Rowdy 4 year olds in class

[DavidCC]

Once a week we have a 30-minute class for 3-5 yr olds. I've been assissting the Instructor for the last 2 months, and I am amazed at how much these kids can learn and do at their age.

We've got 2 new kids in class,they are cousins, a boy and a girl, and they are both almost 5 yrs old.

The boy is very hyper, he can't stand still and paying attention for more than a minute is very difficult for him. _every_ class we have to correct him for the same things - don't pull up the grass (while we might be sitting on teh grass), stand still, pay attention... the girl is not as wild but he infects her with his rowdiness.

Now, the class is full of 3,4,5 yr old kids and they all at one time or another need to settle down. But this little boy is every class every time.

Can anyone offer any advice as to how to get through to these kids, to settle them down some and encourage them to act more appropriately? I see the Inst. working with them and I'm not sayign the HE doesn't know how to handle them... I'm just looking for more info that I might be able to add to what he is already doing.

I know some of you are probably thinking "4 is too young", I respect your opinion but it will not be helpful here so please, if that is what you are going to post, then don't bother

One final piece of info... the girl is my step-daughter. So I see these kids every day, and I can tell you the boys' behavior is all day every day
:boing1::boing1::boing1::boing1::boing1::boing1::boing1::boing1::boing1:

 

[TigerWoman]

I used to help in the 4 year old class with my instructor/master. He would get them into a routine. Always sit on your square, sit and not roll around, no talking, yes sir said, really drilled that in. If they became "rowdy" or unresponsive they had to stand with their eyes closed and "settle down".

Now I have a class with adults, men and women, older teens, middle teens, 9-10 yr. olds, a five year old and a 4, mostly all white belts. Of course, the four is the most work. Especially when they are together in the dojang. And as luck would have it, last night, since the debate was on I imagine, the families didn't come, just one mom and her four year old. He was very much into wanting her attention and she wanted less clinginess. So I did a very varied workout that had a lot of kids components, hopping, running, monkey run, crab walk, plus the basic kicking and a little punching. Not tired after that though the crab walk was really slow going back so I excused him to go back to start. He wanted to do flying side on the bag really bad and it was time to do form. So, I told the mother to practice her step side and I worked with the boy on step side for 5 min. with the promise of fly side after. So, then as he was doing that, I helped the mother on her form, then went back to the four old who had tired out by then and we did form about six times and then we did dodge ball and round kick on the balls. Course he was mostly running after his but his mother got good practice. Then we finished with an ab workout so hopefully he was tired out for bed. I think the four olds just need constant change and being firm so they learn the routine.
Pretty challenging though, not like teaching adults at all!! TW

 

[MJS]

I've taught kids classes for a long time, so I definately can realate to what you're talking about. TW offered some great advice...make them sit out of class for a while. Its hard, especially when you have a class of young kids and only a few are misbehaving...it tends to rub off on the others, and it really isn't fair to the ones that are paying attn. for you to constantly have to stop and correct the bad ones.

If the kids are sitting out more than they are taking the class, I'd say something to the parents. Chances are, the parents may beat you to that, and ask why their kid is sitting out.

Its definately VERY hard to keep the attn of someone that young, and IMO, at times, it can be a waste of money because it turns into more of a baby-sitting class than a learning class.

Another option is to talk to the head inst. of the school. Maybe the child isn't ready for the arts. If thats the case, maybe when they are older, they can come back.

Mike

 

[kanjc]

At our school there are several 4 - 6 year olds in the kids class. Our instructor drills it into them that they bow at begining and end of class and if they cannot behave they are given push-ups (yes even at that age) if it continues to be a problem then he speaks with the parents. Finally, if the parents and he cannot convince the child to behave and show proper respect then they are asked to leave and come back only when they can control themselves.

 

[AnimEdge]

I dont think i would teach 4 year olds, well, maybe if the money is good
At a out class with a bunch of hour schools some kids where there, they spent the whole time not paying attention, but playing soccer, picking up sticks, picking up dead leaves, talking a lot and well just being 4 year olds im glad there not in my class If they dont want to/ cant pay attention why teach them?

