Yes, keep praising her! But make sure you don't overdo it (which I'm sure you won't). It's important to praise the effort, rather than the talent. Some parents will say "yes, you play like a star!". Or "you're so talented!". The children are no fools. Even the youngest ones will know that it's not true. (In some cases some actual gifted and talented children who know that they are talented will lose motivation to practice if they are praised for their talents. This happened to an acquaintance of ours.) So just praise her for her effort. And let's face it, learning to play the piano is not an actual walk in the park. Some of my students' parents actually tell me "I want her to have fun!". Well, it's not exactly like playing house By the way, I had an eye-opening experience as a teacher this year. For the past 9 years I have been teaching primarily Asian-American students and have had a great experience with them. The parents' dedication to their children's education is truly remarkable. I have students who have been playing for 6 years with me and I see that finally now they truly love and appreciate the fact that they play the piano. Now they are older and play late intermediate/early advanced repertoire. But this year for the first time I also started teaching white Americans in a different location. The cultural difference between my Asian-American students and white Americans was so interesting to observe. My beginner white American students actually seem to have an easier time liking the piano and practicing, and I believe because their parents don't have too much expectations from their playing. The parents don't constantly ask me in front of their children how they are doing and complain that they don't practice every day. I think it's definitely something to think about. Of course, whether they continue to play for the next 6 years is still a question