ACTIVATE in the classroom
2^nd Edition Schemes

Age Levels 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 by VAL SABIN
Inclusive, whole class, age levelled, progressive exercise programmes that improve agility, balance, co-ordination, concentration etc.

Introduction to Activate in the Classroom

There are five Activate schemes, Activate 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 for use with different age groups in Primary Schools (5, 7, 9 and 11) and Secondary schools (Act 13). Within each scheme there are three levels of progression and complexity-frogs (repetition and slow progression) rabbits (repetition and steady progression) and kangaroo's (repetition and fast progression.)

       

Each Activate manual contains three 36-week whole-class programmes of repetitive activities with music, embedded in progressive and developmental schemes.

Each programme is carefully arranged into sessions to be used for approximately 10 minutes first thing in the morning, after registration, and for approximately 5 minutes after lunch before afternoon lessons begin in the classroom.

In the programme the patterns of movement are repeated and developed within progressive modules utilising the best movement principles that are possible in the restricted space of a classroom and are age-appropriate for movement and curriculum links.

Activate moves children through a comprehensive 3-dimensional programme within their personal space which enables tempo and rhythm in the movements to be varied through changes in the music, and extensions to be added showing changes in direction, speed level, balance and visual focus.

Briefly, the Activate programmes:-

1. Help children to establish good lifetime habits for the regular exercise element in a healthy lifestyle.
2. Develop balance and co-ordination on both sides of the body.
3. Increase stamina and fitness.
4. Help children become stronger, more agile and confident.
5. Help children have full neurological development.

Each Activate Pack (5, 7, 9, 11 or 13) comprises:-

• 1 manual containing three 36 week programmes.
• 3 DVDs showing each of the programmes with adults performing the activities.
• 2 DVDs showing the complete set of activities for quick reference. Adults showing each activity being performed precisely.
• 3 CDs of music - one for each programme.

Background to the Activate Programmes

The Activate programmes utilise ideas from various non - invasive movement and sound therapies. Neurological researchers are increasingly pointing towards the link between cognitive and physical fluency. Teachers have long known of less physically co-ordinated and balanced children who are not able to fully function and learn well.

As well as the obvious benefits of better balance and co-ordination, more flexible bodies, stronger muscles and more skilful movements, various researchers have been pointing to improvements in the efficiency and development of neurological connections as a result of certain physical movement exercises.

Studies have shown that improvements in the neural connections throughout the body and particular parts of the brain such as the corpus callosum and the vestibular and cerebellar systems can help alleviate some learning problems such as Dyslexia, ADD and help the Dyspraxic.

A well-designed programme of varied physical movements to music benefits us in lots of ways. Not only do we become fitter, stronger, more co-ordinated, more balanced and develop more stamina but research is now showing a host of other benefits as well. Published studies of the benefits of DDAT programmes in 2004 show that the improved neural connections lead to positive changes in...

• Concentration
• Mood
• Relationships with friends
• Confidence
• Happiness
• Energy
• Sporting ability

...as well as other areas.

Similarly participants in the Tomatis sound therapy gained improvements in...

• Communication
• Attention span
• Frustration level
• Reading and comprehension
• Quality of speech
• Memory
• Spelling
• Maturity
• Self-esteem

The Structure of Activate

The Activate 5, 7, 9, 11 & 13 sessions are divided into two sections and the programmes run for 36 weeks.

(1) The Start-of-Morning Programme

Each two-week section of the start-of-morning programme contains two warm-ups and three activities, and takes approximately 10 minutes to deliver. The aim is for children to engage their brains and bodies in lively structured activities to wake them up and prepare them for learning. (As an introduction to any progression or new activity it is suggested that the practitioner takes time to familiarise children with the actions before performing them to music.)

(2) The Start-of-Afternoon Programme

Each two week programme contains the two warm-up activities from the morning programme plus one other activity. (Should the practitioner wish, children can choose to do their favourite activity from the morning programmes instead of the additional one indicated.)

Delivery time will be approximately 5 minutes and the drawing together of the class to engage in gentle, quiet, focused activity will produce a calm environment after the excitement and activity of the lunch-time playground. This encourages children to calm down, concentrate and re-focus for the afternoon.

