When measuring how well you're doing at sight-reading music, many musicians look mainly at how accurately and quickly they can play. But there are more important things to think about that can help you understand how much you've grown.

1. Musical Expression

• Take time to notice how you express the music. Are you able to bring out the feeling and variety of the music as you read?
• For example, if a piece gets louder (this is called a crescendo), can you make it sound exciting instead of just playing a bunch of notes?
• Try sight-reading pieces that have special signs for expression to really focus on this.

2. Complexity of Music

• As you get better, try reading tougher pieces. If you start with simple songs that use one hand, challenge yourself with pieces that need both hands or have more complicated sounds.
• Keep a list of the songs you’ve read. Check to see if you’re becoming more comfortable with harder music over time.

3. Rhythm Accuracy

• Paying attention to rhythm is just as important as hitting the right notes. Before you play, try clapping or tapping the rhythm.
• Use different time signatures and tricky rhythms in your practice to improve this skill.

4. Sight-Reading Journal

• Keep a journal where you write down what you do each day while sight-reading. Talk about what was hard and what you got better at.
• Set specific goals for yourself each week, like saying, “This week, I want to play without stopping for mistakes.”

By adding these ideas to how you check your progress, you’ll get a better understanding of how you’re doing with sight-reading. This will help you become a better musician overall!