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First, let me give you some background on how we run the kids karate classes at DG.
Dragon Gym Children’s martial arts programs are age specific. That means the programs are specifically designed to be appropriate for a child’s physical, intellectual, social and emotional stage of development.
The EARLY group is for 3-4 years olds catering to their need for play and imagination while developing primary physical skills.
The BASIC group is for 5-6 year olds catering to their enthusiasm and new desire for creativity and problem solving. In addition to a higher level of physical instruction they are also now able to follow higher-level instructions and task.
The CORE group is for 7-9 year olds suited for their more advanced vocabulary, listening skills and problem solving ability. The program teaches them more advanced physical skills while encouraging more independence and personal responsibility.
Finally, our EXTREME program is for 10-14 year olds. They are highly intelligent, eager to learn and ready for more physical challenges. Our program combines this need for a challenging program with the guidance needed to help manage the social and emotional instability that comes with adolescence.
The Three Key Areas of Our Kids Martial Arts Program:
Martial Arts Technique, Academic Performance, Behavior and Discipline at Home
Key Benefits of Martial Arts for Kids:
- Improve Concentration, Focus, and Listening Skills
- Develop Discipline and homework habits
- Attain Confidence to ask questions
- Learn How to peacefully resolve conflicts
- Develop Respect for themselves and others
- Achieve Academic Excellence
The Dragon Gym Gold Star System
The three key areas of the children’s martial arts program are tied together by our belt promotion and gold star system. The martial arts system inherently teaches children about setting short and long-term goals. The long-term goal is Black Belt and the short term goals are the color belts.
Children learn how to break down a large task into smaller attainable pieces. When they are successful in these small steps they develop confidence and eventually leadership.
With each belt test we are going to ask for feedback on how your child is doing at home and at school. So, we’ll need some information when it comes times for a belt promotion.
On the student’s test form, you’ll let us know if your child is doing “Excellent”, “Good” or “Poor” at home in terms of attitude, behavior, listening, getting along with siblings, etc. We also ask that you get similar feedback from your child’s school-teacher.
As long as a student receives “Good” from both you, the parent, and his/her school teacher, they will be eligible for belt promotion.
If you child receives two “Excellent” scores then they will be awarded a Gold Star at the belt promotion.
Finally, if any “Poor” ratings are indicated a conversation between the instructors and parents should occur. During this conversation, we will discuss ways to improve this rating and if belt promotion should be withheld for a period of time.
If you have any questions about our approach, comment below or send us a message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dragongymexton/
So, how does all of this come together to help kids improve their behavior and their grades?
The age-specific program helps ensure that the children develop the skills needed and appropriate with their physical, intellectual, emotional and social stage of development. Here are 5 more ways that martial arts training will help them.
- Doing well in school (and at home) required discipline.
Here's the cool thing about discipline, it is contagious. Kids and adults that have discipline in one area tend to have discipline in ALL areas. The discipline that your child will develop in his or her martial arts classes will carry over to their school work as well
2. Martial Arts students learn about preparation and preparation leads to success
The martial arts have a built in framework for goal setting. The structure teaches kids to not only break down goals but they have to work on achieving the intermediate steps in a regular and consistent way. Kids that learn martial arts also understand that by studying a little bit every day it's way easier to get good grades.
3. Focus, Focus, Focus
Focus is the ability to pay attention to one thing at a time, especially the most important task at hand. There are so many more distractions for kids these days. It used to be just TV. Now it's video games, social media, apps, mobile games, messaging, texting, etc. Martial Arts classes teach kids how to focus and how to prioritize that focus.
4. Goal Setting
We've already talked about the critical step of identifying a long term goal and the ability to break it down into smaller more achievable milestones. This is what martial arts is all about. Kids that learn martial arts are able to transfer this skill to all areas of their life. They can better articulate their goals and aspirations and they can more easily find ways to map out their success
5. A Healthy Body equals a Healthy Mind
Researchers have discovered that physical activity levels have been positively linked to cognitive function during development in school-aged children. Besides the neurological connotations, giving kids an outlet to move their bodies can actually help them academically by improving their memory and increasing their attention span. Martial Arts classes are a very physical activity so can help build cognitive functions as well as serve as an outlet to help improve memory.
If you're considering martial arts classes for your child or family and are in the Exton, West Chester or Downingtown, PA area, fill out the form below or visit our main website: www.dragongym.com to get more information on schedule, pricing and to set up a free orientation session.
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