Targeting
My favorite trick to teach is targeting.
It’s such a small simple thing. It is the all and everything of training.
If you think about it, is there any trick that isn’t targeting?
Ok there are a few. Most things though are targeting.
I was excited today watching the kids gymnastics class to see the instructor using targeting to teach them! Instead of yelling or trying to explain to them where she wanted them to aim their feet when doing bar work, she held up a target. Here she said, right here is where I want you to aim for. It was simple and fun for them. She marked their successful attempt with a “good job!” and rewarded with praise. A perfect job training with positive reinforcement.
She also uses a target to help the children walk the balance beam. A small stuffed animal is placed at each end for the children to “target” with their eyes as they walk. I hear over and over again as I watch “look at the target” “walk to the target”. They are rewarded by not falling off.
It is a great game for everyone involved. We all know learning happens faster when it is a fun game. And the bases for most learning is the simple target.
