Opposite-Foot Throwing: Resequencing a Second-Grade Lesson
Second-grade class of 22 in a gym with a stage at one end. This is lesson 2 of an 8-lesson overhand-throwing unit. Your pre-assessment shows 3 students throwing with a mature pattern, 14 stepping with the same foot as the throwing hand, and 5 pushing the ball shot-put style. Marcus, who has an IEP for developmental coordination disorder, drops the ball whenever he is asked to step. Equipment: 6 foam balls, 8 beanbags, 24 fleece balls, one wall target, four floor tape lines. Your written plan opens with 12 minutes of 'Clean Out Your Yard,' then 10 minutes of partner throwing at the wall, then a 5-minute closure and lineup.
1. Critique the planned sequence and justify a revised order for the period.
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Problem with the plan: 'Clean Out Your Yard' is a speed-and-volume game. It rewards rapid throwing and produces very few chances for a child to think about the step, so it will entrench the same-foot pattern in the 14 students who already show it. It is also the first activity, when attention and novelty are highest.
Revised order:
- Instant activity (3-4 min): beanbag step-and-throw at the wall - high trials, one cue only.
- Focused practice (12-15 min): whole–part–whole. Whole overhand throw, then isolate the step with beanbags and a taped line, then return to the whole throw at targets.
- Application (8-10 min): small-sided target game or 'knockdown' with the step as the scoring condition, not speed.
- Closure (3 min): self-check 'which foot stepped?'
Reasoning: motor learning favors many correct repetitions of the target pattern under conditions that cue the desired movement. The game is not the problem; placing it first and making speed the goal is. Keeping the game last preserves motivation while the practice block carries the learning load.
2. What cue and task modification would you use for the same-foot steppers, and what would you change for Marcus?
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Same-foot steppers (typical for this age, so this is a teachable, not a deficit):
- Cue: 'Point your non-throwing shoulder at the target, then step with the front foot.' One cue at a time; the classic 'step with the opposite foot' is harder for a 7-year-old to self-monitor.
- Task modification: taped 'T' on the floor, throw from a stationary stance, partner says 'step' aloud, then throw. Slow-motion throws, then increase speed.
Marcus:
- Reduce the task: practice the step-and-turn without a ball for 5-6 repetitions (no object to drop).
- Then a beanbag (easier to grip, slower to release) thrown at a large close target, 8-10 feet.
- One cue only, and give feedback on effort and the step, not accuracy.
- Keep him in the same station with a partner, not pulled aside for the whole lesson.
Extension for the 3 mature throwers: accuracy at varied distances and a moving target, so the practice block differentiates without new equipment.
3. How would you organize equipment and collect evidence of learning in the time remaining?
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Equipment: 24 fleece balls means nearly every student can hold one - that is the high-trial resource. Set four taped throwing lines with a wall target zone so students rotate rather than queue. Beanbags stay at the 'step' station. Six foam balls are not enough for whole-class work; reserve them for the target game.
Evidence:
- Use a simple observation checklist for 6-8 target students per lesson (rotating), coding step, rotation, and follow-through - not all 22 at once.
- Partner self-check: thrower says the foot, partner confirms.
- Exit prompt at lineup: 'Show me with your hands which foot steps.'
Why this works: the unit goal is a change in the stepping pattern across 8 lessons. Short, repeated observations on a rotating subset give usable data without stopping instruction, and the data tell you whether the practice design is working before the summative assessment in lesson 7-8.