The All Kids Bike Kindergarten Learn-to-Ride Program is a 24-fleet of bikes, pedal conversion kits, helmets, one teacher instruction bike and certified curriculum teacher training, which is everything needed to teach kids how to progress from balance to riding a bike in 8 lessons at Silverdale Baptist Academy.
Lisa Weyer, executive director of the Strider Education Foundation said, “The ability to ride a bike develops physical and mental well-being and instills confidence which can lead to better focus in the classroom. Kindergarten is the perfect age to teach kids to ride a bike, focusing on gross motor skills, balance and coordination. By teaching bike riding at the entry-level in a public school system, we are providing the knowledge and a positive foundation of a lifelong skill.”
At Silverdale Baptist Academy this program will teach approximately 80 kindergarten students how to ride a bike on an annual basis. With the equipment lifespan of seven-10 years, this will impact up to 800 kids over the next decade.
Silverdale Baptist Academy officials said they are eager to begin the program this year. PE Teacher, Liz Hinkle, who applied for the program, wrote: “Our school regularly engages all students in outdoor education. We are a K-12 school. We already have mountain bikes for our older students. We have space for our elementary students to learn to ride and this would enable our school to continue with amazing outdoor options. Our PE program is 80 percent outdoors and students love the opportunities to move while outside. We already teach kindergarten students about various forms of locomotion and bike riding would add to their psychomotor learning.”