All About ABRSM Grades & Support

[metz]

Dreamaurora:

Hi parents,


just like to ask you this. I don't always follow the local news. Is there any instances in the last 3 years that a 6 year old manage to pass grade 5 piano with distinction? I could only find this article that dated two years ago.

Congratulations on your students' achievements!

I have not come across any such cases but I would not rule that as impossible. As you have mentioned, it is not unachievable if there is a complete synergy between teacher, parents, and students. Nonetheless, I think it's indeed a remarkable accomplishment I, for one, have no such discipline with my kids :siam: .

However, I did read about a case of one 7 year old passing grade 5 theory with distinction in another forum.

[sautille]

Dreamaurora:

Yes I am aware that the girl in article only got a pass. I contacted abrsm and according to them there are 6 year olds who has managed to get grade 5 distinctions before in singapore. However for obvious confidentiality issue, they cant disclose more info. So I figure I may ask here if there is any news of this for the last couple of years. I am doing a study on graded exam system currently and planning to write a paper on it.

Your research topic sounds interesting. What would you like to know about 6-year-olds who passed Gr 5 with distinction?

[Dreamaurora]

sautille:

Dreamaurora:

Yes I am aware that the girl in article only got a pass. I contacted abrsm and according to them there are 6 year olds who has managed to get grade 5 distinctions before in singapore. However for obvious confidentiality issue, they cant disclose more info. So I figure I may ask here if there is any news of this for the last couple of years. I am doing a study on graded exam system currently and planning to write a paper on it.

Your research topic sounds interesting. What would you like to know about 6-year-olds who passed Gr 5 with distinction?

I am actually quite interested in studying the correlation between accelerating young children to high standard of piano playing and the impact on their childhood. Singapore has one of the most competitive piano market in the world and one of the most lucrative market for music exams. There are music schools specialized in accelerating young children. Notable ones off my head are School of Young Talents, Yamaha Gifted Program, Seimpi Music School, and Music Workshop.

I ask some people without revealing the fact that I am the teacher that passed these 6 years old with distinction what would they think about this achievement. There are positive answers but more interesting are some the negative ones:
\"The teacher must be a slave driver\"
\"This is bordering on child abuse\"
\"I hope the kids have a life\"
\"Poor kids must have been forced to play piano\"

It seems that many people believe this could not be done without emotionally scarring the children. There are horror stories about obssessive teachers and children who eventually hated piano when they grew older. I perused some past postings about School of Young Talents in this forum and there were comments that many parents would not rather not send their children to this program because they wanted their children to enjoy learning music.

So, the question now. Do you believe trying to push your children at this age to get good results and letting them enjoy learning piano are mutually exclusive?

[violin_lover]

Dreamaurora:

sautille:

[quote=\"Dreamaurora\"]Yes I am aware that the girl in article only got a pass. I contacted abrsm and according to them there are 6 year olds who has managed to get grade 5 distinctions before in singapore. However for obvious confidentiality issue, they cant disclose more info. So I figure I may ask here if there is any news of this for the last couple of years. I am doing a study on graded exam system currently and planning to write a paper on it.

Your research topic sounds interesting. What would you like to know about 6-year-olds who passed Gr 5 with distinction?

I am actually quite interested in studying the correlation between accelerating young children to high standard of piano playing and the impact on their childhood. Singapore has one of the most competitive piano market in the world and one of the most lucrative market for music exams. There are music schools specialized in accelerating young children. Notable ones off my head are School of Young Talents, Yamaha Gifted Program, Seimpi Music School, and Music Workshop.

I ask some people without revealing the fact that I am the teacher that passed these 6 years old with distinction what would they think about this achievement. There are positive answers but more interesting are some the negative ones:
\"The teacher must be a slave driver\"
\"This is bordering on child abuse\"
\"I hope the kids have a life\"
\"Poor kids must have been forced to play piano\"

It seems that many people believe this could not be done without emotionally scarring the children. There are horror stories about obssessive teachers and children who eventually hated piano when they grew older. I perused some past postings about School of Young Talents in this forum and there were comments that many parents would not rather not send their children to this program because they wanted their children to enjoy learning music.

So, the question now. Do you believe trying to push your children at this age to get good results and letting them enjoy learning piano are mutually exclusive?[/quote]
What's the point of pushing kids to get distinction in grade 5 at 6 years old? To go for grade 8 exam, you need to pass grade 5 theory.....don't think kids can handle theory at such a young age

[Dreamaurora]

chamonix:

Dreamaurora:

Hi parents,


just like to ask you this. I don't always follow the local news. Is there any instances in the last 3 years that a 6 year old manage to pass grade 5 piano with distinction? I could only find this article that dated two years ago.

Congratulations on your students' achievements!

I have not come across any such cases but I would not rule that as impossible. As you have mentioned, it is not unachievable if there is a complete synergy between teacher, parents, and students. Nonetheless, I think it's indeed a remarkable accomplishment I, for one, have no such discipline with my kids :siam: .

However, I did read about a case of one 7 year old passing grade 5 theory with distinction in another forum.

Thank you for your compliment. You will be very surprised that the majority of the time the kids practiced by themselves (according to their father), although the father did make an effort to at least sit down with one hour with both of them to help them.

[Dreamaurora]

violin_lover:

What's the point of pushing kids to get distinction in grade 5 at 6 years old? To go for grade 8 exam, you need to pass grade 5 theory.....don't think kids can handle theory at such a young age

I am actually quite surprised at the intelligence of youngsters nowadays. I am trying to teach grade 5 theory to these 2 kids now and so far they are doing quite fine. Not as fast as my teenager students, they are like 50% slower, but they are so far able to understand the concepts. I guess those Angry Birds and Plants vs Zombies games do help make kids smarter.

[metz]

[quote=\"Dreamaurora]


Thank you for your compliment. You will be very surprised that the majority of the time the kids practiced by themselves (according to their father), although the father did make an effort to at least sit down with one hour with both of them to help them.[/quote]

That's exactly what I mean I am lacking in.
Not every parent would want to do that.

[corneyAmber]

Dreamaurora…why need the study on the co-relation?


Would you like to be pushed into doing something if you have no real talent nor interest? One time result may not be talent, it might just be diligence and luck.

Assuming if you have the talent but no interest, do you like to be pushed into doing something?

So I think the answer is quite clear why people avoid those talent academies.

In fact, I think by putting up such information of performance of your students without qualifying their background properly, you are potentially helping to "slaughter" more children by giving the impression that any 6 YOs can do it with pushing.

[sautille]

Dreamaurora:

So, the question now. Do you believe trying to push your children at this age to get good results and letting them enjoy learning piano are mutually exclusive?

I do not believe in hothousing as it suggests something that is not sustainable. I believe in allowing the kid to learn at the right pace. So, if a kid is a fast learner, has the facility and drive, then there is no need to make the kid learn at a slower pace. While I don't know any 6yo with Grade 5 distinction, I know a few who have diploma with distinction before P6 and still enjoy music making. And none of them belongs to any of the talent academies you mentioned.

[phtthp]

he must be a musical child prodigy.