Developing Skills - Movement

• Published in: Dyslexia and Physical Education pp. 53 - 62
• Main Author: Portwood, Madeleine
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom Routledge 2003; Taylor & Francis Group
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Teaching of a specific subject; Early Learning Years; Soft Play Equipment; Foam Mats; Rain Dance; Yellow Spots; Phonological Assessment Battery; Co-occurring ADHD; Vice Versa; Motion Sensitivity; Neurodevelopmental Disorder; Developmental Dyslexia; Feet Resting; Gymnastics Curriculum; Box Tunnel; Autistic Spectrum Disorder; Inappropriate Movements; Sponge; Basic Movement Skills; Alternative Feet; Field Events; Landing Possibilities; Sport Appeals; Forward Roll
• ISBN: 9781853469701; 9781138175952; 1138175951; 185346970X
• DOI: 10.4324/9780203934258-6

This chapter focuses on the acquisition of basic movement skills. 'Stretching', described in the previous chapter, should be carried out before involving the children in more rigorous activities. Instruct the children to 'find a space' and 'walk round the room'. Make the direction of travel clear and make sure that arm movements are coordinated. Support: children who have difficulty moving arms and legs together benefit from holding quoits. Change the direction of movement: forwards, backwards, sideways. Support: You will observe that some children raise their arms to waist height when walking sideways (Figure 6.1). Beanbags and quoits are probably not quite heavy enough to overcome the associated movements and bring arms down to the side of the body. Give the child batons or small-handled, liquid/sand-filled plastic juice cartons to hold, one in each hand (Figure 6.2). Figure 6.1 Figure 6.2 It is important that inappropriate movements in these basic skills are corrected. Introduce an element of speed. Select movements from (2) and encourage the child to move more quickly. Support: With young children and those who have difficulty maintaining their position in space, it is useful to mark areas on the floor with instructions for the direction of travel. Use straight or parallel lines, instructing the child to keep alongside or within them. A skipping-rope provides a 'curved' path. Now ask the children to display a range of heights and widths: 'Make yourself as tall as you can, as short or as wide' (Figure 6.3). Figure 6.3 Support: Demonstrate 'crouching' and extend arms demonstrating 'wide'. When movement is introduced remember that many children with dyslexia have difficulty with motion sensitivity: they are unable to judge speed and distance and may not be deliberately 'crashing' into the child next to them. Mark their boundaries: 'Only move between the red and yellow spots'. Ask the children to walk on their toes and introduce listening skills. They can slide or walk on the balls of their feet. Say 'Make sure I can't hear your steps'. Change direction, introduce swirling and spinning. Support: Many children with dyslexia have problems associated with balance and the middle ear. A couple of twirls can totally disorientate them. Insist that the children twirl only a short distance (2 m) and mark it with cones or lines. Ensure that 'stationary' activities come between those with turning movements. Let the children explore movement along the surface of the floor. For some activities you will need to use foam mats: encourage the children to crawl, roll (Figure 6.4) or pull themselves along by their hands. Figure 6.4 Support: It is very important to examine the children's crawling movements. More than 80 per cent of children subsequently identified with a neurodevelopmental disorder (dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder) do not go through the crawling stage as babies. Observation of their movements will show a range of immaturities, which should be corrected. Figure 6.5 shows a child moving with his feet held upwards and off the floor. The second picture (Figure 6.6) shows the hands turned inwards, fingers pointing towards the body. Figure 6.5 Figure 6.6 It is important to ensure that the correct crawling position is learned: feet resting on the floor with the palm of the hands flat, fingers pointing away from the body. As an extension of walking, ask the children to march either in a circle or between designated 'spots'. Make sure that arms move in opposition, i.e. right arm with left leg. Develop listening skills and instruct the children to start and stop on command: change direction and alter speed. Support: Some children may find it difficult to move arms and legs in opposition. A baton or quoit held in the hand emphasises the swing of the arms. This can help the child to develop the correct movement pattern. 