Age: 4+ Preschool and Kindergarten and older learning disabled students.
For: Teachers for the benefit of students.
Skills learned: Curving and bending lines, circles.
Introduction: Alphabet letters are made up of sticks, curves and circles, formed by moving in directions. By practicing the stick and circle shapes kinesthetically, with their full body, kids experience an alphabet letter shape. This gives them more in-depth insight that just seeing the written shape and tracing with their pencils or hands.
And, moving from one shape to the next gives students an idea of the flow of letters that make up words, sentences: the flow of language.
I've had a lot of fun inventing these shapes with pre-K and primary students and those with learning and physical disabilities, both in the regular classroom and special education as a dance specialist since 1965.
Suggestion: To begin, clear enough floor space, perhaps by pushing desks or tables to the sides of the room and using the center story time carpet.
Lesson 1. Standing in Curved, Bending Lines
You can divide your class into groups so some are moving and the others watching until it is their turn.
With a small group of students have them join hands in a horizontal line with everyone facing the front of the class.
While they are still holding hands, ask the students at the 2 ends to take one step forward, and the student in the middle to take one step backward.
What happens?
The line shape is a curve like part of a ball and the line shape is shorter from side to side.
Tell the students that this curving shape is part of many letters in the alphabet.
Let each group that was watching have a turn to make the curving bending shape.
As an added feature have the students go back to their straight line again so they can experience both shapes alternately.
Follow up the lesson with students drawing curving lines on paper.
Lesson 2. Make a fist to learn curved and straight
With students seated, either at their desks or on the carpet have them stretch their fingers out straight and then make a fist.
Explain that stretched out fingers are like straight lines, and the fingers shaped into a fist are like curved lines.
A little verse to remember:
"Curving in so tight to wait,
For fingers to again stretch straight."
Article by Susan Kramer
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For offline reading
Kinesthetic Math and Language Lessons -
YouŽll find 33 beginning and advanced kinesthetic math and language lessons in 78 pages for kids of all abilities in grades K-6, including teaching all ages hand signing with the one-hand alphabet with large photos of the letter shapes.
And, for ages 2 to 5, more than 10 kinesthetic learning lessons, plus rhythms, dances and exercises in this workbook Rhythms and Dances for Toddlers and Preschoolers
