commonly asked questions for children who are in grades K-12
How to help with kids feet turning in?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Work on side-stepping
- Squatting, making sure that hips, knees and ankles stay in line with each other
- Toe out walking (play games and have child walk like a penguin)
- Stand with feet in " = sign" to play
how to help a child who can't balance on a balance beam?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Start by using an 8 inch balance beam
- Progress to a 6 inch and then to a 4 inch balance beam as child tolerates
- Give two hand held assist, progressing to single hand assist, until child no longer needs assistance
- Stand with one foot in front of the other (heel touching opposite toe) or stand with a narrow base of support. While in these positions have the child reach with arms in different directions or bounce a ball.
how to work on kicking, catching and throwing?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Begin kicking and catching using a larger diameter ball
- Progress to a smaller ball as skills increase
- Toss underhand first to catch and throw
- Play "basketball" using a bucket, garbage can, etc.
how to help a child who is stumbling/tripping?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Work on marching in place
- Have student step over stationary objects starting with 2 inch high object and progressing up to 6 inch high object as student tolerates
- Walk on heels with toes up
- Walk on tip toes (toe walking)
how do i help a student learn to run?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Play tag
- Play games that have students race against each other
- Provide single hand assist if needed and slowly increase cadence (speed of walking) as tolerated by student
- Play games like "duck, duck, goose"
How to teach a student to walk backwards
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Utilize use of pull toy with students
- Guide them and/or model for them
- Make a tape ladder on the floor and have the child step over the tape
- PLAY
how to help a student jump?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Work with students on how to get onto tip toes
- Perform activities that involve squatting
- Practice going through jumping motions (getting into squatting position and then popping up onto tip toes)
- Practice jumping of curbs, steps, etc.
- PLAY
how to teach a student to gallop?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- After demonstrating the gallop, physically guide the child’s lead foot then the rear foot to indicate foot placement. Have the child imitate your movements. Say, for example, “We are galloping like a horse.”
- Have the child pretend to be riding a horse, using a toy stick horse. Play some music, showing the child that when the music starts the gallop begins and when the music stops the gallop stops.
- Have the child gallop forward 10 steps with the right foot leading, then switch to the left as the lead foot. Tie little bells on the lead foot so the child gets a visual and auditory cue.
- Practice galloping with a partner
- PLAY
how to teach a student to skip?
ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES:
- Be sure that the child can hop. If not work on hopping skills. Skipping requires a step and a hop with one foot, then a step and a hop with the opposite foot, changing feet after each step-hop. Show the child how to step and hop with the same foot. Hold child’s hand for support if needed.
- When the child can step and hop with the left foot, teach the same pattern with the right foot. Then have the child alternate between each foot: Skip with the right, then with the left. Start with only two skips, then increase the number to four or five skips.
- Teach songs like “Skip to My Loo” and have the child skip to the music.