Teaching Aerial Skills to Verbal Learners: A Framework for Success

What I love about understanding verbal learning is that it also forces us as instructors to slow down and articulate movements we might have picked up intuitively or quickly. Sometimes the skills that came easiest to us as aerialists are the hardest to teach because we never had to consciously break them down. Developing verbal instruction makes us better teachers for all students, not just verbal learners.

The Science Behind Verbal Learning in Motor Skills

Research in motor learning has consistently shown that verbal instruction plays a crucial role in skill acquisition, particularly during what's known as the "cognitive stage" of learning. During this initial phase, athletes gather and process verbal information about the sport, organizing it into meaningful forms that lead to the creation of motor programs.

Recent studies in gymnastics—a discipline closely related to aerial arts—have demonstrated that verbal feedback focusing on key elements of movement significantly enhances the effectiveness of learning complex motor skills. The research is clear: providing strategic verbal cues on the most important aspects of a skill produces better results than overwhelming learners with feedback on every detail.

Perhaps most fascinating is research showing that children who could verbally state skill cues were 2 to 17 times more likely to have mastered those skills. This finding underscores the powerful connection between verbal understanding and physical execution.

Key Principles for Teaching Verbal Learners

Based on current motor learning research, here are the foundational principles I use when teaching verbal learners:

1. Start with Clear Nomenclature Cues enhance learning by improving student attention, comprehension, and retention. Before teaching any skill, I ensure students know its proper name. This creates a "mental file folder" where all subsequent information can be stored. Whether it's a "Figure 8 Footlock," a "Russian Squat," or a "Hip Key," the name provides a linguistic anchor point.

2. Focus on Key Elements, Not Every Detail Research shows that feedback on key elements rather than all errors is more effective when learning complex motor skills. This means identifying the 3-5 critical components that make or break the skill, rather than overwhelming students with every nuance at once. For simple skills, you might have 2-3 key elements. For advanced skills, you might have 4-5, but resist the urge to list everything.

3. Use Descriptive, Directional Language Verbal cues are concise phrases that direct attention to critical task information and help recall movement sequences. The more specific and action-oriented your language, the better. Instead of vague directions like "wrap your foot," use precise language: "wrap from the outside, around the tail of the fabric, and back out." Instead of "put your hand there," say "place your hand shoulder-height on the silk, with your palm towards your face."

4. Combine Verbal with Visual and Kinesthetic Input While we're focusing on verbal learners, verbal instruction combined with other forms of feedback produces positive effects on learning gymnastic and aerial skills. I always demonstrate while I describe, and I offer hands-on adjustments when appropriate. Since we don't always know who our verbal learners are—especially in the first few weeks—this multi-modal approach ensures we're reaching everyone while also helping us observe which students respond most strongly to verbal instruction.

5. Encourage Self-Talk and Repetition Learners can use verbal cues as self-talk to encourage skill completion. After verbal instruction, I have students talk themselves through the movement sequence before attempting it, reinforcing the motor pattern linguistically before physical execution. This practice also reveals which students are verbal learners—they're the ones who eagerly verbalize and often perform better after articulating the steps.

A Framework for Verbal Instruction: The Figure 8 Footlock Example

Let me show you how this framework works in practice using one of the most fundamental footlocks in aerial silks: the Figure 8 Footlock. While I'll use this specific skill as my example, the principles I demonstrate here can be translated to any aerial skill, from beginner moves to advanced sequences, on any apparatus—silks, lyra, trapeze, rope, or hammock.

Step 1: Name the Skill and Set the Context

Example for Figure 8 Footlock: "Today we're learning the Figure 8 Footlock. It's called this because the fabric wraps around your foot in a pattern that resembles the number 8. This is your foundational footlock—once you master this, you'll use it constantly to build sequences on, hold positions, and rest in the air."

Why This Works: By naming it and explaining why it has that name, I'm giving verbal learners a mnemonic device and context for the skill's importance. This same principle applies to any skill: name it, explain the name if possible, and contextualize where it fits in their learning progression.