Each morning and each afternoon session can be preceded by pre-session music or activity which is connected to one of the two tracks indicated for morning (before the warm ups) or the single track indicated for the afternoon session (before the warm ups). The music can be played to signal that Activate is about to begin or it could be used for gentle pre-session activity. Suggestions and ideas for pre-session activities are included at the beginning of the appendices and are less-structured. They can be led by the teacher or a child or each child can create their own set of activities within the theme offered.

At the end of each session (morning and afternoon) one minute of slow, calm stretching movements and deep breathing help bodies to recover after physical movement (some ideas are indicated at the beginning of the appendices.)

Free-Choice Programme

Every ninth week children can choose their two preferred warm-ups and three activities to be used for the whole of the week or they can choose them at random by pulling them out of a hat (warm-up first, activities second.)

Levels of Progression

The programmes have been designed to follow three levels of progression, so practitioners can choose the speed of progression appropriate for their own class or follow those suggested in the manual.

The levels of progression are:-

Frogs - repetition and slow progression

Rabbits - repetition and steady progression

Kangaroos - repetition and fast progression

LEVEL 1 - "Frogs" - repetition / slow progression

The emphasis of the "Frogs" is to repeat, familiarise and enjoy the activities, plus:-

• introduce one new activity and two extensions every two weeks
• introduce warm-up and afternoon extensions every 2 weeks and one new warm-up and afternoon activity every four weeks

The "Frogs" programme is suitable for:

playgroups, in Activate 5 or groups of slower or special needs children in Activate 7, 9, 11 & 13.

LEVEL 2 - "RABBITS" - REPETITION / STEADY PROGRESSION

The emphasis of the "Rabbits" is to repeat, familiarise and enjoy the activities, plus:-

• introduce one new activity, one progression and two extensions every two weeks
• introduce warm-up and afternoon extensions every 2 weeks and one new warm-up and afternoon activity every four weeks

The "Rabbits" programme is suitable for:

• 4 year old children (Nursery) in Activate 5.
• 6 year old children (Yr 1) in Activate 7.
• 8 year old children (Yr 3) in Activate 9.
• 10 year old children (Yr 5) in Activate 11.
• 12 year old children (Yr 7) in Activate 13.

LEVEL 3 - "KANGAROOS" - REPETITION / FAST PROGRESSION

The emphasis of the "Kangaroos" programme is to repeat, familiarise and enjoy the activities, plus:-

• introduce one new activity and two progressions every two weeks
• introduce warm-up extensions and afternoon extensions every 2 weeks and one new warm-up and afternoon activity every four weeks.

The "Kangaroo" programme is suitable for:

• 5 year old children (Reception) in Activate 5.
• 7 year old children (Yr 2) in Activate 7.
• 9 year old children (Yr 4) in Activate 9.
• 11 year old children (Yr 6) in Activate 11.
• 13 year old children (Yr 8) in Activate 13.

Extensions to Activities

At the heart of the "Activate" programme is repetition of activities and patterns of movement. When children are initially introduced to an activity they may find it challenging to perform and remember, but, with practice and repetition, most will have developed a movement memory and a degree of automaticity which enables quality and fluidity of performance to emerge by the end of 2 weeks. Extensions are automatically built into the programmes.

The music and the basic structure of the activity remains the same but complexity is added through the addition of more challenging movements or by building in speaking and thinking activities which can be related to the curriculum.

The DVDs

The accompanying DVDs for each programme and the two "Complete" DVDs show adults performing each activity very accurately. This will ensure that the sets of activities are delivered clearly and precisely so children can gain maximum benefit from performing them.

The structure of the DVDs showing the Frogs, Rabbits and Kangaroos programmes for each age group allows for practitioners (and children) to access and view the week's activities in advance of performing them for the first time. Also, should they wish, they could project the DVD through the inter-active whiteboard and perform the programme copying the role model who is performing accurately.

There are also two separate "Complete" DVDs which enable practitioners to pick out an individual clip to clarify the activity and familiarise themselves with it, or to identify which activities could be used for specific purposes at different times of the day e.g. re-energise, calm down, motivate, prepare for working with a parner, practise counting, tables, historical dates or remember lists etc.