PRESCHOOL TUMBLING: AGE 3-5

Welcome to everything preschool tumbling! It is imperative for all teachers to follow the lesson plans and teach all skills listed for the class in the order they are presented. Having consistency between teachers is what keeps our program strong and successful.  Please take time to read over this material so you can better implement the curriculum into your classes! 

Age Groups: 

• Level A- Preschool is for kids turning 4 between Sept 1-August 31 of this season.

• Level B- Pre-K is for kids turning  5 between Sept 1-August 31 of this season.

Class Description: 

We are excited to introduce children to tumbling skills at a young age! This class will motivate children to move, bend, balance, stretch, and excel while simultaneously stimulating and developing motor skills, strength, coordination, and awareness through movement on the mats.

45-55-minute class

Attire: Bare feet, hair pulled back, athletic clothing or leotard/bikers/tights

How to Effectively Use the Preschool Tumbling Curriculum:

This curriculum builds fundamental tumbling and acrobatic skills. Instructors are expected to ensure quality in classes and material being taught. There are two lesson plans per month for each age group (PS/Level A and PK/Level B). Most months you’ll complete the same lesson twice and then move on to the next. Modify lesson plans as needed based on the level of your classes. If you do need to make adjustments, be sure you are including all focus skills from the lesson plan or a progression towards building that skill to ensure consistency in progress between classes. Keep them moving! Add in brain breaks/movement games when the class is beginning to get distracted!  Water breaks are not allowed.

PS and PK lessons are similar. Differences in the PK/Level B are red (more difficult skills). Circuit skills that need a teacher spot are bold.

Skills Progressions and Supplies List

Class Structure:

• Beginning activity, welcome song, pass-off skill introduction

• Warm-up & stretch

• Circuit time

  • • Option 1: Full room single circuit. Recommended for PS/Level A first half of year.

    • Option 2: Two circuits, one group. Recommended for PK/Level B first half of year, PS/Level A second half of year.

    • Option 3: Two circuits, two groups. Recommended for PK/Level B second half of year. Circuit 1 is safe and simple skills for students to stay on task independently. Circuit 2 is with the teacher and includes more difficult or newer skills that require supervision and spotting assistance. 

• Ending activity, fun song & pass off skills for stamp

• Always end your classes with “Thank you very much students, thank you very much teachers, see you next week!"

END-OF-YEAR TUMBLING SKILLS

Review lesson plan and how to access Curriculum Website & the printed Classroom Manual

• Our lesson plans, skills, themes, & timelines must be implemented. Be prepared!

Review timeline for a full tumbling class (45-55 minutes):

• Welcome song, stretch song, center floor practice on mats | 15 minutes

  • Bridges & Backbends

    • If you can do a bridge correctly for ten seconds you make it to the backbend club!

    • Then when they can hold their foot in retire for 5 seconds, they get to go to “rainbow island” (a stacked panel mat) while you’re working bridges during center floor skill practice and work on kicking over in their backbends.

    • This keeps our kids progressing and challenges who needs it.

  • Center floor practice should be the exhibition skills! All year long! They need to have it mastered and know the terminology, jumps, body placement, flexibility 

• Circuits | 20 minutes

  • All PS/PK classes have two small circuits. Half the class will be working on one side, while the other half works on the other. Ex: one side is doing forward roll, hopscotch, and spider crawls then waiting on a dot or star with the teacher while the other side is doing cartwheels, balance beam, and bear walks then waiting on a dot or star with the assistant. Switch groups after 10 minutes. 

  • If you don't have an assigned assistant for your class, start the year by doing the two circuits together. The entire class will only be on one side of the circuit for 10 minutes then everyone will switch. This will help the kids to get the hang of the circuits and understand where to go. Putting up "the magic cone wall" is also very helpful. They can only pass the wall if they're on the magic train.

  • What happens when you’re missing an assistant? You have to be able to manage both and keep an eye on the independent circuit. Be ready to prompt them to stay on task.

  • Last week of the month can have a full room single circuit as a reward. Towards the end of the year you can just keep the full room circuit for 20 minutes.

  • Changing circuits/station song:

    • PS song: Line up in a train and sing “down by the station early in the morning, see the little tumblers all in a row, chugga chugga choo choo! Away we go!

    • PK song: “All aboard the choo choo train, all aboard, all aboard. All aboard the choo choo train. Choo Choo!

• Group Activity/Brain Break/Prop/Locomoter | 5 minutes

  • Each lesson plan will tell you to have the kids work on either gallops, skips, or one foot hops. This is part of exhibition and they need to be practicing it all year. Whether you have them do it straight down the mat or in a circle around it is up to you.

  • Ship captain, party freeze dance, parachute, rhythm sticks, etc.

  • PS tumble listening song playlist

  • Pushup Game: basement, first floor, second floor, attic

  • “Wiggle worms” popsicle stick with different actions on them (Do we have these anywhere?)

  • March “Leprechaun's Gold” Kids line up at one side, teacher is at the other side with bean bags (gold). Teacher falls asleep and kids try to sneak and get the gold and take it back to the other wall. If they are noisy, the teacher wakes up and kids have to freeze fast.. Whoever the teacher catches moving or talking has to go back to the start. They can only get one gold at a time. Assistant should play with the kids so they understand how to do it.

  • Acrobatic arts cardio time

• Pass off time, stamps on FEET! Make sure the kids are clapping for each other.

  • NO STICKER CHARTS

  • Use the tumble bear stamps or themed stamps (use the heart for february, etc)

  • Use this time to have an individual connection with each student. Ask them what their favorite part of today was, or something else, so they have time to feel heard. Say their name.

 Expectations for a 20 minute tumble class:

• If you find things that work well, let me know so I can make sure to put them into the written lesson plans. Since the classes are combined now, you only get 20 minutes of tumble which means you might need to incorporate some of the exhibition skills that aren't part of the circuit into your dance class. Ex: positions, rock & roll, strengthening

• Skip listening song and stretches, shortened circuit time.

Skills review, progressions, fun rhymes to use, proper spotting techniques

• Wrist clarification

• Don’t pull on arms- spot at the hips, support shoulders, 

• Always protect the head and spine

• Cartwheel starts with a square hip- not like they learn at the playground

  • Use the cartwheel blocks, mats, poly dots, etc.

• Forward roll: “Hands up high, touch the sky. Hands down touch the ground. Tuck, and roll!”

• Bridge to kickover

  • Retire develope

  • Tendu lift NO weight on pointed

• Finishing skills- teach them when to say TA-DA and make sure we aren’t skipping out on the finish

• Somersaults- Ending in a tuck? In pike? Standing up? 

• Cartwheels- L arms

• Handstands- end like they started, arms in front

• Remember that progressions are how we are able to successfully and safely teach how to do these skills. If they have not mastered an "L" stand, they shouldn't be trying to do a handstand. If they can't hold their arms straight with their head off the floor and their shoulders over their hands in a bridge, they shouldn't be picking up their feet or hands. If the lesson plan says to progress to a certain skill, but your class is still struggling, adjust to fit your class.

• Other ideas and teacher favorites?

Equipment: Props and mats

• Set boundaries for classes. If we are using a pool noodle in the circuit, it is NOT acceptable to move it. Supplies need to stay where it’s been placed. 

• Putting away the mats the right way.

• Station cards- Preschool version

  • Use for warm up, pass off time, attention games

Music in tumbling classes

• Always turn music down low so it isn’t hyping up the class

• Using music in the background is a privilege for the teacher- it should only be used if your class is managed and under control.

Tumble exhibition- review skills and process

• Add here