Coaches 3 & 4 yr olds: listening and attention issues

[dharmabum60]

I am hoping someone could offer some advice or tactics for keeping 3 and 4 year olds engaged, quiet, and attentive in a recreational gymnastics class. Usually we try to keep the class fun, offering various obstacle courses that focus on the skills of the week. We have also tried having the kids divide into small groups to do balance beam work or floor work, for example. Neither approach keeps the children quiet and attentive, even though we keep the class moving and never have any down time. The class is 45 minutes long, starting with a small warm-up, then moving on to floor work, trampolines, bars, and balance beam. Does anyone have suggestions of what works in their gyms for this age group? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[Natasha]

My goal is to keep them engaged and attentive...but quiet? Well, let me know if you figure that out! First- small class size- we have 6 at the most in a class. We use circuits a lot.
Consistency, consistency, consistency....Not as in do the same skills every week- but have routine- same instructor, same rules, same consequences. We have an opening rhyme-stretch that the kids look forward to. The kids take turns drawing an animal card out of my special can to lead the group to the next event- acting like that animal. I have the same "attention getter" ("One, Two, Three eyes on me" The kids put fingers out for one, two, three and then fingers to eyes to show me they are ready to watch) I use this only when I am ready to give important instructions or demonstrate a skill.
At each event we have at least 3 things to do in a rotation and I stay at whichever one is the focus of the day while the kids keep moving in a circle through the 3-4 things. The only time the kids are sitting is for a brief time when we first move to the new event to show them what they are going to do. I keep explanations very short and simple and work on the details of form, etc, while they are moving through the stations.
Start with what you need the most focus for and end with the fun circuits, obstacle courses, animal races, etc.

 

[catou]

I used to coach 3 and 4 years old. Now, I work with kids from 4 to 9 years old doing psychomotor learning with them. I don't want them to be quiet. But I sure want them to be engaged and moving. I may have 18 4 years old kids with me. With experience, I'd say the following tips are useful:

• Instaure a routine (make them sit to listen to the instructions at the same place every day, try to do the events in the same order, etc)
• Start with simple instructions.
• Don't hesitate to ask them to do the statue and add some instructions once you see that they are doing well.
• Circuits. These are wonderful. I try to have only one station where they need help. This way I can keep an eye on the other kids. I try to have as many stations possible. If I have 6 kids, I may have 6 stations so they won't wait.
• Place yourself strategically so you can see everyone, all the time.
• Use images. For example if you want them to stand on one foot on the beam, you could put the image of a flamingo.
• Try to use the same material, installed the same way from week to week, but use it differently. For example, a cheese mat could be use for front rolls one week, and then for back rolls or to have them lie on sideways their back and roll all the way down.
• For example, if your circuit has 5 stations, change one or 2 of them (not more) every training sessions. They won't get bored, will know what to do and they'll have a bit more time to learn the skills. You also won't have to explain your whole circuit every time.
• When you give explanations, vary your tone of voice, it really does help

 

[bogwoppit]

I used to coach 3 and 4 years old. Now, I work with kids from 4 to 9 years old doing psychomotor learning with them. I don't want them to be quiet. But I sure want them to be engaged and moving. I may have 18 4 years old kids with me. With experience, I'd say the following tips are useful:

• Instaure a routine (make them sit to listen to the instructions at the same place every day, try to do the events in the same order, etc)
• Start with simple instructions.
• Don't hesitate to ask them to do the statue and add some instructions once you see that they are doing well.
• Circuits. These are wonderful. I try to have only one station where they need help. This way I can keep an eye on the other kids. I try to have as many stations possible. If I have 6 kids, I may have 6 stations so they won't wait.
• Place yourself strategically so you can see everyone, all the time.
• Use images. For example if you want them to stand on one foot on the beam, you could put the image of a flamingo.
• Try to use the same material, installed the same way from week to week, but use it differently. For example, a cheese mat could be use for front rolls one week, and then for back rolls or to have them lie on sideways their back and roll all the way down.
• For example, if your circuit has 5 stations, change one or 2 of them (not more) every training sessions. They won't get bored, will know what to do and they'll have a bit more time to learn the skills. You also won't have to explain your whole circuit every time.
• When you give explanations, vary your tone of voice, it really does help

Missed you Catou.

 

[catou]

As this psychomotor learning job is all new for me, I didn't have as much time to come. Now that everything's finally started and well underway, I should be able to come more often.

 

[bogwoppit]

Excellent.

