The piano is an instrument that has attracted the attention of many people in the world. Anyone interested in learning it can achieve their dream if the right support is given to them. Gifted kids are no exception, and they should be given the support they need as they explore their talents and abilities.
Care and caution need to be taken, though, so that you don’t end up with a demoralized child. This is why it is critical to set the right goals to focus their energy in the right direction. The following advice by Carol Bainbridge will help you in this journey so that both you and your child have a rewarding experience:
Understanding Gifted Children
The first thing to be very aware of is that gifted children are highly prone to imagining that things can happen instantaneously. With this in mind, help them by going through their goals and advising them appropriately.
It’s not that they are incapable of reaching goals; it’s the way they go about setting their goals and working to attain them. One problem is that their goals are unrealistic. For example, a child might want to get a dog, but if he’s allergic to dogs, that’s not a realistic goal. Or the child expects to reach a goal overnight. Via Very Well
Secondly, when they are able to set good goals, they may not know how to reach them. This will end up being just as frustrating as having unrealistic goals. In order to give your children the best support, you need to help them ub setting and achieving goals.
First things first
Choosing what the goal is should be the first step you help your child with. There are so many things they could possibly aim for. Choose the best and stick to it. You may want to determine if it is a short-term or long-term goal. In this case, learning the piano is the goal.
Characteristics of the goal
Specific
Like any other objective, this piano-learning goal needs to be broken down into specific small chunks that can be handled progressively.
For young children, learning to play the piano might be a sufficient long-term goal. Learning to play the scales on the piano is a specific short-term goal. Via Very Well
Time Bound
The next thing you need to help your child determine is the duration within which they should work towards achieving the stated goal.
Long-term goals will have deadlines farther in the future than short-term goals, which is why it’s important to break long-term goals down into small-term goals. Learning to play the scales on the piano in two weeks is a good specific goal with a deadline. Via Very Well
Genuine
In the process of helping your child set goals, avoid the temptation to impose your goals onto your child. There are times when you will actually feel like the goals they have expressed are not worth the effort. Your child will have the motivation to achieve those goals if they are truly his or hers.
Trying to encourage your child to reach your goals defeats the purpose of helping your child create goals and work to reach them. You may not like your child’s goals, but your job is to help him create and reach his own goals. Via Very Well
Put it on paper
There is something about writing something down that gives it more meaning and understanding. Ask your child to write down the goal on paper as a way to gauge whether it makes sense to him or her.
Writing down a goal will force your child to think about a specific goal and make it more “real.” Think of it as a “mind set.” It helps the mind prepare for it and think about it. Via Very Well
Outline the Process
This is another part where your help is very critical. It will draw the line between potential success and failure. Be categorical about the different goals and be very specific.
A good way to approach creating a plan is to start with the goal and work backwards. If the goal is long-term, help your child start by making the first ones (moving backwards) more general. The more current the goal is, the more specific it should be. Via Very Well
Supervise Progress
Keeping a close watch on your child’s progress will help to eradicate problems as soon as they show up. A stitch in time will save nine. Continue to encourage your child that he or she can achieve the set goals if he or she keeps at it. At the same time, ensure that the child fully participates in the process and that you do not end up over-participating.
When children fail to meet a goal deadline, they may feel as though they are failures. It’s not unusual for gifted kids to imagine that they can reach a goal far earlier than is reasonable to expect it to be reached. But, the only way to fail to reach a realistic and specific goal is to give up on it. Via Very Well
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4 Ways To Teach Your Children Goal-Setting ?? (by @DrRobyn) #edchat #education #elearning #edtech #engchat #mathchat #sunchat pic.twitter.com/ibzedrlze5
— Alex Corbitt (@Alex_Corbitt) October 23, 2016
Its easy to set goals but setting a goal is not the main thing. Its deciding how you will go about achieving it & staying with that plan. ??
— Kristopher London (@IamKrisLondon) October 29, 2016
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Help them understand.
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