Sports with the Younger Grades

When we were told that grades 4-7 were all in exams for a week, we were not sure how our timetable was going to work considering those are the grades we work exclusively with. However, rather than only taking a small proportion of the classes, we decided to use this week to give grades 1-3 the opportunity of having a sports lesson.

We planned basic activities that allowed the development of their fundamental skills. We used tennis balls and practiced throwing and catching skills. The kids were a lot better than we anticipated and really enjoyed taking part in the activities. We also planned to do fun relay races at the end of each lesson so that they could compete against each other.

The first day went amazingly well. We took all six grade two classes. Their English wasn’t brilliant which made communicating and giving instructions slightly difficult but the use of demonstrations worked very well.

The children were so excited about having a sports lesson with us, when we went into a class, they would gasp. They were so eager that they sat on the edge of their seats clasping their hands, praying it was their turn!  When the teacher agreed for them to go out, they jumped up and down cheering and running to the front, fighting over who was first in line. When we walked out, we asked the class to form a line, tip toeing or marching towards the playground and when we got there, they went wild. Every child participated and was enthusiastic about the activities.

Later in the week, we took the grade ones who were adorable. They fought over who got to hold your hand while doing the activities. When one group competed against the other, even when the other team won, they would all cheer.

All in all, the whole week was sensational and the kids were little angels. They were all so appreciative of their 40 minutes of sport. Their chanting and cheering both on the walk to and from the lesson and during the lesson itself made it clear to us that it was a huge success. It was amazing to be part of such an incredible week around some very special children. Their skills improved over the session and they clearly had fun which made the week so worthwhile.

Chelsea Newbury – Sports Volunteer

Sports with the Younger Grades