Let’s Get Moving...
Simple Guidelines and Hints
In the past decade, brain science has confirmed the fact that moving the body: in fun ways, in sporting activities and simple basic movement builds the network that strengthens brain function.
BRAIN POWER + BODY POWER = BRILLIANCE
Play has been often called the WORK of young children. We each have done it...as kids ourselves. Now, the global culture, laden with technology and hundreds of distracters, make getting kids to PLAY...really a challenge.
As a caregiver for a youngster, you realize that just making a DAILY small time for our kids to move and play...is so difficult.
My purpose in delivering this eBook to you: is to offer for your review a series of short lessons I have prepared in a very progressive order. I suggest that you begin with body positions and movement vocabulary.
~ Teach Vocabulary
- Body Parts
- Direction Words
- Space Awareness
- Qualities of Movement
- Teachable Moments
- Caregiver CUE words
Caregivers and parents, even newbies, soon gain a working vocabulary to get kids to do and to listen. You know, like the basic control words: STOP, NO, WAIT.
Moving and playing brings small problem-solving opportunities. How to climb a ladder? Figuring out how to make a swing...move.
~ Exploration breeds Creativity and Yields Useful Experience
During the day and during any lessons you might try to teach, the use of a consistent set of words to describe the body [for example] is important. Let me give you a good list of body parts: SEEN & not SEEN.
- Body Part Vocabulary SEEN Parts
Body parts that we See: ankle, arch, back, bottom, cheek, chest, chin, ear, elbow, eye, eyebrow, eyelashes, feet, fingernails, fingers, fall of foot, foot, inside ridge of foot, outside ridge of foot, hair, hand, head, heel, hip, instep, jaw, knee, leg, limb, lip, mouth, neck, nose, palm, seat, shoulder, skin, teeth, thigh, thumb, toe, toenail and waist.
- Body Part Vocabulary not SEEN Parts
Body parts that we cannot SEE: bones, voice box-larynx, brain, heart, lungs, muscles, ribs, stomach and tummy.
As a teaching hint, I suggest that you use a set of descriptive words with consistency. If you do not like my listings, make your own, BUT again, use the terms with consistency during the one or two year period of toddler and preschool learning.
- DIRECTIONS Vocabulary & SPACE Awareness Vocabulary
Use the words on this list to identify WHERE the child should MOVE. Use the words to ask for where their body parts should move.
The LIST: above, across, apart, back, backward, below, close, down, fact IN, face OUT, flat, floor, forward, from, front, high, in, long, low, lower, one directions, open, opposite direction, other directions, out, set, short, side, tall, to, together, under, upon, upper, vertical and wide.
- Qualities of Moving Vocabulary
By putting a name on a style of manner of moving, you can help your child/student make an association between the name and the quality of movement. Try to use as many words from this list as possible to keep images clear and exact.
The list: big, easy, fast, firm, free, hard, heavy, light, little, lively, long, medium, peppy, quick, sharp, short, slow, smooth, soft, straight, strong, tight, tiny, tiptoe and vigorous.
- Teachable Moments Caregiver CUE words
Again, I suggest that you use as many of the CUE WORDS during your lessons and throughout the time you spend with the youngsters.
For example, when you want to start a skill practice: clap your hands or say a word that is both silly but forceful in bringing the child to focus upon YOU, and your words.
Consistency...will get the BEST movements...repeated time and again.
Keep these words on your side as CUE WORDS: active, alternate, briefly, clap, contact, cue, ball of foot, form, mates, moment, pace, parallel, repeat, rhythm, set, small, support, switch, tall, tempo, touch, wide and width.
This LIST has organized ideas into a series of Teaching Tips.
Quickly, look at what I think might your own training goals:
• Have your children move WELL.
• Making sure that movement skills and patterns are gained and stored.
• Have your children move with confidence: That I CAN DO THAT feeling.
• Give the children experiences in moving and exploring their abilities.
• Help them refine and master basic locomotor skills.
• Help form a foundation of physical skills for a lifetime of activity.
• Teach body awareness.
• Develop good balance skills, both static and dynamic.
• Perform basic techniques of rolling, jumping and landing.
• Train coordinations: eye-hand and eye-foot skills.
• Teach the concepts of laterality: sense of left and right.
Now, take these tips, add a safe place to PLAY and making the fun happen everyday!
If you needs a movement plan, visit kidskills.com for a 6 part series of Training Lessons for parents and teachers of preschoolers.
