‘Strider Bike Program’ rolled out at Woodstock’s Lewis Elementary

Do we think that most children know how to ride a bike? Perhaps many of us think so, since we see very small children rolling by, just using their feet on the ground for propulsion – and we see others riding in the neighborhoods with parents.

However, in Woodstock, Lewis Elementary School’s P.E. teacher – Scott DeMonte – discovered something different. “At Lewis we were having high numbers of fourth and fifth graders who were unable to ride a bike on their own.”

DeMonte realized that this lack of “bike ability” reflects a growing trend in the country – in spite of parents’ guidance, and good intentions, children are spending more time in front of screens, and less time playing outside or riding bikes.

“I worry – as I do about my [own] children! – that screen time is a losing battle; and it’s scary how much our kids are using screens these days. I want students to come home from school, get their studies done if needed, and then go outside and play. This is healthy, and it allows them to ‘just be kids’ and enjoy these wonderful years. Biking is one of the most fun hidden exercises in the world, in my opinion,” DeMonte told THE BEE.

Being the father of two boys who learned to ride bikes by age three, DeMonte knew about the “balance bikes” that children use, propelled along by feet on the ground. These were crucial to his boys learning at such a young age, and he was a huge fan of these small bikes with no pedals. So he started thinking about teaching Lewis kindergarteners how to ride, using such bikes.

But when he went to the Strider website – a source of information about balance biking for small children – he discovered that, now, pedals that can be added to the balance bikes! “I had to figure out a way to get those [bikes with pedals] at Lewis.”

He wanted children in his Physical Education classes to benefit from the joys and fitness of learning to ride. “It is a skill you have for the rest of your life,” he explained. Then he read more, and learned about the Strider Bike Program, which provides pedal bikes. “Thankfully our PTA and some generous donors made purchasing these bikes a reality. The Lewis community, and we staff, will be grateful for years to come.”

In the just-ended school year, Lewis Elementary had roughly 85 first graders and kindergarteners being introduced to the Strider Bike Program. Of those 85, approximately 50 students were just learning to use a pedal bike.

“We aim to have 100% of all first graders able to pedal by the end of the four-week program. My goal for the kindergartners was 80% – which we have already achieved,” DeMonte said in May. “And I’ve been anticipating that we will have 90% riding by early June” – when school ended for the summer.