Step Ups
Purpose
Step Ups are significant exercises that can contribute to our students' overall learning and development. Engaging in these activities supports their physical health, cognitive, emotional and cognitive growth!
Engaging the Brain-Body Connection
Students learn best when both their minds and bodies are involved. The expression "thinking on your feet" highlights the ability to apply knowledge in real-life situations quickly. Through Step Ups, students practice moving in an organized manner by correctly handling stools, which enhances their cognitive and physical coordination.
Developing Spatial Awareness
These exercises teach students about spatial relationships—understanding positions like behind, beside, and in front—which is crucial for advanced learning. This foundational awareness helps students navigate their environment better and supports their overall educational experience.
Enhancing Focus and Attention
Step Ups require students to follow directions and maintain concentration. This focus not only aids in physical activities but also translates to improved performance in academic tasks. Additionally, strengthening core muscles through these exercises fosters better posture and support for fine motor skills, essential for writing and drawing tasks.
Building Confidence and Reducing Anxiety
Students with a strong core feel more stable and secure, which can positively impact their confidence levels. In contrast, inadequate core strength can lead to feelings of anxiety. By engaging in Step Ups, students develop their sensory-motor systems, enhancing their ability to pay attention and feel confident in their movements in their bodies and in the world.
Strengthening the Vestibular System
Step Ups also stimulate the vestibular system, which is key for balance and spatial orientation. Strengthening this system enhances students' sensory integration, leading to improved overall learning capabilities.
Real-World Learning Opportunities
The physical act of stepping up provides students with valuable lessons about their environment. They learn in an embodied, hands-on way about gravity, inertia, momentum, and balance in a hands-on way, which promotes practical knowledge that can be applied outside the classroom. As students ride bikes, jump off rocks, hang from tree limbs, they need an internal model of the physics of reality to evaluate safety and risk. This understanding encourages responsible decision-making and risk evaluation—skills that are vital for life.
Directions
Step Up Prep: these are moves to orient to the step up stool by touching and putting weight on it but not yet standing on it.
When introducing Step Ups, it best to have student already in a positive embodied state. I recommend doing some higher intensity run or doing 'Elevators' particularly 'spaghetti to flying superheros' as warmups to step ups. The elevators bring a lot of core activation. And flying superheros helps get students into the right attitude or frame of mind.
Two feet on the ground behind your stool
'Two feet on the ground' behind your seat' can act as a compliance test to see how ready this group is to do these exercise.
Touch the red dot on the stool 5 times.
Work to get the touches in rhythm
Touch the blue dot on the stool 5 times.
Alternate touching red, then blue then red then blue.
'Push up and down'. Stand on the side of the stool with the red dot. Push up and down with one foot. The push can be small or large.
Step up, step down backwards
Step up, hop down forwards
Note: I show students that if they jump too far forward, the stool will kick back and they may fall forward. Step up, (two feet on the stool, step down backwards)
Step up, Arm Swings ( generally swing the arms to challenge balance a little bit) Step up, tick tok ( 1 arm swing), clap clap, hands a sleep, hop down walk around, two feet on the ground Clapping Rhythm Words Use Sticks and play Rhythm Words Using your finger ( or a stick) in the air-Draw or Write:Step Ups
- a circle,
- a square.
- a triangle.
- a line going up.
- a line going down.
- a letters.
- a number.