It’s the time of year where students are transferring between teachers or resuming lessons after moving. Students usually bring half finished books with them. What’s a teacher to do?
One of the things that I pride myself on is that I work with the best method for the individual student. There is no one size fits all method books series. Many of my students use the Alfred Premier series. Others use the Faber older beginner books. Occasionally, I’ll go old school and pull out the trusty Bastien books. So as long as the student is successful in their current series, I see no need for parents to go spend money on new books because I might prefer another series. If the student is not successful in their current books, then I might loan a few books to the student to find out what a better fit might be. The only series that I won’t use is the Suzuki series. It isn’t a curriculum problem but more of a methodology issue.
Parents, if you are talking to a potential teacher, be sure to ask what the teacher’s policy is about books. It can tell you a good bit about what kind of teacher they are. Be open to suggestions from the teacher but also be willing to say what works for you child.