Tips for instructing young children MA?

Black Swan

Have this class of young children (4-6 year olds) that I have been asked to instruct on occasion and find it a real challenge. Their attention span seems to be less than the older children, teens, and adults.

Things that I do that seem to work:
(1) learn quickly and call them by their first names
(2) be very patient!
(3) try to make learning fun (combine MA with play)
(4) praise them often when they approximate what they are to learn (successive approximation)
(5) be very animated when instructing

Care to share your instructional strategies and tactics? Tips?

yomchi

Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Have this class of young children (4-6 year olds) that I have been asked to instruct on occasion and find it a real challenge. Their attention span seems to be less than the older children, teens, and adults.

Things that I do that seem to work:
(1) learn quickly and call them by their first names
(2) be very patient!
(3) try to make learning fun (combine MA with play)
(4) praise them often when they approximate what they are to learn (successive approximation)
(5) be very animated when instructing

Care to share your instructional strategies and tactics? Tips?

I too teach kids at this age. You are right about your listed points. You do need to be very patient and don't worry if a kid can not comprehend what you are trying to do.
One thing I learned fast was that you will waist your time trying to teach them stances or anything too technical. At that age what they need to develop is co-ordination and understanding. Use games and exercises to develop these areas. No harm throwing in a few stretching games and a few simple kid easy exercises too.
My lot love to kick and punch the pads, also I've incorporated simple rolling into the class too which they love.
Animate everything, put a name to every exercise and match it with a picture that they can relate to or to something funny.
Have lots of jumping and yelling, and last but not least keep to 30 mins max!

Colm_OReilly

If you've more specific questions I can help you out. At this stage coaching kids takes very little investment from me to get them hyped up and excited about whatever they're doing.

TwoKingMick

Listen to riley! I'm teaching English to very young children at the moment, and watching him coach clever little monkeys was very helpful in starting to understand how to relate to the little bastards.

Black Swan

Colm_OReilly wrote:

If you've more specific questions I can help you out. At this stage coaching kids takes very little investment from me to get them hyped up and excited about whatever they're doing.

Specifics? OK. TKD/WTF plus SD. So Cal location, and very up-scale. Ages 4-6, class size ranges from 15 to 20, basic introductory course, mostly 10-Gup white belts (few 9 Gup yellow and a couple 8 Gup orange), they attend three days per week, but I only have them for one of these 45 minute sessions per week on Saturdays (I barter offering part-time instruction at dojang in exchange for training with sword by master). Most children are respectful and listen to me, and enjoy the class. Parents have been pleased with my performance with frequent compliments. Basically, I am looking for specific things that others do (to continue to improve my instruction of this age group). Any instructional techniques to share?

Then, there are the "Twins." Two brothers age 5 (White belts, 10 Gup). They are very disruptive at times. I separate them in the lineup, but as class progresses, they often end up in a tussle with each other. I have disciplined them with push-ups, I have frequently praised them when they are being good, I have spoken to them individually, and together, and I have spoken to their parents (who admitted that they were a challenge at home and hoped we could help sorting them out). Talked with the other instructors, and they just roll their eyes, and are glad that I relieve them of "Twins" trouble one day per week(Yes, everyone knows who the "Twins" are). Spoke with the master, he admits there is a problem, but they are unable to separate them into two different classes. Any "Twins" instructional suggestions?

Black Swan

Jon wrote:

...and last but not least keep to 30 mins max!

Hi Jon!
I am in agreement with all that you suggested earlier.

We have 45 minute training sessions, which, with the older age classes I teach works fine. But I believe you are also correct about limiting the time on the 4-6 year olds.

dudara

That all sounds so familiar.

My class are a mix of 6-9 year olds ( we don't accept younger than 6), all yellow tag (9th kup), in TKD. I teach two nights a week, an hour long class. I try to break the class into distinct parts, so that they don't get distracted or bored.


All your points are correct. The hardest thing I face is keeping my energy levels up to match those of the kids. Plus, each kid is different. I have a pair of twins who are incredibly flexible, but scarily stupid and unable to remember left from right. I have a disruptive little boy, who becomes amazingly responsive with a bit of praise. Each one of them requires a different stimulus to the others and it's taken a while to figure all that out.

They're also incredibly fun to teach and very rewarding.