Translation to Other Skills:

• "Today we're learning the Crossback Straddle. We call it a straddle because your legs are wide apart in a V-shape, and a crossback because it requires you keep on X on your back with the fabrics to stay supported in the move. This is a fundamental skill in aerial with dozens of entries you will learn as you progress in your aerial skills."
• "We're working on the Crucifix today. It's named after the cross-shaped position your body makes. This is an advanced strength skill that requires controlled shoulder engagement."

Step 2: The Verbal Breakdown

Here's my verbal instruction for the Figure 8 Footlock, broken into manageable chunks:

Chunk 1 - The Initial Wrap: "Start by holding one silk in each hand. Choose your dominant side—we'll call it your wrapping side. Take the foot on your wrapping side and bring it to the tail of the fabric—that's the piece hanging down below where you're holding. Wrap that foot from the outside, around the back of the tail, and emerge back to the outside. Think of it like you're hugging the fabric with the outside edge of your foot."

Chunk 2 - The Anchor Position: "Now, keep that wrapping foot extended out to the front—don't let it drop—while using your opposite hand to balance. This is your anchor point. Stay stable here for a moment."

Chunk 3 - Bringing the Fabric Across: "Next, take your hand on the wrapping side—the same side as the foot that's wrapped—and pullup on your grip point. You're going to then move the silk, which is currently in front of you, over to the pinkie-toe side of your wrapped foot. This silk should pass below your knee—imagine drawing a line with your moving hand from infront of your to your pinkie toe."

Chunk 4 - Creating the Figure 8: "Now comes the figure-8 part: Take that same piece of fabric in your hand and wrap it under your pinkie toe, then up to emerge on the big-toe side of your foot. The fabric goes under your foot from pinky to big toe. You should now see the fabric creating a crisscross pattern over the top of your foot—that's your figure 8."

Chunk 5 - The Lock: "Finally, step down with a squared off foot strongly to lock the fabric in place. The tension and the crisscross pattern will hold your weight. Test it by holding up firmly onto both silks and putting your weight onto the lock - the lock should hold you."

Why This Breakdown Works:

• Each chunk contains one clear action or concept
• I use consistent terminology throughout ("wrapping side," "tail," "pinkie-toe side")
• I include anatomical reference points that students can identify on their own bodies
• I provide visual metaphors ("like hugging the fabric," "crisscross pattern")
• I chunk the instruction so students aren't overwhelmed with the entire sequence at once

Step 3: Identify Key Elements Explicitly

For verbal learners, I explicitly state which elements are non-negotiable. This is crucial because these students need to know what to prioritize in their mental rehearsal and self-correction.

For the Figure 8 Footlock:

1. The wrap direction: Outside-around-outside on the initial wrap
2. The fabric placement: Below the knee, on the pinkie-toe side
3. The crossover pattern: Under the pinkie toe, up on the big-toe side
4. The firm squred foot: Essential for creating the locking tension

For Any Skill: Ask yourself: "If a student gets everything else wrong but nails these 3-5 things, will they be safe and eventually successful?" Those are your key elements.

Step 4: Create Verbal Shortcuts

Once students understand the full description, I introduce shorter verbal cues they can use as self-talk. Research shows that incorporating instructional strategies like cue words significantly influences how well motor skills are learned. These condensed phrases become the students' internal coaching voice.

For the Figure 8 Footlock:

• "Outside-around-outside"
• "Pull to pinkie side"
• "Under-pinkie-up-big-toe"
• "Straight squared foot to lock"

Creating Shortcuts for Any Skill: The best verbal shortcuts are rhythmic, memorable, and sequence the key actions. They should be short enough to say internally while performing the movement.

Step 5: Common Verbal Learner Questions (and How to Answer Them)

Verbal learners tend to ask excellent questions because they're building a linguistic framework for the movement. Welcome these questions—they're a sign of engagement and often reveal which students are verbal learners.

For the Figure 8 Footlock:

"Which silk am I wrapping first?" "Great question! You're wrapping the silk that's on the same side as your wrapping foot. If you're wrapping with your right foot, you're initially working with the right silk, which is the 'tail' hanging down."

"How do I know if the fabric is below my knee?" "You should be able to see open space—your actual knee—above where the fabric crosses. If the fabric is touching above your knee, it's too high. Imagine a handwidth of space between the fabric and your knee."

