important to regularly share the results of the summer learning loss with your students. This can help them retain their academic skills and enthusiasm.

Give Private Lessons

Another effective way to encourage students to practice during the summer is to introduce your students to the concept of private lessons. This gives you a chance to have kids come back to your classroom that are still strong musically and ready to continue learning.

Unfortunately, the effects of summer learning loss are real, and it can affect the academic performance of music students. However, you can help prevent your students from experiencing this issue by planning and implementing effective strategies.

Originally published at http://carmandragone.net.