The most exciting thing about this cycle with first and second graders is that I get to share in the celebration of students’ physical “firsts.” This time of year, we are doing some complex movements that require a lot of coordinating of movements: shooting a basketball after dribbling, using proper footwork for a lay-up, passing a soccer ball to a moving partner, jumping a short rope, and juggling scarves and balls. The squeals of delight when a student has the first taste of success when synchronizing the turning of the rope with a jump, scoring in the hoop or the goal, or completing a juggling cycle with 3 objects are often accompanied by classmates cheering.
The lessons this cycle allowed students to acknowledge the movements they have mastered and challenged them to build new skills using various manipulatives. The idea was for students to have freedom to choose their skill level and explore and experiment with different equipment. On Campus and Virtual Learners had similar experiences with a few modifications needed for equipment and to keep at-home activities safe.
The formula for success:
- Breakdown the skill into segments and difficulty levels (easy, moderate, hard)
- Keep the cue words for performing the skill short and simple
- Student choice for which level the student would like to work at
- Have the student perform trials, set and adjust goals
- Allow the student to PRACTICE
- Focus proper technique during practice and try to self-correct
- Have the student “teach” another student the skill
Students were open to new challenges such as jianzi (shuttlecock) and many were glad to have the opportunity to play their favorite team sports. We also played a few tag games using foam pool noodles as we were chasing and fleeing to improve spatial awareness.