"What if the fabric keeps slipping?" "Check two things: First, is your foot tightly wrapped and held out in front of you? A loose wrap loses the lock. Second, did you complete the full figure-8 crossover? The lock comes from the fabric crossing itself while under tension around your foot."

Answer Framework for Any Skill:

1. Validate the question ("Great question!" or "That's a really important detail to understand")
2. Answer with specific, concrete information
3. Provide a way for them to self-assess ("You'll know it's right when..." or "Check by...")
4. If applicable, explain the "why" behind the answer

Why This Approach Works for Verbal Learners

Verbal learners thrive on linguistic processing. By providing:

• Clear, sequential instructions
• Anatomical reference points ("pinkie toe side," "below the knee")
• Directional language ("from outside," "around the back," "up and under")
• Meaningful names ("Figure 8," "tail of the fabric")
• Explicit identification of key elements
• Verbal shortcuts for self-talk

...we're essentially giving them a verbal blueprint they can follow. During the cognitive stage of learning, instruction, guidance, and feedback techniques are highly effective, and verbal learners particularly excel when given this type of detailed linguistic framework.

Moreover, verbally describing one's own motor performance contributes to motor skill acquisition and can be associated with enhanced motor imagery. When students can articulate what they're doing, they develop stronger mental representations of the movement, leading to better physical execution.

The Hidden Benefit: Becoming a Better Teacher

Here's something I've discovered through teaching verbal learners: it has made me a dramatically better instructor overall. Many of the skills that came easily to me as an aerialist—the ones I learned quickly and performed intuitively—were actually the hardest for me to teach at first. Why? Because I never had to consciously break them down for myself.

When you force yourself to articulate every step, every directional change, every key element of a movement, you develop a deeper understanding of the mechanics. You identify the "micro-movements" that make the difference between success and failure. You discover ways to describe sensations and positions that students can't yet feel for themselves.

This verbal breakdown benefits all your students, not just verbal learners:

• Visual learners can watch while you describe, creating stronger neural connections
• Kinesthetic learners can match the physical sensation to your words, building body awareness
• Mixed learners get multiple entry points to understanding

And it benefits you by making every skill in your teaching repertoire clearer, more systematic, and more accessible to a wider range of students.

Adapting Verbal Instruction for Different Skill Levels

Beginners:

• Use the full verbal explanation with frequent pauses for comprehension
• Have them repeat the instructions back to you before attempting the skill
• Break complex skills into two or three separate practice sessions
• Expect to repeat the same verbal cues many times—repetition builds the neural pathway
• Celebrate when they can verbally describe what they're about to do

Adv. Beginners to Intermediate:

• Introduce the abbreviated cue words and expect them to self-correct using verbal reminders
• Ask them to identify their own errors verbally: "What happened with your foot position there?"
• Begin having them verbalize new variations: "How would you modify this skill if..."
• Encourage peer teaching—have them verbally guide a partner through a skill
• Challenge them to create their own verbal shortcuts for skills they're mastering

Advanced:

• Have them teach skills to newer students (always under the supervision and backup of an instructor) using their own verbal explanations—this metacognitive verbalization deepens their mastery
• Ask them to verbally break down skills they're struggling with: "Talk me through what you're trying to do"
• Use verbal cues as refinement tools: "Where exactly is your hand placement in that transition?"
• Engage them in discussions about teaching methodology and skill progressions
• Invite them to contribute to your teaching vocabulary and cue development

Practical Tips for Implementing Verbal Teaching Techniques

1. Write It Down

Provide written breakdowns of skills, either in handouts, on your studio's online platform, in instructional videos, or via email. Many verbal learners also process written information effectively and appreciate having notes to review. This also helps you maintain consistency in your teaching language.

2. Develop a Studio Vocabulary

Students understand concepts better when teachers use the same terms consistently throughout instruction and feedback. Create a studio-wide glossary of terms for positions, grips, and movements. If you call it the "tail" consistently, don't suddenly call it the "bottom silk." This consistency is especially important if you have multiple instructors.

