If practice is not enjoyable or productive, then the overall goal will not be reached. Always have small breaks, especially if your child is getting tired or distracted.
Focus on one aspect each time you are practicing, for instance, a clear and rich tone, or just intonation in the left hand. Too many things at once gets confusing!
Keep it relaxed and fun, not stressful, even if your child doesn't sound perfect yet, show enthusiasm and comment on the things that are going well.
Repeating one section several times until it sounds better is often better than just playing something through. This encourages objective thinking and practices focus
Motivation
I know that even as an adult, I need motivation when I'm focusing or working toward something. Kids, even though they might have a passion for their instrument sometimes need extra motivation when the going gets tougher and more concentration is needed.. Having a reward system is very motivational at a young age, Having stickers for practice sessions has been my most successful discovery. Every time something is achieved, even small breakthroughs or simply repeating a section 5 times I encourage this habit by rewarding a sticker. How many stickers are achieved depends on the motivation of your child!
Learning by Ear
Listen as much as possible to a CD or other recording of the piece being learned
Listen to dynamics and articulation, and not just the notes. Mimic these as closely as possible
Help your child with the rhythm. If you notice they are lagging behind, try clapping with the beat to bring them back to tempo
If they are not ready to play at a faster tempo. Stop the recording and allow them to practice slowly the section they listened to
Learning by Reading
Make it an exercise for your child to practice writing out their own fingerings (More details on how to do this in my practice guide)
Get your child to look at the shapes in the music if they don't immediately recognise the notes. Get them to work out the first note in a group
In order to find a note, ask - Which string is the note likely on? Is it high or low in the music stave? Get them to reference where the open strings are in order to help them find it out
Look for patterns in the music and if there are any repetitions. This makes reading faster if they realise they have already played something similar
When feeling slightly more comfortable with note reading, get them to always look slightly in front of where they are reading in order to increase speed. This is much like reading a book. At the end of a line, get them to practice jumping down to the next line faster with their eyes.
Hand Techniques
Keeping the left and right hand working at the best of their ability can be confusing! Focus on one hand at a time, and without too much judgement keep reminding your child to make small adjustments.
Left Hand
Keep the thumb loose
Make sure the arm and wrist is straight and not bent at the wrist
Make sure the fingers on the left hand are as close to the fingerboard as possible
Always play on the fingertip, never with flat fingers!
Ensure fingers are secure when pressing on the strings, or the sound will be affected!
Right Hand
Make sure the bow is straight in alignment with the bridge (practice with a mirror)
Keep the right shoulder down, and ensure the sound produced comes from relaxing into the string, not forcing the sound
At the tip of the bow, the 1st and 2nd fingers of the right hand need slightly more pressure to produce a good sound
At the heel, the ring and little finger need to hold the bow more securely
When changing bow, make sure there is enough bow to accelerate slightly to produce an even sound