Colm_OReilly

A few things, I'm not sure how well these will translate as I've pretty much a carte blanche with what I get the kids to do/learn, and don't have to follow a TKD structure.
The class, and mentality, is all about allowing them to explore solutions themselves and to give them freedom to figure out what they can do with their bodies. Anyway, rolling on...

Focus Clap - this I got from Owen Roddy. You shout Focus Clap One! and clap once, or Focus Clap Two, or Focus Clap Three. Owen does it by going one, two, then three and by the time he's reached three he's got their attention. I just pick a number randomly and do that.

Energy Levels - When we do warm up races, or indeed anytime I say Ready? or Have you got that? If the yeah doesn't sound too exciting, I just tell them! or I'll say "yeah" at an even lower energy than they said it. I get them screaming before they start racing.

Be more entertaining - the twins are disruptive mainly because they're providing more entertainment than you. So be louder, and more entertaining than them. If you can keep the kids occupied with something they can't be disrupted.

Also, telling the kids to cut it out usually doesn't do much good. When I've a disruptive or unruly kid who's consistently acting out I'll tell him that he's better than that, and he has so much talent to give. You then have to back up all his good actions with high praise, and ignore, insomuch as possible, all his bad actions.

I wouldn't discipline them with pushups, as it's only going to lead to them not liking exercise, which is not good. Isolate them from the class, and each other, if they're misbehaviing. Humans hate being left out of the tribe. I bench kids for 2-3 minutes, basically a round or two of action.

I suppose it's asking too much to start teaching them BJJ/MMA on that Saturday class? THEN I could give you a ton of drills and games.

Hope this helps,
Colm

Tru

Hi guys, Ruth here...

Just thought i'd reply here in general, i am actually a horse riding teacher teaching kids from age four up to adults so full range. I also do a bit of grappling in whatever bit of spare time I can grab!

But on the point of teaching kids and specifically on the twins, I have found from experience that somedays the last thing that kids want is to do anything resembling serious work and other days they are mad to learn.... the best and simplest thing that i have found especially when dealing with a group is every now and again ask them what they want to do.

I know it might sound a bit stupidly simple but i find especially with the younger ones that they are not long letting you know what exercises they prefer. Once you know this then you can use it as the reward for example my lot love a game called cat and mouse (basically tag on horseback) so when i need them to settle down and really learn something well I'll let them play for five mins at start of lesson, this burns off the excess energy that they come with that can cause the rowdy behaviour, and then allow them to play again at the end of the lesson as the reward for listening and learning.

This really seems to focus them and i have found it works very well... hope it helps at all and have fun!!
R!

Black Swan

On coffeebreak near where I work... Read your replies... Grand ones!

Hi Colm!
Plan to try your focus clap with them at our next class, and of course, to be more entertaining.

Hi dundara!
What you said about "each kid is different" is so true. Will try to balance individual needs vs. the needs of group instruction better in the future.

Hi Tru!
Like your trade-off. By "asking them what they want to do" in exchange for an opportunity to learn. Oh, I was raised with a colt in a rural setting for awhile. Not sure who soft-broke whom.

Oops! Time's up, got to get back. Thanks again.

Miles Long

I'm no MA teacher but I teach kids and early teens Music. One thing that always works is a system of rewards like buying them a plec or having a folder for progress that I can't show them. I saw something similar in James Farrells school where his senior students teach using a method of stars in the colours of the belts and gave them out for balance, fitness etc. Kinda like the scouts.


Time them doing fun drills (running and pad work), and hence make them better themselves and not others. You could design a series wall charts (some one mentioned pictures above) Visual aids are great for children, big colourful curvy collections of crap.

Alliterations is cool too...:D

Black Swan

Hi Miles!
We already use stars on debok for improving home behaviour with the little ones. But I like your idea of charts on the walls. Will try it. Thanks.

Colm_OReilly

I'm really not a fan of extrinsic rewards for behaviour. I think it takes away from the intrinsic rewards and creates other problems. I don't even like tags and belts, but they're expected so I yield on that one.

Roper

We never use external-visible rewards with kids. Stars and belts at that age tend to take away from what we want to teach which is that they're all the same and the enjoyment is the most important thing.

We do give out stickers on a sticker card for a bit of a reward, and then they go on the belt system when they're 8 years and up.

I am personally opposed (like Colm) to a belt system for kids but as he said, its expected at this stage and we have to offer them.

Miles Long

On the extrinsic rewards thing.