3. Record Your Instructions

Suggest that students record your verbal breakdown on their phones (I only suggest this for adult students) so they can listen while practicing at home or review before the next class. This is especially helpful for complex sequences or skills that require multiple sessions to master.

4. Pause for Processing

After each verbal chunk, give students a moment to mentally rehearse before moving to the next step. This allows linguistic processing to occur and prevents cognitive overload. I usually count to three or four silently after giving a verbal instruction before demonstrating or moving on.

5. Encourage Questions Always

Create a classroom culture where questions are welcomed and answered precisely. Verbal learners often need to clarify language before they can move forward. Don't interpret questions as lack of attention—they're often signs of deep engagement and an attempt to build understanding.

6. Use Consistent Anatomical References

Instead of "that arm" or "the other leg," use specific references: "your right arm," "your bottom leg," "the leg closest to the ceiling." This removes ambiguity and helps students follow your instructions even when they can't see you demonstrate.

7. Narrate During Demonstrations

As you demonstrate a skill, narrate what you're doing using the same language you'll use when the students attempt it. This creates a powerful association between the words and the visual demonstration.

8. Watch for Verbal Learner Signals

Students who are verbal learners often reveal themselves through their behavior:

• They ask lots of detailed questions
• They lip-sync or whisper your instructions to themselves
• They perform better after verbally rehearsing
• They help other students by explaining in their own words
• They look relieved when you provide detailed verbal breakdowns
• They struggle when you just demonstrate without words

When you identify these students, you can tailor your approach to include even more verbal guidance for them.

Teaching Multiple Learning Styles Simultaneously

Since we don't always know which students are verbal learners—especially in their first few weeks or months at our studio—the best practice is to incorporate multiple teaching techniques in every class. Here's how I structure my instruction to reach verbal, visual, and kinesthetic learners simultaneously:

1. Name and contextualize the skill (verbal) 2. Demonstrate the complete skill (visual) 3. Break down the skill verbally while demonstrating in slow motion (verbal + visual) 4. Have students practice with verbal cues (verbal + kinesthetic) 5. Provide hands-on adjustments and feedback (kinesthetic) 6. Offer verbal corrections and encouragement (verbal) 7. Have successful students demonstrate while others watch (visual)

This layered approach takes slightly more time initially, but it ensures that every student receives instruction in a format that resonates with them. Over time, you'll start to notice patterns in how individual students learn, allowing you to personalize your approach.

The beautiful thing about not knowing exactly how each student learns best is that it pushes us to be more thorough, more creative, and more articulate in our teaching. We become better instructors for everyone when we refuse to assume that our teaching style matches every student's learning style.

Conclusion

Teaching verbal learners in aerial arts requires us to slow down and articulate what we might otherwise demonstrate quickly. But the investment pays off exponentially. These students develop deep understanding, can troubleshoot their own errors, become excellent peer teachers, and often progress rapidly once they've established that initial linguistic framework.

More importantly, developing verbal instruction skills makes us better teachers for all students and helps us identify how to best support each individual who comes through our studio doors. When we teach to verbal learners—naming skills clearly, breaking movements into chunks, identifying key elements, and creating memorable verbal cues—we're not just helping those specific students. We're creating a richer learning environment for everyone.

And perhaps most valuable of all, we're developing a deeper understanding of the very skills we teach. The movements that felt intuitive suddenly have structure. The transitions we made without thinking suddenly have names and reasons. Teaching verbal learners doesn't just help them understand aerial arts—it helps us understand what we do and why it works.

In the next article in this series, we'll explore teaching visual learners—those students who need to see the movement pattern rather than hear it described. We'll look at how demonstration, video analysis, spatial references, and visual cues can unlock learning for these students.

Remember: there's no single "right" way to learn. By understanding and adapting to different learning preferences, and by incorporating multiple teaching techniques even when we don't know each student's optimal learning style, we create an inclusive, effective learning environment where every student can find their way into the air.

Peggy Ployhar, Owner Eternal Aerial Arts, Kemah, TX

How do you incorporate verbal instruction into your teaching? Have you noticed which students respond best to detailed verbal breakdowns? I'd love to hear about your experiences and any verbal cues that have worked particularly well for you and your students!