Station or Pullout? Catching Practice for a Second Grader With Avoidance
Mr. Alvarez teaches a combined second- and third-grade class of 26 students in a gym with four foam balls, six beanbags, and one wall target. During a throwing-and-catching unit, he notices that one second grader, Maya, consistently turns her head away and traps the ball against her chest; she also drops most balls thrown from more than 6 feet. The class has 25-minute periods twice a week for six weeks. The principal has asked that all students show measurable progress on a district rubric that includes catching a self-tossed ball, catching a partner toss from 10 feet, and an overhand throw to a target. Mr. Alvarez has one paraprofessional for 20 minutes per class and is considering whether to use whole-class drill time, station work, or small-group instruction for Maya. He also has to keep the other 25 students active and safe with limited equipment. Maya is not on an IEP, and the school uses a response-to-intervention model.
1. What practice structure should Mr. Alvarez choose for Maya during the six-week unit, and what motor-learning principles support that choice?
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Decision: Use a station-based rotation with a short, small-group catching station of 8–10 minutes run by the paraprofessional. Do not pull Maya out for the entire 20 minutes, and do not rely on whole-class drill with four balls.
Reasoning:
- Trials and engagement: With 26 students and four foam balls, a whole-class drill gives each child very few actual catches. Stations increase every student’s trial count and let Maya get many successful repetitions.
- Distributed practice: Twice a week for six weeks is 12 periods. Catching practice should be distributed across those periods, not crammed into one or two massed sessions.
- Part-task progression: Maya’s head turn and chest trap suggest she is not tracking the ball into her hands. Begin with self-toss and catch at chest height, then a partner underhand toss from 6 feet, then 8 feet, then 10 feet. Use a soft foam ball and a slower, higher-arc toss.
- Success rate: Adjust distance so Maya succeeds on roughly 70–80% of attempts. Too much failure reinforces avoidance and reduces practice quality.
- Feedback: Give one cue at a time, such as ‘show the ball your palms’ or ‘soft hands,’ then fade the feedback as she improves.
- Inclusion: Keep Maya in the warm-up and closure. The paraprofessional can run the station while the teacher supervises the other stations, so Maya is not singled out for a full pullout.
Whole-class drill does not solve the equipment shortage, and a full pullout reduces peer modeling and overall class engagement. If the head turn persists after about two weeks of good practice, consult the school’s vision or occupational therapy supports rather than simply repeating the same drill.
2. How should Mr. Alvarez use the district rubric formatively without letting it narrow instruction to the three test items?
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Use the rubric as a diagnostic, not a script. Pre-assess each student on the three components, but record the component scores separately: self-toss catch, partner catch at 10 feet, and overhand throw to target. Maya may score at the lowest level on partner catch yet be close to success at 6 feet; the rubric alone will not show that small gain.
Keep instruction broader than the test. The rubric names a 10-foot partner toss, but the underlying learning target is tracking and receiving a moving object. Practice should vary distance, ball size, trajectory, and tosser so Maya can transfer, not just memorize one distance. If Mr. Alvarez drills only the 10-foot test, her performance may improve on that item without improving catching generally.
Collect progress data. Count successful catches per 10 trials at 6, 8, and 10 feet. That trial-by-trial data is more sensitive than an ordinal rubric and can be shared with the paraprofessional to keep scoring consistent. Score the rubric at the midpoint and end of the unit, and use the same criteria across classes.
Avoid grading only the endpoint. A standards-based grade can reflect the end-of-unit rubric level, but Maya’s progress from self-toss to partner toss should still be documented. Do not inflate the rubric score; instead, add a progress-monitoring note. This keeps the rubric valid while preserving responsive instruction.
3. Maya turns her head away at the moment of the toss. What would you try first, and what evidence would show whether it is working?
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First try environmental control before labeling the behavior. Have Maya start with a self-toss using a large, soft foam ball at chest height. Then move to a partner underhand toss from 6 feet with a slow, high arc. A slower ball gives her more time to track it, and a soft ball reduces the threat of being hit, which may reduce the head turn.
Cue externally and sparingly. Use one short cue such as ‘watch the ball into your hands’ or ‘show the ball your palms.’ Avoid a stream of corrections or a cue like ‘don’t be scared,’ which draws attention to fear and gives no motor target. If she turns away even on a self-toss, check whether she is visually tracking the ball and consider a vision screening referral.
Evidence of improvement:
- Successful catches per 10 trials at 6 feet and then 10 feet.
- Whether her eyes track the ball from release to contact.
- Whether she can catch without trapping the ball against her chest.
- Whether gains hold after the cue is faded and the ball is tossed a little faster.
If she improves at 6 feet but not at 10 feet, keep the distance at 8 feet and vary ball speed rather than jumping back to 10. If there is no change after two weeks of distributed practice, consult the school’s OT or vision supports; do not assume the behavior is simple noncompliance.