1. How old is your child?

A. Baby/Toddler

B. 3 – 4 years old

C. 5 – 6 years old

D. 7 – 12 years old

E. Teenager

2. Which storybook character is most like your child?

A. Olivia the Pig—capable, independent

B. Max from Where the Wild Things Are—passionate, imaginative

C. Pete the Cat—easygoing, groovy

D. Frances the Badger—thoughtful, resourceful

3. What is your household schedule like?

A. Structured–we have a specific time for each activity.

B. A mix–some days are structured, some are free.

C. Very free–we go with the flow.

D. Chaotic–things are always pulling us every which way.

4. How full is your child’s schedule?

A. A blank slate!

B. Only a few commitments. There’s plenty of room for music class and daily practice.

C. Not too full, but we like to have the freedom to attend parties and take trips on the spur of the moment.

D. Crammed to the brim. We would have to make some decisions in order to add music to our lives.

5. When you read (or used to read) together, your child often:

A. recites the story, maybe even acting it out; OR sits quietly until the story is over, then begs for more.

B. starts running around the room during page 3.

C. has trouble paying attention.

D. We don’t read that much.

6. You give your child an instruction in three parts, such as: put away toys, wash hands, and set the table; OR stand up, clap three times, and jump up and down. What does your child do next?

A. The whole list in order.

B. Part of the list; OR the whole list but jumbled up.

C. Acts silly.

D. Nothing at all.

7. Count all the ways your child is exposed to music:

• There’s constant live music in our house–singing, toys, instruments, and/or impromptu jam sessions.
• We have a regular family music night.
• We play recordings often.
• We/They move and dance to music.
• We/They sing, whistle, or hum along to music.
• None of the above.

8. Count the small-motor activities that your child can do well:

• Coloring or Writing
• Stringing Beads
• Tying Shoes or Fastening Buttons
• Using Tweezers (as in the game Operation)
• Finger Painting or Modeling Clay
• Rolling Dice or Spinning Spinners
• Stirring, Mixing, Pouring
• Sewing
• None of the Above

9. Count the kinds of music your family listens to:

• Classical Music
• Children’s Music
• My Favorite Music
• New things all the time–we like to experiment!
• We don’t listen to music much.

10. Why are you interested in music lessons for your child? (count all that apply)

• Music lessons support brain development, motor skills, and executive function. 
• Music is a form of self-expression and develops self esteem, communication, and creativity.
• My child just needs something to do.
• We want a fun, social activity for our child.
• Music provides relaxation, decreases anxiety, and brings joy.
• We’d like to provide our child with the opportunity to develop a lifelong skill.

RESULTS

Question 1:

Total up your score from the rest of the quiz. The higher your score, the more confident you can be that the later options on the list will work for your child.

Every child is different. Always take your teacher’s advice into consideration.

A—informal music exposure; general music class

B—informal music exposure; general music class; piano or violin lessons with a teacher specializing in preschoolers

C—informal music exposure; general music class; cello, percussion, piano, recorder, ukulele, or violin lessons

D—informal music exposure; general music class; any strings (bass, cello, viola, violin), drums, guitar, percussion, piano, recorder, ukulele, or voice lessons

E—once all the permanent teeth are in, any instrument is fair game (all of the above plus winds and brass)

Question 2: 

This question was just for fun! Every personality has its benefits for music.

For Questions 3 – 6, score points as follows:

each A. 4 points

each B. 3 points

each C. 2 points

each D. 1 point

For Questions 7 – 10, score one point for each box checked.

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