im abit confused what im supposed to be writing in this.....should i be just ignoring the satves and writing my comments on it as if ordinary paper....i can describe the improv exercises if thats the homework....do i have to copy the pieces down...or do i have to buy a book for the student to take home

You should use the manuscript book to keep a record of the child’s lessons. If you are a teacher teaching a student then let the student take the manuscript book away each week. It will remind him/her or the parents what happened in the lesson and therefore help with practising the homework. When the child brings it to the next lesson you will be able to see straight away at what point you had reached previously. You could simply use a homework book without staves, but using the manuscript book gives you the opportunity to write down the sung finger exercises and explain the use of the game with the wooden animals (by writing explicitly the notes on the stave, with the appropriate clef), and the child can write down a composition etc. Again write the homework for the following lesson before the child leaves. If necessary ignore the staves and just write over them.

You should use the manuscript book for writing down all the homework, for example the pieces to practise, the rhythm exercises, finger exercises, echo games etc the child should practise during the following week or days. If the child is still unable to read you can draw animals in the book to represent the notes. For those children who cannot yet read or write and do not get parental help you can use coloured pencils to explain the homework. For example you can draw a green ring around the title of the music to practise in the tutor book and then write a green mark in the manuscript book. In this case I (Elza) would use a different colour each week. Rotate the colours after about five or so weeks.

You can also reward the child by putting stickers in the book. The manuscript book is the child’s record of his/her progress.