Practice Practice Practice.

How do you practice?

Practice often.  Practice consistently.  It less important how long you practice and more important how often you practice.

For piano:  Sit down and play through your assigned songs twice per day.  Set up a schedule for yourself or your child.  For instance, have them play through their songs right after school, and right after dinner.  If you get in the habit of doing it, and having it be quick, it is not so daunting.  If you do that for two five-minute increments per day, that is 70 minutes a week. That is plenty for a beginning piano student and will give you all the results you desire for your child.  We live in a busy world.  Don't set unreasonable goals.  Everybody has five minutes. Don't wait two or three days before practicing after the lesson.  The student can no longer remember how the song goes or what they are supposed to do, and it is frustrating.  If you have to miss a couple of days, miss it after a couple days of practice, not right after the lesson.  

Little known fact:  When you practice piano, it seems easy.  When you don't, you return to your lesson and your child feels confused and overwhelmed.  Most students would not feel this way with a minimal amount of practice.  A small amount of practice builds confidence.

For voice:  Put your vocal scales and vocal exercises on a tape or CD and practice them at least three times a week.  Exercising your voice is the same as exercising your body.  Would you expect to get into shape with a workout once a week?  It would be better than nothing, but would not really produce results.  

After doing scales, practice singing through your songs that you are working on in your lesson, thinking about what you are supposed to improve upon.  

If you are at a loss for what you are supposed to practice, then just sing!  It is a novel concept, but singing even with no particular purpose can actually still help you improve.  

Once you are familiar with your vocal exercises it is okay to do them while doing something else.  Put your CD player or tape recorder of vocal exercises in the bathroom and sing in the shower.  Put them in your car and sing while you drive to work (sitting up straight, of course.)

In our busy world, some practice is better than nothing.  It is okay to multi-task.  If you set up a routine you will be more likely to actually do it.  

Children who practice with parents help are more effective at practice..  Work with your child.  Ask to hear their song, or help them with what they are working on.  Don't try to tell them how to do it, just listen and encourage them.  Let them know you support them and that you care.   Sending them to their room to practice all alone is less effective.  Be interactive.  At the end of the week, ask to hear what they have been working on.  If they are having trouble try to help, and if you can't, don't let a week be wasted and call your music teacher and find out the answer.