"Mother-tongue approach" - just as babies learn to speak their native language by listening, so children can learn music by listening. Suzuki students listen daily to a CD recording of the pieces they will learn.
Every child gets a weekly group lesson as well as a weekly private lesson. Group lessons are key to motivation - students that do not play in a social setting almost always quit the instrument.
Music reading is postponed until the child's aural and instrumental skills are well established - just as we teach children to read a language only after they can speak.