 

[DavidCC]

Thanks for the advice everyone The pre-school has recommended that the boy's father take him to a doctor to be evaluated for attention disorder type problems, and he is going to do it. We all hope the Dr. says "he's just a normally spazztic little boy" LOL but if not then he will at last be getting the help he needs (if he in fact needs any). He's a good boy and when he is focused on practice he learns very well. Out Instructor has also given us some info on how diet can affect this kind of behavior too and that is very interesting. I think I'm going to apply some of that for myself

BTW theres not much money in the 4yr olds, its only $35/month and he can only handle about 6-8 kids. Thats' not much $ but they are a lot fo fun and it is very rewaerding to see a 5 yr old work hard to achieve something, even if it is just remembering a few stances

 

[LadyDragon]

I've been helping train small kids for a while now. I've notice that as adults we ourselves get in to a routine with problem kids. Unfortunately NO for some of us becomes a big part of what we might tell a rowdy child. In our school we try different methods on different kids. They don't all react the same way to the same circustance. But one method we use often is praise, correct, praise or P.C.P. It works very very well even with the rowdiest of kids. Some time though if there is an extra instructor that can be utilized having them work one on one with the student is what works best. And as soon as they're calm enough and have picked up on what ever the class is about they're put back in with the other students to work together as a group rather than individually.

 

[MJS]

BTW theres not much money in the 4yr olds, its only $35/month and he can only handle about 6-8 kids. Thats' not much $ but they are a lot fo fun and it is very rewaerding to see a 5 yr old work hard to achieve something, even if it is just remembering a few stances

Actually, I've seen some schools where the 4yo program is pretty successfull. I hear ya on the amount of kids though. There have been times when I've had close to double the amount that you mentioned. Needless to say, I wanted to pull my hair out by the end!! One thing about them...they really need to constantly stay busy. If ya lose them for just a second, its very hard to get their attn. back.

Mike

 

[kenpo tiger]

I co-teach the 4 year olds with my master instructor. We have a great time with them - all 5 or 6, depending upon who shows on which Saturday morning. LadyDragon (I think) said that the method her school uses is praise, correct, praise, which is what we do. And, like TW, we play games with them. When I have the class as the senior instructor (once a month), I will usually do a bit of challenging activity (an obstacle course or multiple strikes - only 2 or 3 in combination, after all, they are only four!) and then something *fun* like "sensei says", which they love.

It's the 5 to 7s who can be a pain, in my opinion. We have a couple of brother pairs who feed off each other acting out. One in particular isn't really ready for karate and the discipline, but he is 'trying it out'. I hope his parents listen to the master and wait for him to grow into it and not do it because big brother does. BTW, big brother is no bargain, either. One or the other of us is constantly having to caution one or both and it detracts from the experience for the other children. I remind myself that they are little boys - I've lived through two growing up, so I think I might just be able to survive this too - and that boys will be boys.

There are times the girls are a bit prissy about things, but that's usually not anything major. Kids is kids.

 

[Sin]

Get something to get there attention with and tire them out before you start talking such as laps or puch ups...try and keep a routine cause kids need that sort of thing....use Kindergarden cop starring the GOVENATOR as a refernce......try to enjoy there energy and excitment, and don't get frustrated...just rememmber there only kids and your just trying to expose them to the Martial Arts so you want it to be a plesurable experince for the children. Try and play games that involve MA Tech. THE KEY IS TO NOT GET FRUSTRATED, try and be a kid again

 

[DavidCC]

They both had a real good class last night. Neither of them had to be corrected even once We got to class 15 minutes early becasue traffic was so light, so we had time to run around outside and get some of the energy dissipated before class.


Kayla, the girl has her "5 animals" memorized and almost has the "5 principles of conduct" so by next week she mgiht be ready for her white belt. Matthew has the animlas down but still working on the princples. The phonetic similarity of "leopard" (3rd animal) and "effort" (1st principle) really confuses them LOL

 

[sasquatchnaruto]

i teach a 3-5 year old class twice a week and I have to say I have fun with them, fo rthe most part they are well behaved and love to just run around and stuff while learning basic martial arts.