The Progression of Learning to Ride a Bike = The Progression of Confidence in Children
As educators you have all had your share of children lacking in self-confidence, it almost becomes a personal challenge for each teacher to find a way of reaching these kids and helping them boost their confidence and self-esteem. Did you know one of the fastest ways to achieve that goal is by teaching a child to learn to ride a bike?
The skill of learning to ride a bike has the ability to boost a child’s confidence like no other task. Sure, finally figuring out a math problem will give a child a boost, but it’s completely different when a child pedals a bicycle for the first time.
Children who learn how to ride a bike early have more opportunities to ride with friends and family, which means more socialization. Play serves as an integral part of social, emotional, and physical development. Not only does play boost confidence, but it also fosters friendships with other children.
With the goal being to create independent bike riders, children will soon be on their way to successfully combine balance, steering and pedaling. Once these skills are mastered the child will be on to learning how to navigate throughout their neighborhood, learn how to independently interact with other children and finally they will feel a sense of “self”, “identity” and “freedom”, all things that are achieved when learning how to ride a bike and all things that boost confidence! Suddenly the fear of trying other new things doesn’t seem so scary for a child.
The All Kids Bike Learn-To-Ride Program is as much about gaining confidence in life as it is about riding a bike.
The biggest challenges to overcome for some children will be anxiety and fear. To overcome this, it’s about gaining that self-confidence. When children slowly progress through the Learn-To-Ride program they feel the success of striding a bike in balance mode, learning how to coordinate their feet to propel and stop the bike, and before they know it, they are on to pedaling the bike.
The pride and confidence that they gain once this skill is achieved will translate into many other areas of their lives. To get over a big hump and milestone like this turns into less apprehension about trying other things.
Educators take on a responsibility to increase life exposures and experiences so children can develop confidence in coping with a larger world. The Kindergarten Learn-To-Ride program exposes children to new things and teaches them that no matter how scary and different something seems; they can conquer it!
If your school currently does not offer the Learn-To-Ride program, please reach out to one of our All Kids Bike specialists here and find out how you can get your school on the waiting list.
The earlier children are riding bicycles, the earlier they can find a world of independence, freedom, and mobility. The sense of achievement and increased confidence kids have the first time they pedal on their own is hard to find elsewhere.