April ~ Day Four

It's not hard to think of possible activities to do with Nick. This morning I needed to pop into school (we are on holiday at the moment) and drop off two large boxes and a rug. I thought it a grand idea to invite Nick to assist me. He also loves to go out in the car so it was a win win situation.

My goal for this RDI activity was to practice working together as partners. My plan was for us to remove an item from the car and help each other carry it across the garden, up some small stairs, through two doorways and place in one of the school rooms.


Activity:

Carrying large (lightweight) boxes and a mat


Roles:

For this activity, we each had the same role.


Limits:

Three items. Clear distinction of area to cover (walk) while carrying the item.


Communication:

Brief explanation of what we need to do. Lots of pausing to give Nick the opportunity to think for himself. A little bit of chanting if needed. Declarative comments to give Nick feedback on our progress.


What happened:

Nick was comfortable with our simultaneous pattern, and with relative ease we coordinated our actions beautifully. I stopped every now and then to see if he could regulate his actions with mine. I also gave him the opportunity to take the lead role. Although we were carrying each item together, we were able to adjust to each other's movements and the direction that we needed to go. I was SO impressed with Nick's motor planning when we got to the first doorway. I purposely stopped at the door and made a comment about how big the box was and how on earth could we get it through the doorway. I then waited for Nick's response. Well, he tried a couple of ways of manoeuvring the box (I held onto my side of the box but didn't give any indication of what to do). He very quickly realised how to hold the box and to walk in backwards. Wow, so awesome to see.  I am also really pleased that I made sure to wait for him to assess the situation and make a plan. Go me!  It just goes to show the importance of NOT stepping in quickly to assist but rather give our kids time to think for themselves.


What next:

This scenario can be practiced anywhere and anytime. I will certainly be bringing in variations to amp up the activity to ensure that I am addressing edge+1.