I'm on a 'practice' kick right now and have been thinking deeply about practice, how to make it easier, how to make it more efficient and how to make it more effective. In my reading and research, I found the information below that I've adapted from a wonderful former colleague of mine, Elisabeth Graham, that I wanted to share with you.
In the practice and lesson context, feedback is whatever happens as an immediate result of a behavior and can be positive or negative. Feedback is most effective when the connection between the behavior and the feedback are obvious and close together. Don't wait to give feedback, whether it be positive or negative. And even no feedback (verbal or nonverbal) is a form of feedback!
The two main purposes of feedback are: information and motivation. Feedback gives meaningful information about the quality of the student's work as well as influences behavior by getting the child to either do something or stop doing something.
Positive Feedback
What is it: When you compliment your child and tell them that they’ve done something well
Purpose: Build confidence, lighten the mood, gain repetitions of something well done, highlight progress or development; variety - mix up the verbal expressions, non-verbal ways: facial expressions, hug, high five; vary the intensity to match the victory
Keep in Mind: Be honest but don’t go overboard; celebrate the small victories, but don't compliment everything, it loses its meaning and the behavior isn't reinforced.
Negative Feedback
What is it: Anything you tell your child they did incorrectly or need to improve next time
Purpose: Make the child aware of what they need to fix or improve
Keep in Mind: don't make it a big deal, but give it directly and don’t be afraid of it; deliver it in a non-personal way, examples: "What I heard was…", "That time wasn’t as good…", "That wasn’t it but you are SO close we’re not going to give up!"; encourage the child to give themselves the feedback by asking leading questions or giving a listening task
Questions
Purpose: Check understanding and knowledge, encourage critical thinking and listening;
Keep in Mind: Avoid yes/no and rhetorical questions in favor of leading and open-ended questions, don’t be afraid to let your child struggle to find the answer; give plenty of time to think, way more than you think they need; Wh- and How questions, avoid yes/no and rhetorical questions
How do you know? To check comprehension and figure out what the student really knows
Set them up before they play, tell them what you are going to ask at the end of the trial
("I’m going to ask you if you heard any extra sounds while you played"; "Be listening for a space between the stops in Mississippi Stop Stop")
Directives
What: Whenever you tell your child to do something; "Play again and listen for extra strings." "After you play, tell me what you heard." "Play three times and tell me which was the best and why."
Purpose: Keep the practice moving and focused
Keep in mind: Keep all your directives very specific and simple, take excellent notes in your lessons so you know what directives to give, come to practice prepared with what you want to do and say; break it down into the smallest elements – what are the components of very best bow hold?
Lastly, TAKE EXCELLENT NOTES to be able to tell your child exactly what to do, you have to know exactly what to do.
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