Good preschool gymnastics instructors are aware of the three customers of gym schools; the student, their father, and mother. Preschool classes survive on parents telling other parents about our programs, in contrast to school age programs where students tell their friends about them. Parents won’t be able to fully comprehend why they need to exert extra effort to get their children to class if they are unaware of the gym’s philosophy, lesson objectives, and fundamental goals. Parents, on the other hand, aren’t aware of the program’s significance to their children’s growth and development?
The information in your club’s brochure is only the beginning of parent education. You must plan to educate the parents before, during, and after each gymnastics class if you want to effectively educate them. Before the class begins, ensure that each parent has a copy of the parent handbook. The following information should be included in the handbook to assist the parent in comprehending it: the gym’s philosophy, class goals, class descriptions, parent and student roles, fundamentals of child development, and class and gym rules. If you give parents this useful information that they can apply to their child’s gymnastics experience, they will feel more involved. Another way to effectively communicate with parents is to send letters to parents whose children enroll in your classes. In a parent-tot class, you’ll find the parent’s role.
Parents need to be aware, before the class begins, that not every child matures in the same way and that some of the students in the class are older than their child. A child’s development can drastically change in as little as a few months. Parents shouldn’t be able to compare their child to another student in the class. Additionally, a child who has been enrolled in the program for a significant amount of time will be more likely to recognize the names of skills and instructions than a new student. Help the parent understand that most children this age are self-directed and will take instruction from their parents before listening to a teacher.
Explain to the parents that the stations created are focused on success. Using handprints and other objects as visual cues, we accomplish this. The children can succeed at the station if they follow the cues and follow the handprints. Give the parents the opportunity to encourage their child to attempt the station at least three times.
Your goal should be to make teaching easy. Businesses that make their customers feel at ease will keep them coming back. Parents often expect too much from a toddler preschool gymnastics class, so if their child is running around while other students are participating, they won’t be comfortable. Parents will expect you to teach their child actual gymnastics skills if you haven’t explained the true benefits of your class. A parent might wonder why their child wouldn’t learn gymnastics if they were going to a gymnastics school. They must be educated to comprehend the program’s achievable objectives. In our written materials at my gym, we use the following phrases to explain our goals: spending quality time with your kid; through the development of perceptual motor skills, improves reading readiness; teaches children to belong to a group; improves motor development, balance, and agility; improves one’s ability to move; makes new friends for the child and the parent; enhances listening abilities; increases readiness for moving on to vocal instruction; teaches them motor skills and is enjoyable, preparing them for kindergarten tests. Parents should be aware of these advantages offered by the class. Always promote the advantages. It is known as “selling the sizzle, not the steak” in advertising. Advertising this kind of class relies heavily on consumer education. The educational process is not complete without promotion and advertising.
You will keep the parents coming back and telling their friends about your innovative and useful program for young children if you educate them. A list of the various preschool classes we offer and explanations for each are attached so that parents know exactly what to expect before their first class. Exceeding customer expectations is the key to providing excellent service. However, you will never satisfy them if you do not even meet their expectations. Explain the program through written materials and then…present. Before Class Because the parents are your captive audience, it is simple to educate them during parent and toddler classes. During the four- and five-year-old classes, you can talk to the parents over the half wall of your gym. Most importantly, you should discuss the progress of their child with the parents. Keep in mind that parents adore hearing how their children are doing in school. They only receive feedback from YOU regarding their child’s progress. Additionally, we make use of our “Teddy Tumblebear Says” sheets, which we distribute at the end of the class to explain what was accomplished and the reasons behind the selection of the particular activities.
Make use of the opportunity to explain what you’re doing when the parents are present in class with you. For instance, every class begins with music. We explain to the parents that it helps them understand the beat and rhythm of music and movement and improves their child’s motor coordination. Additionally, it always seems to make the kids smile. It also lets everyone know that class is starting, even the latecomers.
Second, we fill the roles. We describe how these static movements: Some of the fundamental body positions for all gymnastics moves are the squat, straddle, pike, bridge, butterflies, lunge, V-sit, and “Tada,” and parents soon realize the significance of why we review them weekly.
A child can learn kinesthetic awareness well through animal walks. If a child can comprehend the difference between walking with a bent leg in a bear walk and walking with a straight leg in a camel walk, they will have an easier time when we instruct them to do a cartwheel while they are upside down. Simply understanding where the body is in space is kinesthetic awareness. When a young child is upside down, they have no idea where their legs are or where their hands should be. “Straddle Switch” is a great exercise for teaching a child where their legs are while they are upside down. With their hands on the floor in front of them, instruct the child to enter straddle stand. Swing the legs right and left while putting all of the weight on the hands. Check to see if the child understands what to do with their feet while they are upside down as they swing their legs side to side. These kinds of drills help children learn about where they are in space, and they also help parents understand why we’re doing simple moves like animal walks. After Class Parent education continues to build on the parent’s already-cultivated educational growth that was gained prior to and during class. It doesn’t just stop when class is over. You can keep educating the parents in a number of different ways: The key to increasing enrollment is to provide take-home information sheets, send letters to parents with the students, hold planned conferences between parents and teachers, distribute skill review sheets, hold a parent group meeting, evaluate the child’s progress, and educate parents. It is absolutely well worth the effort. Take the time to meet with the parents, write them notes, send explanation sheets home with the students, host a welcoming-parent party at the start of the session, and personally explain the real reason why they need to keep bringing their children to you. Don’t worry about the parents. They are your most important assets. They are your own personal ad agency. It is your duty to inform them of your philosophy, goals, objectives, and expectations for your classes.