Parent Tot

PerfectionSarah Fennell-Cooper, Happy Gymnastics

Region 3 Congress

June 13, 2015

Colorado Springs, CO

Who Am I?

• Sarah Fennell-Cooper, Happy Gymnastics

• Competed for for 10 years, then went on to coach

• BGS University of Kansas, 2005

• Lawrence Gymnastics and Athletics Lawrence, KS (2005-2006)

• Christchurch School of Gymnastics, New Zealand (2006-2007)

• Illinois Gymnastics Institute Westmont, IL (2007-2008)

• Lawrence Gymnastics and Athletics (2008-2009)

• Taught Kindergarten at an urban school Aurora, Colorado (2010-2015)

• Masters in Educational Psychology (anticipated graduation date: August 2015)

• Created Happy Gymnastics! Whole-child focused Preschool Gymnastics curriculum (coming, August 2015), happygymnastics.com

Warm Up Song!

• The Goldfish-Laurie Berkner Band

• While you are ‘swimming’, greet as many people as you can!

Objectives

• In this seminar, we will discover…

• Why becoming an early childhood expert will help

you build your client base for PT classes…and make

you a better coach/director/owner/human being

• Why people take PT classes (and why that matters)

• What 2 year olds can do

• DAP teaching strategies for 2 year olds

• Fresh ideas for what to teach

• New prop ideas

• Uncover any problem areas we see in our own

program and ideas on how to fix them

So….

• Lets become PT experts!

• When you know better, you do better (Oprah!)

• Better understanding of children=more reputable

program

• Challenge parents

• You can train your coaches in a more effective way

Why Are You Offering Parent

Tot Classes?• Opportunity to increase revenue (potential to fill the

gym during the day when older children are at

school)

• Preschool program funnel

• Parents TALK (free marketing!)

• Cute babies in leotards

…but why are we really

offering PT classes?• “All domains of development and learning-physical,

social and emotional, and cognitive-are important,

and they are closely interrelated. Children’s

development and learning in one domain influence

and are influenced by what takes place in other

domains”

• “For example: when a child begins to crawl or walk,

they gain new possibilities for exploring the world,

and their mobility affects both their cognitive

development and sense of autonomy.”

• In short, we are part of their development. They can

take their learning from to gym to the classroom.

Why Do Parents Take PT

Classes?• Introduction to gymnastics (whoo hoo! Gymnastics

rocks!)

• It is guided, so there are no “I don’t know what to

do” moments

• It allows parents to bond with their child (DADS,

night classes)

…but why do parents really

take PT classes?• “From the earliest years of life, warm, nurturing

relationships with responsive adults are necessary

for many key areas of children’s development,

including empathy and cooperation, self

regulations and cultural socialization, language and

communication, peer relationships and identity

formation.”

• “Nurturing relationships are vital in fostering high self-

esteem and strong sense of self-efficacy, capacity

in resolving interpersonal conflicts cooperatively,

and the sociability to connect with others and form

friendships”

• Communicate this to parents!

What Can 2 Year Olds Do?

Development MilestonesSocial-Emotional Physical/Movement Cognitive

(Learning, Thinking,

Problem Solving)

Language

• Copies others

(especially adults

and older children)

• Gets excited when

with other children

• Increasingly aware of

herself as separate

from others

• Demonstrates

increasing

independence

• Increasing separation

anxiety toward

midyear, but then

fades

• Stands on tip toe

• Kicks a ball

• Begins to run

• Climbs onto and

down from furniture

(or gymnastics

equipment!) without

help

• Walks up and down

stairs without help

• Throws ball overhand

• Makes or copies

straight lines and

circles

• Finds things even

when hidden under

two or three covers

• Begins to sort shapes

and colors

• Completes sentences

and rhymes in

familiar books

• Plays simple make-

believe games

• Builds towers of 4 or

more blocks

• Might use one hand

more than the other

• Follows two step

directions

• Names items in a

picture such as cat,

bird, or dog

• Points to things or

pictures when they

are named

• Knows names of

familiar people and

body parts

• Says sentences with 2

or 4 words

• Follows simple

instructions

• Repeats words

overheard in

conversation

• Points to things in a

book

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

(DAP) When Teaching 2 Year Olds

• In PT, you will teach the child and the parent

• Young infants (0-9 months) seek security

• Mobile infants (8-18 months) are eager to explore

• Toddlers (16-36 months) are working on their identity;

they want to know who they are and who’s in

charge (don’t we all want this?!)

