Success in Suzuki study depends upon the active and enthusiastic participation of the parent, and better yet, the entire family!–indeed the entire family. The parent attends every lesson with the child and functions at home as a surrogate teacher, supervising the child’s daily practice. The child’s accomplishments rest upon a cooperative triangle formed by the teacher, the child and the parent.
In addition to attending lessons and participating in home practice, Parents’ Classes are an essential component of the program. In these classes parents learn to play the instrument in order to become more comfortable with the idea of helping their children. This process keeps the parents a step ahead of the children and enables them to better assist serve as surrogate teachers at home practice sessions. It also helps them anticipate any problems they might encounter during their children’s first year of study. Techniques for successfully fostering and sustaining practice routine are introduced and discussed throughout the sessions.
The School requires that parents attend the Parents’ Classes and all of their children’s lessons. Lessons must be either audio-taped or video- taped with the recordings serving as a guide to home practicing. It is important that the parent who works with the child at home is the one who attends the lessons and the Parents’ Classes.
The School also encourages parents to get involved in the life of the School by actively participating in The School for Strings’ Family Association.
