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?
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