The Learning Levels OVERVIEW:
How Learning Levels Work
We've used a progressive equine education program for over 20 years. Find out how — and why — it could work in your lesson program.
Hint: it’s all about safer students and happier horses!
THE LEARNING LEVELS ARE BUILT AROUND A FEW CORE BELIEFS
- Equine education should be SAFE, PROGRESSIVE, and FUN. Students should master each Level with the help of a well-trained horse and instructor.
- While terminology may differ, good horsemanship is universal. Both our English and Western curriculums teach balanced seat riding, and students are exposed to elements of several different disciplines. The goal is to produce well-rounded, confident equestrians who can be comfortable in any barn and appreciate all that the horse world has to offer.
- Learning how to ride a horse isn’t enough. Our generous four-legged partners are not sports equipment — they are complex living creatures with needs and feelings of their own. That means that equestrians have a responsibility to learn as much as they can about equine behavior, anatomy, daily care, conditioning, etc.
- Riding is not the only way to enjoy horses. There are many wonderful, fulfilling activities that can take place on the ground and they are as equally valuable as time in the saddle. Students can earn ribbons through the HorseSense and HorseCentered curriculums regardless of their desire or ability to ride.
THE LEARNING LEVELS OVERVIEW
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The Learning Levels curriculum is divided into three branches to reflect our commitment to teaching well-rounded horsemanship to children and adults — with a special additional track for very young riders.
In our own lesson program, classes are based around each curriculum, with students grouped by Level.
Our students can progress independently through each of the three tracks, earning achievements for their equine knowledge and training skills as well as for their riding ability.
For example, a student could be working on earning their Red Level Horsemanship and Yellow Level HorseSense ribbons simultaneously.
Each curriculum track is divided into Levels, which are made up of checklists of objectives. The objectives are short, achievable goals based on specific skills and concepts. In many cases, these objectives are progressive, with the skills mastered in lower levels creating a foundation for upper level work.
We say that a student has completed an objective when they can demonstrate a skill consistently and correctly, or when they have a deep enough understanding of a particular subject to “teach it back” to us.
Many objectives require a hands-on demonstration of a practical skill. Some objectives allow students to express their knowledge in other ways, such as through a discussion, game, skit, or visual project.
Curriculum objectives are not arbitrary — they cover important knowledge and hands-on skills that our students should be learning even if we didn’t have a system.
That means that most curriculum objectives can be completed through regular mounted and unmounted lessons, with no formal testing or additional commitments required. This is great for test-phobic students!
An efficient daily tracking process is the key to making this work. Tracking tools such as Progress Sheets allow multiple instructors to keep up-to-date records of a student’s progress.
Our recordkeeping system for a mid-sized riding school took less than ten minutes a day!
When students have mastered every objective in a Level, it’s important to celebrate their accomplishment. This gives students a sense of achievement and motivation to continue their equine studies.
We award colorful ribbons – which you can see in our Shop – and use printable certificates. Some instructors award additional creative prizes such as medals, stickers or wristbands.
As students Level Up, we note their progress on public Achievement Charts and announce their achievements in our lesson program’s newsletter and social media.
Since the Levels checklists create a standard for instruction, the Levels can be used to streamline lesson planning and teach cohesive lessons with a multi-instructor team.
Over the years, we’ve created hundreds of time-saving teaching tools to supplement the Levels curriculum. These include lesson plans, study guides for students, worksheets and games, camp and event planners and marketing materials.
Having resources for each Level allows us to incorporate high-quality educational materials into our lesson program on an ongoing basis without spending hours on writing, designing and editing. The work is already done — and now we get to share all these resources with you!
- The Learning Levels curriculum is our own creation. We have been using and revising it since 2007, when we saw the need for an entry-level curriculum that could benefit our typical riding school clients.
- The Learning Levels are focused on safety and whole-horse education, giving students tangible goals outside of competition. The lower Levels require no greater commitment than regular lesson attendance, making them attractive to students and parents that are new to the horse world.
- This system turned out to be a game changer for our lesson business, helping us survive multiple relocations and a major recession. Our student retention skyrocketed and demand grew for revenue-boosting Level Up Camps and Clinics.
- Since we decided to share our materials with a wider audience, over 1000 instructors have incorporated the Learning Levels instructional resources into their programs, with many businesses experiencing similar results!
TOP 10 REASONS TO USE A LEVELS-BASED CURRICULUM IN A LESSON PROGRAM:
- Using a checklist of objectives makes it easy to track and chart student progress — even if you have multiple instructors teaching in your program.
- Students and parents can easily see the progression of skills , including the prerequisites for higher-risk skills such as cantering, trail riding, and/or jumping.
- Having clearly defined objectives encourages students to study and practice between lessons, and teaches them how to turn goals into action plans.
- It makes it easy for you to plan lessons — especially once you have established lesson plans and teaching tools for each Level.
- Students can easily be grouped by ability during lessons, camps, clinics. You can also use Levels to create additional requirements for showing, leasing, and boarding, ensuring your students are well-prepared for each activity.
- You can assess new students with previous experience, and fill any gaps you may find in their education.
- Students are motivated to complete and advance through Levels, increasing your client retention.
- Students will have visible proof of their accomplishments to share with family and friends. These ribbons and certifcates double as free marketing for you — when students show off their achievements, they inspire prospective new equestrians to join the fun.
- You can boost your revenue by creating leveraged activities based on your Levels program, such as Level Up clinics.
- By providing a comprehensive educational program, you create well-rounded, knowledgeable riders, trainers and caretakers. Your horses will thank you!
LLPro Membership Benefits
- FREE unlimited downloads for ALL of our teaching tools: study guides, lesson plans, course maps, challenges, etc.
- time-saving lesson planners and trackers
- helpful members-only blog posts
- members-only discounts on Shop merchandise