If there's one thing I get to know in a college club it's that the people who are ill motivated (in to learn how to hurt people) or that are there cause of someone else's doing, i.e. parent living through them (I played rugby from six til i was fifteen mainly cause it was the family sport. ) or cause a friend started, are negatively impacting when rewarded.

This parallels with the kids teaching thing cause when you're faced with teaching either of the above in a student (w.r.t. kids), extrinsic rewards can become forceful onto the child without him/her being able to communicate that they are unhappy, hence they do things like messing and being distracted.

Butt...:D

I still believe that kids react better to things like, "You've really done well over the last month, Here's some (minature) hand wraps/Ice cream!":)

Roper

Hey Miles,

They might respond better in the short term to the ice cream and hand wraps, but when you're teaching kids you have to consider the long term too. Is rewarding them with belt after belt (or ice cream!) sending the right message; "I do this because I get stuff", when maybe the message should be, "I do this because its fun, and healthy".

Still, some recognition that they're doing well is sometimes necessary, and as I've said, we have a small reward system that we use. However to have belts and patches and badges on their uniforms at that age is, I think, a bit wrong. I know that's what they do in Airport TKD (they're my mates up there after all) and they have a lot of success with it. Each to their own.

paul moran

A constant sense of achievement with children can't be a bad thing. Confidence building within a Martial arts program is very important.

Visible rewards like badges and belts only aids in this process. It also helps them to learn about goal setting and to practice and exercise outside of class.

I've stopped running formal grades for kids within their 1st stage of training (ie first 5 grades) as the pressure for young kids to pass a grade at the same time as their pals is unnecessary and detrimental to their confidence. Also parents can seem to think that advancement through the belts are guaranteed and can lead to a degradation of the skill levels in the school.

I now use the same reward system used in most primary schools; - "Star charts", when all the boxes on the chart (each indicating a technique, kick etc) are full with red, silver and gold stars they are awarded their sash! I brought it in last September and it has been a huge success. Kids can see clearly what they need to practice and have a sense that everytime they work hard they will make gains towards their sash.

Classes should be fun with kids developing at their own pace! Belts, badges etc help to keep a sense of pride and identity within the group context.

Next September I plan to bring in a merit badge system for excellence!

Colm_OReilly

A constant sense of achievement with children can't be a bad thing. Confidence building within a Martial arts program is very important.

I agree with this, but I don't believe you need extrinsic rewards for this to happen. Most scientific date AFAIK backs up the reasoning that the more you extrinsically rewards someone for something the less value is placed on intrinsic rewards.

We live in a very physically dominated culture, with little or no value placed on internal payoffs. I understand that's not the most eloquent way of expressing that but I can't come up with a better description at present.

The kids know themselves when they get a takedown on a bigger opponent, win a game of murderball, or regain guard they've done well. I make a point of talking to parents after class regularly about their child when their child is in earshot about their progress. To me, that's a better motivator.

Black Swan

Colm_OReilly wrote:

We live in a very physically dominated culture, with little or no value placed on internal payoffs. I understand that's not the most eloquent way of expressing that but I can't come up with a better description at present.

Colm brings up an interesting point between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for performing well, not just in MA, but also in our society. At university they have a grading system and awards for performance, at work they have performance reviews often with grading scales that supervisors check that affect merit pay and promotions, and neighborhoods in the States are ranked by real estate agents on rating sheets informing them how much they can expect to sell a house for, all external things. I can see why he is concerned about building the internal, when our society is so externally motivated.

Miles Long

Colm_OReilly wrote:

I make a point of talking to parents after class regularly about their child when their child is in earshot about their progress. To me, that's a better motivator.

Egads man, I think he's got it!:D

Roper wrote:

Each to their own.

No one gets to know how a student reacts to in/extrinsic rewarding better than the person teaching him/her. If a kid is shy, they need abc or if they're an outgoing self motivated person they need xyz. This thread has covered loads of way to help kids/anyone develop. Finding the right way is trial and hopefully no error.

Roper

Miles,
Thats not really what I meant by each to their own. Yes, no two methods work the same for two different kids, but there's no way "hey have some magic beans you did great today" is the answer.

There are far, far better ways. The external awards should be a bonus to the internal ones.

Miles Long

I'll miss-quote you if I like!:D Massaging the truth is what debating is all about, and these magic beans just sweeten the deal...