This exercise consists of four levels and develops a variety of skills such as directionality, sequencing and divided attention. Divided attention is a higher-level skill where you have to perform two (or more) tasks at the same time, and attention is required for the performance of both (or all) the tasks. Copyright: Edublox (Pty) Ltd.
Level 1
The teacher (or parent) needs the arrow chart for this exercise. The arrows are printed in four colours and point in four directions: up, down, left and right.
The teacher must fix the arrows chart to the wall so that the learners (or learner) can look at it directly. The learners must stand upright and call out the colour of each arrow, starting with the top left arrow through to the bottom right arrow. The teacher must turn the chart 90 degrees before asking the learners to call out the colours again.
It is important that the learners do these exercises at a relaxed and leisurely pace at first. Do not let them rush through them. Only when they really start getting comfortable with the exercise should one aim at greater speed.
Proceed to Level 2 when the learners can call out the colours on the whole chart quickly and fluently, without any hesitations or mistakes.
Level 2
The teacher must fix the arrows chart to the wall, so that the learners can look at it directly. The learners must stand upright, with their clenched fists held at their shoulders (or fingers on their shoulders). The learners must “read” the arrows one after the other, simultaneously announcing the direction in which each arrow is pointing and pushing out their fists (or fingers if they prefer an open hand) in the direction so announced.
This means that if the learners start “reading” the arrows, they will shoot out the left fist towards the left, while simultaneously calling out, “Left!”
The learners must immediately bring their left fist back to the shoulder, ready to “read” the next arrow. This means that they will shoot out the left fist again, saying, “Left!” Again, they must bring the left fist back to the shoulder immediately. Then they must “read” the third arrow. They must shoot out the right fist to the right and say, “Right!” The right fist is also brought back to the shoulder immediately, and then the direction of the next arrow is announced. The left fist is pushed out again while the learners say, “Left!” To “read” the next arrow, the learners must shoot out both fists above the head, simultaneously announcing, “Up!” Both fists are brought back to the shoulders, ready to “read” the next arrow, which is “Down!”
In this way the learners must read through the whole chart from top to bottom. The teacher must turn the chart 90 degrees before asking the learners to read it again.
The learners must use their fist to indicate the direction in which each arrow is pointing, while simultaneously announcing the direction. Left and right are shown with one fist only, whereas up and down are shown with both. The teacher must check that the learners do everything correctly.
Proceed to Level 3 when the learners can read the whole chart quickly and fluently, without any hesitations or mistakes.
Level 3
The learners must now call out the colour of every red and yellow arrow, but the direction of every green and blue arrow, simultaneously pushing out their fists when “reading” the green and blue arrows.
Proceed to Level 4 when the learners can read the whole chart quickly and fluently, without any hesitations or mistakes.
Level 4
Repeat Levels 1 through 3. This time, however, the learners must march on the spot while “reading” the arrows. They must call out the colour or announce the direction of each arrow, synchronising it with each step of the left foot.
- First, they must march on the spot while calling out the colour of each arrow, synchronising it with each step of the left foot.
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- Once the learners can do this quickly and fluently they must, while marching, read the arrows one after the other, simultaneously announcing the direction in which each arrow is pointing and pushing out their fist(s) in the direction so announced.
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- Once they can do this quickly and fluently they must, while marching, call out the colour of every red and yellow arrow but the direction of every green and blue arrow, simultaneously pushing out their fist(s) when reading the green and blue arrows.
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