Introducing the internationally acclaimed Basic SKILLZ program!
Five- to six-year-olds are the most enthusiastic learners. They love creativity and problem-solving, making them ideal students. They are so progressive in completing tasks that some teachers treat them as older peers, even though five- to six-year-olds lack the basic skills necessary to keep up with children aged seven and up. However, providing them with their own curriculum that adapts to their social and intellectual curiosity while building skills is effective at this stage of development.
Development Stages in the Basic Skillz Program
Here is an overview of the developmental stages of children aged 5 and 6:
- Physical – They usually don't know how to properly engage their muscles yet, so they often fall when their body is in constant motion. They have a good foundation for building leg, arm, abdominal, and core muscles, but they still lack strength.
We expectthat they will initially struggle with several kicks above five repetitions without returning the other leg to the mat. We also expect them to initially have average technique during the exercises.
The goal of our program is to get them to perform high kicks without leaving the foot on the mat, as well as perform static, active and dynamic exercises above ten repetitions with good technique.
- Intellectual – They typically have difficulty maintaining more than three commands. They also have difficulty distinguishing left from right.
We expectthat they will initially be confused when asked to do more than three things at once. Initially, we also expect them to have difficulty distinguishing left from right when performing multiple commands.
The goal of our program is to get them to remember three or four commands at a time, or even more. We'll also help them learn to perform various left-right combinations.
- Emotional – They tend to focus on things that make them happy. When they're excited, they lose control.
We expectthat they will initially lose focus and disengage from activities when they are unhappy. We also expect them to lose control when they become overly excited.
The goal of our program is to help them focus, even when it's difficult. We'll also help them control their body and strength, especially when they're excited.
- Social – they love to play with others, but are usually very competitive
We expectthat they will initially demonstrate poor sportsmanship when participating in activities.
The goal of our program is to help them build good teamwork, such as being honest, not getting angry when they lose, and not bragging when they win.
Skill development
By understanding the developmental stages of children aged 5 and 6, we were able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Bacis SKILLZ programme:
FOCUSING
TEAMWORK
CONTROL
MEMORY
BALANCE
DISCIPLINE
CONDITION
COORDINATION
1. Each class is dedicated to one of the above skills (in order)
2. Each class includes a warm-up; a short discussion on the mat about the skill; then three exercises to develop that skill; and then a checkpoint to see where you are with the skills for the day.
3. We finish the class with stretching and then some fun.
4. We repeat the same pattern for each skill so that we cover each of the 8 skills in a month.
5. When children reach the age of 7, they are ready for the next program, Core SKILLZ for 7-9 year olds.
As you can see, this isn't your typical martial arts curriculum! We incorporate research and development into an age-appropriate program. This means your child will learn and grow at a pace that's neither too easy nor too demanding. Best of all, the Basic SKILLZ program will equip your child with skills they can use in every area of life!
