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Own your own Puppy Packet

Fourteen years ago I created the predecessor of the Puppy Packet and all my students bought their own set to use in class and take home for practice. I had observed that the most successful games were those that students played side-by-side with their own student-sized materials, sometimes sharing materials and sometimes playing on their own. Hundreds of these early Puppy Packets were assembled by volunteer parents and teachers for more than ten years and made available to students at the music school where I was teaching. The success of this early Puppy Packet and countless requests from teachers and parents to have their own Puppy Packets motivated me to take on this project to make Puppy Packets available to music students around the world.

If you are a studio instrumental teacher, you wouldn’t dream of teaching a student who doesn’t have access to an instrument to practice at home. Apply this same thinking to the importance of learning how to read music (with joy!) and you get my drift, right? There’s a lot involved in learning to read music and a student having his/her own Puppy Packet makes this so much more accessible.
I asked several Music Mind Games teachers why they like their students to have their own Puppy Packets and here are their reasons.

Emily Lowe, piano teacher in Gwynn Oak, Marylandemily

I tell the parents that they need to get the Puppy Packet because the concepts are so much better enforced when they play at home in addition to lessons. Many parents tell me that they like having a few educational games to reach for when they want to do something fun as a family -- rather than one more night of video games!

A nice side effect is that sometimes the kids will come to lessons having discovered a new set of cards, and they want to know what games they're used for. And of course, they always take better care of their own materials -- there's an inherent respect for "MY things," rather than the teacher's things.

Rachel Schott, violin teacher in Cincinnati, Ohiorachel

1. Travel-friendly tote makes it easy to keep students 'practicing' even when on vacation, or at grandma's for the weekend
2. The Puppy Packet is a toolbox - not just for playing the games they've learned, but also for puzzling through their 'real' music at home
3. Having a Puppy Packet at home means students can take the same path to reading and theory success as they have in their instrumental success - repetition, repetition, repetition.

Elizabeth Cunha, violin and classroom teacher in Bethesda, Marylandelizabeth

1. Easy to practice concepts at home
2. Parents can enjoy quality time with their child at home
3. Parents can make progress at understanding concepts, too
4. A creative way to make instrument practice more exciting
5. Practice dates are especially fun when children can play Music Mind Games together.
6. Students will be motivated to play and learn when they have their own personal set of materials

Arian Johnson, violin teacher in Springfield, Virginiaarian

I want my students to have their own Puppy Packet because:

1. I will be able to give them assignments that use the same materials we use in their lessons
2. They will be able to practice new games and review favorite games
3. Parents will be able to observe/participate/reinforce concepts I've introduced with the materials in their lessons
4. They will naturally spend more time during the week using the materials (thinking about theory concepts) if they have them readily available
5. They will be able to explore the materials and be curious about the ones we haven't used yet, maybe do some self-teaching
6. I love having my own and know they will, too!

Alexia Luscher, violin teacher in Kailua, Hawaiilexi

Some of the reasons I would like my students to have the Puppy Packet at home is:

1. Reinforcement of teaching ideas presented at lessons and group classes
2. Rhythm playing cards and grand staff cards can be used to reinforce note/rhythm reading materials
3. Provides another opportunity for parent and child to play and learn at home in a fun way together (This is the most important!)
4. Parents often learn musical concepts right along with children
5. Grand staff cards and staff slates can help children discover and relate to the fingerboard of violin
6. Each child will have his/her own materials to use in class!