Objective: This lesson plan uses the 'Which Way Game' to develop and strengthen concentration, visual perception, and non-verbal observation/communication skills.

Participants: A leader or teacher, and students.

Ages: 3 through adult.

Preparation: Enough space for students to move around; in a regular classroom the center space can be used by sliding furniture to the sides.

Materials: A flat surface the students can move on such as tile, wood, indoor-outdoor carpet, tarmac, grass.

Accompaniment: Recorded music to fit the level of movement the students are capable of such as a march, or another selection with a steady rhythmic beat.

Instructions: 'Which Way Game' - While leader has students standing up and facing him in a group, he signals the direction to move just by his arm and hand waving motions. No verbal instructions given during game.

All possible directions - forward, backward, sideways - and high and low levels of moving can be explored such as close to the ground, (low level), walking upright, (middle level), or on tip-toe, (high level).

The game can use any movement the children have learned. The leader announces beforehand what kind of steps to use: Younger students can use walking steps, progressing to marching steps and slides, and skipping for advanced students. The students remain facing the leader throughout all the movement.

In the photo above, Kathy, almost 5, is sliding forward.

Lessons
Kinesthetic Language Learning - Homepage
1. Kinesthetic Language Learning - Forming Shapes for Alphabet Letters
2. Kinesthetic Language Learning - Lesson Plans for Printing ‘b’ and ‘d’
3. Kinesthetic Language Learning - About Syllables
4. Kinesthetic Language Learning - Developing Concentration
5. Kinesthetic Language Learning - Game to Practice Reading and Writing Left to Right
6. Kinesthetic Language Learning - Sentence Diagramming
7. Kinesthetic Language Learning - Punctuation Exercises
8. Kinesthetic Language Learning - Learn Spelling by Typing

Related Links
Homepage for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Rhythmic Motor Skills for School Age Children
Math while Moving - Free Online Lessons and Introduction

The content of this article is included in
Kinesthetic Math and Language Lessons -
You´ll 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 the one-hand alphabet with large photos of the letter shapes.


For younger kids
Rhythms and Dances for Toddlers and Preschoolers
How to teach toddlers and preschoolers rhythms, floor exercises, large motor skills, expressive dance, kinesthetic mini-lessons and full dances in a 98 page ebook with photos and illustrations.


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

Article and photo credit Susan Kramer