Parent Education Materials for Teachers and Parents

Parent Education Materials for Teachers

All parents can be more effective teachers to their children by learning how to apply the philosophy and methodology of the Suzuki Method. It is the Suzuki teacher’s job to prepare the parent to successfully work with her child. Based on my experience as a Suzuki teacher and specialist in parent education for thirty-five years, I have developed a unique parent education program which combines Shinichi Suzuki’s powerful learning philosophy with my own common sense parenting approach.

I have spent the last twenty years educating Suzuki parents and teachers through newsletters, workbooks and seminars where I have shown not only how to be a more effective parent but also how to develop a child’s many talents. It is my feeling that in order to be effective Suzuki parents and develop their child’s enormous potential, parents should take a parent education course to prepare for a successful Suzuki experience with their child.

Workbooks

Over the years hundreds of teachers have given their parents a Luedke Parent Education course. There are three courses that can be used to prepare parents to work more effectively with their children.

Two of these are courses for new parents. The long course found in the Volume I Workbook lasts for six months and was developed for my own studio parents. The first two months of this course cover Suzuki philosophy by reading and discussion of Nurtured by Love and Ability Development From Age Zero. The next two months are spent training parents in the Beginning steps (Bow, Rest, and Ready) and Twinkles. In the fifth month we cover music reading so that the parent can decipher notation and help her child with memorization. Finally, we spend a month discussing the many issues that arise once the child joins the class making sure that we are all on the same train headed in the same direction.

An alternative program for new parents is the ten week course found in the Volume III workbook. The ten week course teaches Suzuki philosophy only with the reading and discussion of Suzuki’s Nurtured by Love and Ability Development From Age Zero. In addition a couple of weeks are spent discussing in depth the Mother-Tongue way of learning. The teacher should then supplement this course with her own program for training other aspects of the Suzuki Method.

A third parent education course is found in the Volume II workbook. This course is for parents who have children who have been studying an instrument for awhile. The children may have started lessons a year ago or five years ago or more The parents may have had some parent education or none at all. The volume II workbook is set up for eight two-week sessions so it can be used anytime during the year. Parents enjoy coming together to discuss the various issues that arise in lessons and home practice. These sessions are most effective when the children are not present.

Teachers can either order the workbooks themselves online for the parents or have the parents order them...

Parent Education Workbook Volume I (4-6 months course for new parents)

This workbook includes assignment sheets, discussion questions and worksheets for parents. In addition, the workbook functions as a teacher’s guide saving hundreds of hours in planning weekly parent sessions. By subscribing to the newsletter and having each parent purchase this workbook teachers will be able to successfully present an effective parent education course to new parents with a minimum of effort. The Volume I workbook can be use in teaching any instrument.

Parents as Teachers (New Parenting Manual)

Over the past ten years I have written yearly newsletters filled with information that I thought was important to the success of a Suzuki parent. Though the first seven volumes (1998-2004) are no longer in print I have just compiled a wonderful collection (162 pages) of the most pertinent information for Suzuki parents in a manual called Parents as Teachers. Every Suzuki parent should have this treasure trove of information close at hand. Parents as Teachers holds the secrets to successful Suzuki parenting.

Teachers' Guide to Parent Education (New)

In addition early in 2008 a valuable compilation of information for Suzuki teachers. called Teachers Guide to Parent Education will be available on the web site. It is a 100 plus page book that will include information distilled from my newsletters and teacher seminars. This volume will describe how to set up a parent education course, how to run a successful parent orientation, how to sell your program and how to get parents to want parent training. Teachers have been asking for something like this for some time, and I am happy to finally have it available for them.