Top Ten DAP Teaching Strategies for

Early Childhood (and Their Parents)

1. Acknowledge- What children do or say

2. Encourage-persistence and effort rather than evaluating what the child has done

3. Give Specific Feedback-rather than general comments

4. Model-attitudes and ways of approaching a problem

5. Demonstrate-the correct way to do something (procedure)

6. Create and Add Challenge- this goes a bit beyond what the child can already do

7. Ask Questions that provoke thinking and connection

8. Give Assistance-to help work on the edge of their current level

9. Provide Information-directly giving children (and parents) facts and other information

10. Give Direction-for children (and parents) action or behavior

What is my role?

• The way you teach young children matters.

• You are the expert. You teach both the child and

the parent.

• You keep everyone safe.

• You are coaching the parents on how to spot,

interact, and move with their child. You may or

may not have a spotting station.

• You are the expert. Have I said that enough?

Dance Break!

• Another Warm Up song sample to use for PT classes

• Shake (Your Shaker Eggs) We Kids Rock

Class Flow

• This should stay consistent but not boring

• This is especially true for the beginning and end of

class

• You should be changing your set up/circuit to meet

the needs of younger gymnasts

• Be intentional about including stations that promote

parent-child bonding (straddle peek a boos, tickles,

tuck and roll together, etc.)

• Each week should build on the skills from the last

week to build up to higher level skills. This process is

called scaffolding.

Class Flow

• Give warnings before transitions• Create a consistent transition routine to use between circuits (floor

to beam, to tumble trak, etc.)

• A 45 minute class might look like:• Warm up and connection (5 minutes)• Model circuit(1 minute)• Explore circuit (10 minutes)• 2 minute warning• Transition to other circuit, model what to do (3 minutes)• Explore (10 minutes)• 2 minute warning • Coming back together for bubbles/songs/movement (6 minutes)

• Review pit rules • Pit time! Give 2 minute warning (6 minutes)• Transition out of pit to closing circle (2 minutes)• Closing circle routine, song and stamps (2 minutes)• Escort out to lobby and high five goodbye

New Warm Up Songs

Bunny Hop-The Hollow Trees

Can You Dance With-FUNdamentals of Music and

Movement

Clap Your Hands-Wiggle Worms Love you

Everybodys Jumpin’-FUNdamentals of Music and Movement

Fast and Slow- (The Rabbit and The Turtle) The Laurie Berkner

Band

The Goldfish-The Laurie Berkner Band

We Are the Dinosaurs-The Laurie Berkner Band

I Know a Chicken-The Laurie Berkner Band (Shaker Egg)

Shake (Your Shaker Eggs)-We Kids Rock

Tap Tap (Your Rhythm Sticks)-We Kids Rock

Tippy Toes-Music for Moving

Other Songs

• Finger Plays –I had a little turtle (in a shell and in the

bath)

• Parent-Child Bonding songs

Prop it up!

• Scarves

• Gonge Hilltops

• Hands/feet

• Egg shakers

• Bells

• Wrist ribbons

• Bubbles

Explore

• How could you incorporate the props on your table

into a parent tot class?

Gallery Walk Notes

• What is your favorite PT activity that people might

not know about?

• How does it connect to our new learning about PT

classes?

• Show us how awesome you are!

Questions?

Thank You!

Lets connect! I want to know how this works for you in

your gym!

sarah@happygymnastics.com

Sources

• DAP with Infants and Toddlers

https://www.naeyc.org/dap/infants-and-toddlers

• 10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies

https://www.naeyc.org/dap/10-effective-dap-

teaching-strategies

• Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early

Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth

through Age 8

https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/posit

ion%20statement%20Web.pdf

Healthychildren.org

• Sports Instruction: A Toddler’s Mental Capacity

• Physical Appearance and Growth: Your 2 Year Old

• Emotional Development: 2 Year Olds

• Language Development: 2 Year Olds

• Social Development: 2 Year Olds

• Development Milestones: 2 Year Olds

• Cognitive Development: 2 Year Olds

• Movement and Coordination