Parents are an essential element to their child’s success in anything. The enthusiasm
and support, or lack thereof, of a parent can make or break a child’s
accomplishments. At Elite Child Development Academy, it is even more essential that parents be
involved as part of the teaching team since the SKILLZ system applies child
development and psychology. This approach can create extreme success for a child
when their parents appreciate the program and are involved in the process.
Parents that enroll their children in martial arts want to see them succeed but most
don’t know what is needed from them to make this happen. Often, children who are in
martial arts do not have parents that are martial artists themselves. Parents usually know
what the benefits of martial arts are but don’t understand the process of making these
benefits a reality. Since the goal of the our SKILLZ program is to help children grow to be
the best version of themselves, much emphasis is placed on the teaching team of
instructors and parents.
The SKILLZ curriculum is based on the developmental stages of children. The skill
requirements for each level were carefully designed to developmentally benefit the
child the most while using martial arts as a vehicle to ensure success. Within this system,
the child not only learns self-defense, but also develops physically, intellectually,
emotionally, and socially. To help parents prepare for this journey with their child, they
receive a parent manual for the level their child is enrolled in. This initiates the teaching
team collaboration and sets the stage for success.
In the SKILLZ program, communication is essential to helping children be the most
successful. Throughout each testing cycle, information is distributed on the skills that are
being taught in a specific week. This helps parents to know what is happening in each
class so they can initiate a conversation with their child about it. During or directly after
class, Elite CDA instructors do a quick overview of the skill of the day, with the parents that
watching, so they can gain a better understanding of the benefits of the class to the
overall development of their child. Therefore, it is important for parents to be present, as
often as possible, when their children are taking class.
Since parental involvement is an essential part of this program, the instructors work to
educate the parents on the different aspects of the program by providing the quick
overviews as well as implementing mat chats during class and using the supplemental
program, Parent SKILLZ, as an additional resource. Special class events are also held
from time to time, so that parents can participate in class with their child. By doing this,
parents are then aware of how they can help their child train at home. This also helps
solidify the engagement of the parents in their child’s training, thereby, increasing their
child’s excitement and enjoyment of the activity ultimately leading to success.
By fostering a good working relationship with parents, Elite CDA instructors make certain
that parents have the resources they need to help their child. When parents are
enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the instruction their child is receiving, they can
better help their child navigate through the training process. As an added benefit, the
parent-child relationship is nurtured as all aspects of the SKILLZ program are
implemented and reinforced. This ensures success for the child as they develop to be
the best version of themselves.
Sincerely,
Master Tarek Alnatur
