Feb 17, Coordisports Physical Education
Mr Shuhei comes to CGK Preschool every two weeks to lead his super fun P.E. lessons.
Each column will feature some insights or stories about physical development, reports for each P.E. lesson, and share some YouTube videos showing some physical activities that you can try at home with your child.
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Commentary Article on Exercise
So, there are only 2 more of the 7 abilities left to explain. In review, we use the illustration of a house, the foundation of the house is the ability to Balance, and the pillars are Reaction, Rhythm, Orientation and Differentiation abilities. In this article, I will explain "Adaptation Ability" which is like the roof of the house. Adaptation Ability means being able to quickly change and/or synchronize movements. In soccer, when a player is dribbling and the opposing defense comes from the left, the player will dodge to the right, stop, or step back. By assessing the situation around them, a player with a high Adaptation ability will instantly know which option is the best. Being able to move forward without bumping into others in a crowded weekend shopping mall is another example of Adaptation ability. Playing a game where you move through the crowd (without running) while trying to limit how much you move in avoidance will help train Adaptation ability. Also, as I said before, the seven abilities are not independent, and but each affects the other. Adaptation ability, similar to the roof of a house, cannot grow unless the foundation and pillars of the house are well-developed first. Don't rush your child in the early childhood years, make sure they have fun training these foundation and pillar-like abilities.
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Jungle Class (3-year-olds) Activity Report
Challenge from the last round!
Risshun (the first day of spring) has passed, but in February it’s still cold. Today's P.E. class was held indoors. We did ① Ring jump, and ② Mat and Bar Exercises. For the ring jump, the children jumped in and out of rings about 50cm in diameter. We changed the way we jumped, from "rock jumps" to "scissors jumps" to "paper jumps", but the children were able to adapt. In April, the Jungle Class students got confused when we changed-up the jumps. It’s been about a year since P.E. started, and I feel they have made a lot of progress in this regard. In the horizontal bar exercise, they finally tried forward flips. A forward flip is a technique where you place your belly button on the horizontal bar, push up with your arms, and then rotate forward and down. Unlike the "Hang like a bat" and foot slip exercises we did before, the student's faces will be higher than the horizontal bar. Some children may feel a bit scared when rotating from that position. However, they have experienced heights before doing the "Balance Chair" etc. It seems they generally enjoyed themselves. Some children felt afraid, but as they gain more skill, eventually, they will be able to do it. It’s better not to push them to do it or they may end up hating the horizontal bar exercises, which will not lead to more activity and better health in the future. When playing with your kids in the park, let them practice these exercises only as much as they enjoy it.(Reference) Forward Flip. The key is ① to turn slowly and ② to keep the hips straight.
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Mountain Class (4-year-olds) Activity Report
Preparation is Always Important
P.E. was held indoors, due to the cold February weather. We had ① a Rock-Paper-Scissors game, ② Movement Training, and ③ Vaulting Box and Horizontal Bar exercises. In the Rock-Paper-Scissors game, the winner went in front and the loser went in the back, and they played wheelbarrow. They have done this before, so they know the importance of "keeping a straight line from shoulders to feet" in order to lead into the handstand. For movement training, they practiced jumping like a frog, which prepared them for the straddle jump that was next. They placed their hands on one of the 50cm rings, and jumped forward with both feet so that their feet were ahead of their hands. Children who could do this movement were able to transition smoothly to the next step, the straddle jump on the vaulting box. For example, running is a combination of "walking" and "jumping". You can't run unless you can walk and jump. All human movements are combinations of more basic movements. These are called "analogon" movements. If you have acquired analogon movements, you will be able to improve your combined movement. Certainly, "Preparation is Always Important" Let's prepare in advance for both exercise and study! -
Sky Class (5-year-olds) Activity Report
Quick and Accurate Reactions!
This is the season for unstable weather, and the last few days have been cold. So, P.E. class was held indoors. We did ① Vaulting Box / Horizontal Bar exercises, and ② Mat exercises. With the vaulting box, the students practiced "reaction jumping" where they jump according to hand signals from the instructor. When the instructor gives the "rock" sign (closed fist), the child jumps over with legs together; when the instructor gives the "paper" sign (flat hand), the child does a straddle jump. For the 1st and 2nd jumps, the sign is given before the child starts running, for clarity. But for the 3rd and 4th jumps, the instructor gives the sign after the child starts running, or changes the sign mid-way. The children jump according to the sign, but sometimes they can't react fast enough and do the wrong jump. In interpersonal sports, players often need to make sudden decisions. In soccer, for example, an opponent may suddenly come from the side to steal the ball. Players need to react accurately and quickly at such times. During today's P.E., by practicing "reaction jumping" the students trained their ability to react accurately and quickly. There are only two P.E. lessons left. We will keep having fun while practicing these important movements!
coordisports Inc.
Shuhei Otsuka
coordisports
■Books
動画でわかる! 小学校体育 コーディネーション運動50 (体育科授業サポートBOOKS)
1年間まるっとおまかせ! 小学1・2年担任のための学級あそび大事典 (共著)
1年間まるっとおまかせ! 小学3・4年担任のための学級あそび大事典 (共著)
1年間まるっとおまかせ! 小学5・6年担任のための学級あそび大事典 (共著)