Right and Left: many children can identify their own right and left hands correctly by age seven. Not until about age eight and a half, though, can they correctly identify right and left on a person facing them. Teaching youngsters skills that involve identifying right and left, then, can be promoted by taking time to have them do something like this, as teacher demonstrates: "Everyone raise your right hand. Now touch your right knee. Now stand up straight, pick up your right foot and step out with it." With younger kids, teacher may need to turn so she is facing the same direction as they are.

Balance: Sometime between age four and five, most children develop good-enough balance to stand on one foot for ten seconds. By five, many kids can walk toe-to-heel on a line or an "imaginary tightrope," but only for a few steps. Among six and seven year olds, it is very common to have much better balance on one foot than on the other, and most of us of any age have some difference in balance from one foot to the other.

Tonic Neck Reflex: From infancy, there is a natural tendency to turn the head toward where the hand is moving. By school age this is mostly gone, but five to ten per cent of children may still show it somewhat up to age eight or nine. For these kids, tai chi chuan movements in which a hand movement is in any direction other than that of the gaze may be challenging and require extra time and practice.

These are only three of the common areas of motor development in which individual differences may impact learning tai chi. A teacher or parent who notes possible difficulties of motor development in a child may wish to pursue a formal evaluation by a physical therapist or occupational therapist who knows how to perform detailed evaluations of gross-motor and fine-motor development.

Language and Understanding. Children with general developmental delays, as well as those with normal intelligence who have language problems, may have trouble understanding directions. Younger children all need to do one thing at a time; as they develop, they can follow instructions involving several steps in sequence. If a student seems to be having trouble following, try breaking down the action into smaller steps. Many adults do this intuitively, but it is useful for us all to remind ourselves from time to time that children are not miniature adults.

Elementary-school-age kids need concrete instructions and examples. Thus animal models like "spider hands" and "bear-walking" are readily understood by many. Around age 12 or 13, the capacity for abstract thought blossoms, but until that age, concrete and specific language is always better.

If a particular child is becoming frustrated in learning a certain skill, a different example or re-wording the instructions may be useful. A city child may relate less well, for example, to animal models-he may never have seen a bear walk, but may instantly relate to a warm-up such as "walk like a robot."

Attention span and activity level. Younger kids are naturally more restless and more easily distracted than older ones. If ages are widely varied in a group, then, it may be useful to have the youngest in front. (Similarly, any child who is especially distractible will usually do better in front, where visual distractions are least and where teacher can easily redirect attention.)

Younger kids will need changes of activity more often; the older ones can stay with a given exercise longer. As a rough guide, most young ones can sustain attention to something effortful for one to three times their age in minutes. To expect a five year old to sustain a single activity for more than five to fifteen minutes may be unrealistic, even sometimes when it is intrinsically fun. A lesson plan for an hour, then, will need several activities, depending upon the ages involved.

Here is a tip: in a group of mixed age, sometimes the older kids who grasp the lesson quickly can minimize becoming bored and impatient by helping with the younger ones.

Disruptive behavior. Everyone who works with children has to manage some degree of bad behavior. Each teacher will develop her own ways of doing so. A child who is persistently disruptive may have a significant behavior disorder, and the parent will usually let you know if this is the case, as well as provide you with information about what management tools are effective.
To the extent that a child enjoys the class activity, "time out" can be an effective consequence that will reduce the frequency and duration of unwanted behaviors. A "time out chair" or spot away from the group is the only requirement, and a timer is usually helpful. The length of a time-out (in minutes) should ordinarily not exceed the child's age.

Teaching disruptive children can be extremely challenging, but remember that these are some of the kids with the most to gain from activities like tai chi chuan.

Praise, rewards and touch. Positive reinforcement increases desired behaviors and efforts. For many kids, adult praise is a powerful reinforcer. "Good job, Jacques!" "Way to go, Anna." Other kinds of positive reinforcement includes "gold star" stickers, "points," tokens, or small food items (with parent approval) like a few raisins, but social reinforcers plus the inherent rewards of the activity (and tai chi chuan IS fun and rewarding) are generally enough.

Many organizations and institutions have become sensitive to any behavior that could remotely be interpreted as inappropriate touching of children by adults, and some children have been taught by their parents to be vigilant about these matters. It is often recommended as a matter of policy that adults in teaching roles limit themselves to certain kinds of touching. For example, it is reasonable to say that "high fives," pats on the upper back, and hugging from the side are good ways to show approval and affection in the teacher role, while avoiding any appearance of inappropriate intent.

If you learn that a child has been abused or molested in the past, it is wise to speak to the parent about any issues of discipline or touch and obtain their advice and approval for a planned approach.

Finally, it is always appropriate, when you feel the need, to seek advice or information from professionals in child development, behavior and education. Confidentiality must be considered, and identity protected. Seeking advice from professionals may also give us a chance reciprocally to educate them about the potential for tai chi to enhance children's development!