 

[wgagym]

Structure, Structure, Structure! We do the same structure of our class every week. The kids learn what to expect and always know what is coming next. Our warm-up is always the same, then we break into two stations (circuits) every week. The skills are different but the format is always the same. 5 stations, they rotate in the same direction every week. Even our 18 month olds know the routine and will be actively engaged!

 

[iwannacoach]

If you can't beat 'em, then join them. The first thing you want to do is let them behave like children, and if you consider it for a moment..... that exactly what they're trying to do and partly what you're trying to suppress. I was just like that, and had to have everything happen just the way I thought it should.... like teaching them skills and showing them how to do them the right way, and keeping them quiet, well behaved, and standing still when there was a line to stand in.

I was totally screwing it up with out considering the possibility that I was the problem and they were the solution. Figure it this way, they're the kids and the people that have to fun in order to learn, because kids learn by making observations while they play. They don't learn well when somebody tries to teach them stuff, and it;s that way for a few reasons.......

First is they want to play, so much so that it's almost the only thing on their minds. When you think they're not listening, what's really happening is they're trying to figure out when the fun stuff is gonna happen. Imagine this, every word that comes out of your mouth is filtered through their fun meter and is saved to memory because it's fun, or discarded because it isn't.

So really, the big effort to be taught something should be you learning what 3 and 4 year olds get a kick out of. The next step is to teach them how to have that fun in a safe manner. Once that's done try to adapt their fun stuff into something that resembles gymnastics. That's all it takes to get them off to a good start, and likely it will also please their parents. In the end you'll be pretty happy too, because once they go through the fun to learn-learn to work process they'll pick up skills faster than you thought possible.

In a nutshell????? Be the Alpha kid!

 

[dharmabum60]

Thanks everyone for the input. I suppose I should have clarified the "quiet" part; I simply meant quiet while a teacher is talking/giving directions. We certainly keep explanations brief and fun, varying our tone and even using a mascot stuffed animal who helps up demonstrate what we will be working on that class, but still find that the kids will continue to talk/laugh/giggle no matter how we try to get their attention.
We use circuits every class, and do them in the same order every class, and try to keep consistency. We focus on form at our "spotting station" (ie. the skill of the week that requires attention/hands-on spotting), but find that even with supervision from another teacher on the other parts of the circuit, the kids want to run through everything as fast as possible and seem to not really learn much. After a while, it feels like we are trying to herd cats.
It seems like the children are having fun, but not really learning anything despite our efforts of repetition, consistency, having the kids repeat the names of skills each week, and even trying to recap at the end of class asking "what is something you learned today" or "did on the cheese mat" etc.

 

[dharmabum60]

Structure, Structure, Structure! We do the same structure of our class every week. The kids learn what to expect and always know what is coming next. Our warm-up is always the same, then we break into two stations (circuits) every week. The skills are different but the format is always the same. 5 stations, they rotate in the same direction every week. Even our 18 month olds know the routine and will be actively engaged!

What is your class size? We have a very similar set-up to our class. Ironically, our 18 month olds do quiet well with the classes, as do 5 and ups. It's just these 3s and 4s that are a bit tricky.

 

[dharmabum60]

I used to coach 3 and 4 years old. Now, I work with kids from 4 to 9 years old doing psychomotor learning with them. I don't want them to be quiet. But I sure want them to be engaged and moving. I may have 18 4 years old kids with me. With experience, I'd say the following tips are useful:

• Instaure a routine (make them sit to listen to the instructions at the same place every day, try to do the events in the same order, etc)
• Start with simple instructions.
• Don't hesitate to ask them to do the statue and add some instructions once you see that they are doing well.
• Circuits. These are wonderful. I try to have only one station where they need help. This way I can keep an eye on the other kids. I try to have as many stations possible. If I have 6 kids, I may have 6 stations so they won't wait.
• Place yourself strategically so you can see everyone, all the time.
• Use images. For example if you want them to stand on one foot on the beam, you could put the image of a flamingo.
• Try to use the same material, installed the same way from week to week, but use it differently. For example, a cheese mat could be use for front rolls one week, and then for back rolls or to have them lie on sideways their back and roll all the way down.
• For example, if your circuit has 5 stations, change one or 2 of them (not more) every training sessions. They won't get bored, will know what to do and they'll have a bit more time to learn the skills. You also won't have to explain your whole circuit every time.
• When you give explanations, vary your tone of voice, it really does help

Thanks for the input! Are your circuits continuously moving in a circle, or do the children work on their individual station within the circuit until you signal to switch?

