Group or 121…?

“How do I know which session to book?”

We often have people booking their children into our 121 sessions as they think it will help their child to learn faster… but is that really the case?

This week’s blog addresses the benefits of both our group and 121 sessions to help you decide which option might be best for you and your family.

First of all, let’s talk about the differences between the 2 session types:

Without wanting to state the obvious, a group session is a 75 minute session made up of a group of children your child might not necessarily know. There is usually up to 12 children of differing ability with 3 instructors. The sessions start with all the children together, regardless of their ability, learning to walk with the bike (trust us, it’s harder than it looks for children!!) and get the bike moving to help build your child’s confidence in us and the bike. We then look to split the children into different groups depending on where they are up to in their cycling journey.

A 121 session is a 45 minute session with just your child(ren) and an instructor. Your child(ren) is able to practise the different skills without the distraction of other children around them and can move on as and when they are ready.

So what are the benefits of a group session?
Through our years of teaching both at CycleBuddie and in schools, we have learnt that every child is unique and learns very differently. Our group sessions are great for our children who are visual learners, as they are able to watch what the children around them are doing and can see that they are doing the right thing. It also helps our very nervous children, as they are able to see that they can do everything we are asking of them without falling over and hurting themselves.
We also find that our group sessions are slightly less intense, meaning the children are able to spend some independent time on their bikes, practising the skills without eyes on them all of the time. Although each child will get plenty of 1 on 1 time with an instructor during their time with us, we know that children can become quite reliant of having an adult right next to them every step of the way when learning to ride, which causes them to really struggle when an adult isn’t there. We make sure every child is given some time where they are left to work on their skills on their own, proving to themselves that they can do it without being held, further developing their confidence in their ability to ride.

So what are the benefits of a 121 session?
Due to the fact our 121 sessions are made up of just your child and an instructor, there are less people around to distract your child from the task at hand. Your child has the instructor’s undivided attention for the full 45 minutes and your child is learning at their own pace - meaning they can spend longer working on a particular skill if needed, or race through to the next skill when they are ready. We have found these sessions are also great for our slightly older children who may feel embarrassed about being in the same group as 3 year olds, or children with additional needs who might struggle in a group setting.

We personally find our group sessions to be beneficial for the majority of children as we find they work better when able to copy others and it also provides a certain level of friendly competition; “if they can do it, then so can I!” This is something that is lacking in our 121 sessions. Although we never ever compare 1 child to the next, it often helps for the child to see for themselves that it is possible to ride a bike on their own!!
That being said, there are plenty of children who really benefit from that 121 attention, and struggle when put in a group of other children for a huge variety of reasons.

Feel free to message us to tell us a little more about your child if you are struggling to decide what might work best for them!