I recently started teaching at a new studio and they use star charts to encourage the students to practice. It seems to be working for them and I am thinking of implementing them in my classes. I have another studio I teach at that needs something like this to encourage them to practice and I am thinking of using something similiar at that studio.

I have never used these before because I believe we shouldn't have to bribe kids to practice (like homework has to be done), but it seems in this generation we almost need to. I also do not want to be buying stuff (out of my pocket) for these kids every couple weeks but I do want them to practice.

Does anyone have any ideas to help motivate kids to practice? I don't really want a "star chart" but I am open to new, creative ideas to help encourage the kids so we don't have to spend so much time re-learning what we worked on last week.

Well, my kids don't really have problems with practicing per say, but I started a chart last year with "trick steps" on it and they LOVE IT. It gives them that extra motivation to go home and practice that (insert trick here) that they need work on. Each class I give them a step to go home and perfect (double pirouette, grand jete, scissor leap, shoulder roll), and then the next week they get to show me and the class their step. Once it is perfected (or at least really close) they get a star on the chart next to that step.

I would try it. I have noticed a huge differenc ein my students!

Hi =) my teacher has a ballet colouring book that has a story (I think she downloaded it online) and every month the girls with perfect attendance get a copy of a page. Then at home they can colour it, if you always have perfect attendance at the end of the year you have a whole story book. I guess you could do the same idea with the days they practiced. I thought it was a clever idea, and you don't have to spend alot. I hope it helps =)

One of the instructors at my studio does a sticker chart. Once the kids master 5 tricks, they get to pick a treat out of a goodie bag. It consists of things from the dollar store, like headbands and scrunchies and stuff. I think it is a neat idea, but I have to warn you that I did get a complaint from a parent. That is right, a complaint. The mother said that it was "over the top." I guess with parents it is always a lose-lose situation. LOL!

I use sticker charts at one of the studio's I work for to improve attire in classes, we have a real issue with our intermediate and some of our older dancers not coming dressed to dance.

Last year and the year before we had some senior students taking some of the classes and the kids got away with all sorts of things I won't let them wear in class. Now I'm determined that the younger dancers I'm training will have the right idea about what they wear to class so they get stickers if they have the right gear, one for hair, one for shoes and one for body wear. It's working a charm, if they don't have the right stuff, they bug their mums about missing out on their star.

Now I just have my battle with the older ones. : /

hummingbird wrote:

I use sticker charts at one of the studio's I work for to improve attire in classes, we have a real issue with our intermediate and some of our older dancers not coming dressed to dance.

We did this with our company team...the team as a whole got a sticker for proper attire, class attitude and effort each week. It was nice to see some competitiveness between the girls, but this year push-ups/not letting them into class for improper attire seems to yield faster results..

I am seeing the positive in them with the kids practicing. I would like to figure out a way to do something like this for another studio but I was wondering if there were other ways to reward than a star chart? Thanks for all the ideas. I am having attire and hair problems with a class and I am going to try it with them.

I use star charts in my acro class and it works wonderfully! I have the tricks listed at the top of the page and names down the side. When a student gets a trick, they get a star on the chart. It helps with choreography as well as you can easily see which students to put in different sections of the dance that contain certain steps or tricks.
As students gain stars, they are rewarded with treats along the way also.