Here is a list of the many movement and mental tasks and challenges children encounter in the classroom and playground . Click on the links for more information.
Self care activities
Over the course of the first year or two years of formal school (reception class and grade one) young children are expected to be able to look after themselves, including the following tasks:
- Take off outdoor clothing, hang it on the right hook
- Put their schoolbag in the right cubicle
- Request permission to go to the bathroom
- Use the bathroom without assistance
- Eat their snack (sandwich and fruit) in a timely manner
- Take off and put shoes and socks
- Change for PE - in a timely manner
Classroom activities
Over the course of the reception year young children are expected to learn to perform the following tasks with increasing levels of proficiency:
► Stand and wait in line, minding their own own business, be relatively quiet, and listen to and follow instructions
► Sit quietly on a mat for morning ring, story time and other group activities, minding their own business, and pay attention to the teacher, wait their turn and respond when spoken to.
► Comfortably sit at a table for table-top work for 15-20 minutes (drawing, writing, cutting with scissors, doing puzzles). Read more
► Use a pencil (marker crayon) effectively to draw long and short straight and curved lines and write letters
► Cut out with a scissors - following straight and curved lines
► Play reception class sorting, matching, pegboard, board and card games.
Mental abilities
The following mental abilities are important for successfully performing the many tasks young children engage in during the school day.
- Listen to, remember and carry out instructions
- Ask for help
- Stay focussed on a task
- Mind their own business
- Take turns and wait for their turn
- Co-operate with classmates to do a task
Playground and PE activities
Young children need to following basic gross motor abilities to fully participate in outdoor (recess) and PE activities:
- Ball skills - catch, throw and kick a ball at an age appropriate level of competence. Read more
- Balance skills - stand on one leg, walk on a beam.
- Keep up with peers in running activities
- Climb on the climbing frame, go across the monkey bars and come down the fireman's pole
- General strength, flexibility fitness tasks
