I've thought up something which is a modified approach
to guide tones, since under your system you apparently
extend the concept to include roots and other chord tones.
What I think might helpful as a learning (or practicing) tool (though I
havent tried this yet) would be if someone composed a "guide" melody
against the changes in a tune. This "guide" melody would have to
sound good and couldnt just be someone voice leading 3rds and 7ths
of chord tones. The shell melody would probably be more or less
a simple couter melody but it wouldnt have to.
The important rule is that the "guide" melody would have to sound
like music.
This "guide" melody extends the notion of "guide tones" to any notes
that "guide" the person through the changes.
The student (or anyone) could begin playing this written shell melody
(probably initially half notes though it could be more creative than that)
and then later
try adding connecting tones.
To me this might be useful (and perhaps this is what you do with your
students already).
I'm going to compose some of these and post them (probably I won't have
time until the weekend).
reed
Reed Kotler
http://www.reedkotler.com