1st - 4th are Jumping Around

The first and second graders began jump rope this week. There are a variety of skill levels, but the neat thing about jump rope is that all the children get better, and there are so many different "tricks" the children can work on. There are so many opportunities for challenges and successes; I really enjoy helping the children and watching them succeed! Some "tricks" (skills) the children are working on are single and double bounce, forward and backward turning, single legs hops, jogging through the rope in place and moving. The second graders played "Connect Four" , jump rope style, and started a challenge sheet. They get so excited to do these challenges.
The third and fourth graders are continuing their jump rope unit. The third graders continue to work on their "Challenge Sheet" where a partner watches them try to complete a skill for a specified number of jumps. They also continued to work on partner challenges and their "Record Breaker Club" where they work to complete the most number of jumps in a row without a miss. The children really do work very hard and take the challenges seriously (but with a lot of laughter too). The fourth graders are working this week to perfect and memorize their jump rope routines. Some children chose to do their routine with a partner, but they are still assessed individually. As the children get more and more into creating their routines, they are coming up with some neat tricks of their own.
The JK children worked on kicking this week along with reviewing some of the skills we have worked on throughout the year. When the children practice kicking, they have learned to try to use the "inside" of the foot instead of their toe which seems to come more naturally. The children also practiced hula hooping, jumping and turning a rope (some of the children are actually starting to turn and jump their rope one or two times in a row), and some other fun stations like foxtail balls, and scoops. I keep telling them to practice this skill a lot at home so by the time they are in SK and first grade they will be excellent jumpers. I can really tell which children have practiced this skill before. Next week we will be working on tumbling skills on teh big blue mat in our Auxiliary gym.