'Jumping' has four different take-off and landing possibilities: (a 2-foot take-off, 2-foot land (b 2-foot take-off, 1-foot land (c 1-foot take-off, 2-foot land (d 1-foot take-off, 1-foot land. A hop comprises a jump that has single-foot take-off and the same-foot land. Hopping is a sequence of one-foot jumps. Skipping is a sequence of single-foot take-off and single-foot landing, using alternative feet. Support: If the child jumps 2-foot take-off, 2-foot land (Figure 6.7) with his arms flailing, give him beanbags to hold in each hand (Figure 6.8). Figure 6.7 Figure 6.8 Hopping (1-foot take-off, 1-foot land) will probably produce similar hand movements (Figure 6.9). Again, give the child something to hold - a large sponge ball close to the chest (Figure 6.10) or quoits/beanbags to keep his hands down. Figure 6.9 Figure 6.10 Younger children can be encouraged to sequence their hops by putting them into a 'rain dance'. An extension activity is to use a small trampoline to practise jumping. Support: Use beanbags to reduce associated movement in the arms (Figures 6.11 and 6.12). Figure 6.11 Figure 6.12 Incorporate 'twisting' from side to side while jumping on the trampoline. Support: It may be necessary to provide low-level support by holding the wrist. This enables the child to maintain his/her 'position in space' (Figure 6.13). Figure 6.13 The next stage is to incorporate an obstacle into the jump. Reception and Year 1 children can jump over a line or into a hoop from a low step. Years 2/3/4 can jump over a skipping rope (Figure 6.14) - a one-leg take-off and 2-foot landing. Figure 6.14 Years 5/6 can jump over small hurdles and sequence several jumps together. This is good preparation for the 'high jump' in secondary school. Support: The children will progress if the movement is learned properly at the beginning. Increase the height gradually: the child can be set personal targets. Rolling - demonstrate a 'log roll' (Figure 6.4) and encourage the children to copy with arms outstretched or alongside the body. Demonstrate a 'drop-shoulder' roll (Figures 6.15 and 6.16). In the photo, the left elbow is tucked into the waist and the left shoulder touches the mat. The child rolls over onto his/her back, making sure that the head does not make contact with the floor. Following the demonstration, the children copy (Figure 6.17). Figure 6.15 Figure 6.16 Figure 6.17 The forward roll should be demonstrated (Figures 6.18 and 6.19). The head is tucked between the knees but raised from the floor. The legs straighten from the knees and weight is taken onto the hands. Figure 6.18 Figure 6.19 The body is propelled onto the back again without the head touching the mat. Children must be observed carefully when completing a forward roll (Figures 6.20 and 6.21). Figure 6.20 Figure 6.21 Support: When children do not listen and follow the demonstration, they are more likely to place the tops of their heads on the mat and attempt to balance on it while flinging their legs into the air in an attempt to push over onto their backs. Many less-well-coordinated children have been observed attempting a forward roll in this fashion. Pre-school children benefit from 'rolling' over large cylinders of soft play equipment. Start early, encouraging them to tuck their heads in and land on their backs, instead of balancing on their heads. The last example is the 'teddy-bear roll'. The children adopt a V-shaped sitting position with hands holding the underside of the calf as close to the ankle as possible (Figure 6.22). Maintaining the triangular leg shape, roll onto the back and pivot towards the right (Figure 6.23). Figure 6.22 Figure 6.23 Make sure everyone is moving the same way. Roll forwards, legs kept in position, and sit upright again on the mat (Figure 6.24). Figure 6.24 The photographs show Year 5/6 pupils not quite mastering the task, but it is good preparation for the secondary PE curriculum. Support: Using apparatus improves balance, strength and coordination, the activities can involve climbing, balancing, (Figure 6.25), walking, running and crawling. Figure 6.25 The development of motor skills forms the basis of the athletics and gymnastics curriculum in secondary school.