 

[catou]

They're continuously moving in a circle. I try to place the material as close as possible from each other so they know where to go. Also, in 45 minutes, I wouldn't do more than a warm-up, 2 circuits and a brief cool-down.

Something I do with the kids I work with is to ask them to sit in the listening position (legs are crossed, hands on knees and the back is straight, in silence). They know I have something important to say when I ask for the listening position. And you'll see, many kids don't have the strength and endurance to sit like that for more than 2-3 minutes with their back straight.

You can work vault basics during a floor circuits. Same for beam and floor. You can have some floor drills close to your bar set-up. Try to incorporate two apparatus in one circuit so you work on everything.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

call in sick?

 

[JBS]

I am hoping someone could offer some advice or tactics for keeping 3 and 4 year olds engaged, quiet, and attentive in a recreational gymnastics class.

Tell them to be orange dinosaurs when they walk across the balance beam. Why do you want them quiet? Get better instructors that can keep them engaged.

EDIT: Sorry if you're the instructor. I should have said...become "Mickey Mouse".

 

[dharmabum60]

Tell them to be orange dinosaurs when they walk across the balance beam. Why do you want them quiet? Get better instructors that can keep them engaged.

EDIT: Sorry if you're the instructor. I should have said...become "Mickey Mouse".

As I clarified above: I suppose I should have clarified the "quiet" part; I simply meant quiet while a teacher is talking/giving directions. We certainly keep explanations brief and fun, varying our tone and even using a mascot stuffed animal who helps up demonstrate what we will be working on that class, but still find that the kids will continue to talk/laugh/giggle no matter how we try to get their attention.

 

[JBS]

As I clarified above: I suppose I should have clarified the "quiet" part; I simply meant quiet while a teacher is talking/giving directions. We certainly keep explanations brief and fun, varying our tone and even using a mascot stuffed animal who helps up demonstrate what we will be working on that class, but still find that the kids will continue to talk/laugh/giggle no matter how we try to get their attention.

Become "Mickey Mouse"...not bring a stuffed animal to class. You must rule their world by becoming part of it...if they are talking over you...then you are not in their world. If you brought a stuffed animal to class to demonstrate...I would laugh too...honestly.

I guess I do not understand what you would demonstrate with a stuffed animal...could you please give an example?

 

[JBS]

In a nutshell????? Be the Alpha kid!

I had never even babysat when I had to teach my first preschool class (that week I had 24 more preschool classes). I had no idea what I was going to do. I borrowed all of the gyms Patti Komara tapes and started watching them. I created my own way of doing things...I became MR. JBS...the ultimate fun guide.

Going on a bear hunt...ahhh...forward roll so the pirates don't get you...be careful with your green eggs and ham...don't drop them off that tray while you walk the plank...yah...pirates are back again...here comes a helicopter...look!

Ever had a retention rate of 100% across 25 completely full preschool classes?...I have...that's called talent!

Oh...and don't forget to become a silver unicorn so you can fly over the dragons.

Flutterbys come from patercillars and eat pasghetti with all the other aminals in the forest!

Can you count from one to ten...backwards...starting with orange and only using every other elephant?!?

 

[dharmabum60]

Become "Mickey Mouse"...not bring a stuffed animal to class. You must rule their world by becoming part of it...if they are talking over you...then you are not in their world. If you brought a stuffed animal to class to demonstrate...I would laugh too...honestly.

I guess I do not understand what you would demonstrate with a stuffed animal...could you please give an example?

Sorry but this isn't really constructive. Thanks anyways.

 

[iwannacoach]

I had never even babysat when I had to teach my first preschool class (that week I had 24 more preschool classes). I had no idea what I was going to do. I borrowed all of the gyms Patti Komara tapes and started watching them. I created my own way of doing things...I became MR. JBS...the ultimate fun guide.

Going on a bear hunt...ahhh...forward roll so the pirates don't get you...be careful with your green eggs and ham...don't drop them off that tray while you walk the plank...yah...pirates are back again...here comes a helicopter...look!

Ever had a retention rate of 100% across 25 completely full preschool classes?...I have...that's called talent!

Oh...and don't forget to become a silver unicorn so you can fly over the dragons.

Flutterbys come from patercillars and eat pasghetti with all the other aminals in the forest!

Can you count from one to ten...backwards...starting with orange and only using every other elephant?!?

I believe you must be the master of Alpha kids.

 

[JBS]

Sorry but this isn't really constructive. Thanks anyways.

You don't get it...that's the problem with your class. Now...what do you do with the stuffed animal?