working vacation

Before we drove up to Maine, I found a piano teacher in town and made arrangements for them to continue lessons sporadically during the summer. Will was complaining about how much harder Miss Ellen is than their former teacher, "She expects 3 times as much!" I understand their frustration, but I know that they have made progress in even the few weeks this month. Maggie and I sat down together every day this past week because she had to say the note names aloud as she played each of her 6 pieces. The first day she cried the entire 30 minutes, but the next day I resorted to attitude medicine: smartie candies that I popped in her mouth if she said the notes well. The difference was phenomenal and by Monday's practice she only had to play each one 2 times to show me her skill.

I have to say that I have learned how to read most of the notes without having to resort to my cheat sheet that Will made for me. She still mixes up B and D sometimes (D dangles off the treble clef), but she is still faster than I am and is playing the right key at the same time. This is homeschooling: learning together and making adjustments in the best way to teach each child to help them achieve their goals.