Help your child set up a regular time every day to practice.

Help him establish a routine. This may require some consultation with the teacher. A typical middle schooler's half-hour practice routine might include:

• Warm-up -- 1-3 minutes

• Play a fun, familiar piece -- 3-5 minutes

• Work on a new or difficult piece -- 10-15 minutes

• Work on technical requirements, such as scales or other technique builders -- 5 minutes

• Play something fun to conclude the session

High school students may have more technical problems to work on, but they also have the ability to practice longer in a more concentrated way.

Help your child understand that playing only familiar songs will not help her improve.

Explain to your child that learning happens in stages. Sometimes a student will work on something for a long time with no apparent improvement, and then discover a sudden leap in ability. Other times, learning happens very quickly. The important thing to stress is that consistent practice will yield results.

Help your young musician set practice goals. Keeping a journal, not just a practice chart, helps track the peaks and valleys of learning a new piece or improving fundamental skills.

As a parent, don't make judgments about the musical quality of your child's practicing. Learning an instrument requires lots of squeaks, scratches, and wrong notes.