Can you share what you do with 5-7 year olds?

username19853 · Blue Belt

So my company seems to place the focus for the 5-7 age kids on class anchors. Snapping to attention, sitting down, taking a knee and getting in the correct line formations.

That’s all fine and dandy, but I’ve found a lack of support in what else im supposed to do with this age group. Classes are 30 minutes, so I’ve been coming up with obstacle courses and combinations, plus other various games. Lots of running and jumping, balancing, and of course kicking and punching, parry blocking and cover blocking.

To give me some ideas, can you share what you do with your students in this age group? What does the class look like?

sensei8 · KF Sensei

Not much difference from teaching 5-7 year old students, then there is from teaching 4-7 year old students. I refer you back to this KF topic...

https://www.karateforums.com/help-with-kids-classes-vt55249.html

We all teach, and have been teaching, and are learning consistent drills of various types because that's what we do. Admittedly that drills are critical to any students betterment, no matter the age of the student. However, the younger the student the more creative one must be in order to capture their attention on order to drill or anything for that matter.

If you bore them to death, then your class/dojo will shortly die thereafter. Hard thing is seeing an instructor make the drill more than what it really is.

30 minutes for a student that young, might as well be 3 hours long, and the first thing an instructor will lose is their interest and the second thing an instructor will lose is the student, oftentimes, both at the very same time.

Can't emphasize this enough...BE A CHILD YOURSELF; PLAY WITH THEM!! I do that all of the time, and while I'm playing with them, they're slowly learning the MA one tidbit at a time. Teaching students that young is not a speed race to anywhere but instead it's more of a slow crawl.

One of my most favorite games to PLAY with students this young is dodgeball. Yes, dodgeball!! Not adult dodgeball where we are trying to knock their heads off, but where they are learning awareness. In that awareness they are learning how do DODGE the ball or CATCH the ball. These are akin to deflection and trapping; learning how to use their body and arms and legs.

The older kids and adults get to avoid tennis balls that are coming faster and harder and from all directions; I'm very accurate and deadly with my tennis ball drill. Students wear goggles!!

Get to know your students. That will provide you with an endless amount of insight about each student. Then sit down and design around their likes and dislikes. If some student loves to play baseball, then use that to reach that student. If a student likes to play video games, use that to reach that student. Off those two likes, I can create a class structure and the like because I've been paying attention to my students. That's our job and responsibility. If a kid hates something, find out why, and then teach with that knowledge, therefore, turning a negative to a positive.

Nothing wrong with the CI getting on the ground, and playing with their very young students. Get down to their level because it will go a very long way in a positive way. Sometimes I don't teach them any MA; I just get on the ground and play with them...catch or color or watch a cartoon or make faces at each other or have some pizza or anything else other than the MA. You know who else eats all of this up besides the very young students?? Their parents!!

If a CI or instructor are social inept, then they shouldn't teach anything.

Imho!!

_________________
**Proof is on the floor!!!

username19853 · Blue Belt

Oh wow. I magically forgot about the previous thread lol. Thank you!

sensei8 · KF Sensei

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