The ability to give and follow directions according to one’s location is an important skill and one that we frequently use in everyday life. Some of the first directions we use are forwards, backwards, left and right. Often when we teach children these directions, everyone is facing the same way and move in unison.
Understanding that the directions are relative to the way you are facing, and may be different for someone facing another way, can be tricky to develop. Many of us early childhood teachers experience difficulty identifying our own left and right after years of facing children as we teach them their left and right.
I have always considered games to be a great tool for learning. They not only provide a fun way of learning concepts, but they also provide opportunities for children to interact with each other and learn the social skills of getting along at the same time. Games help build positive attitudes toward school, learning and each other. They often incorporate learning across the curriculum and can be used in groups, with buddies or with an adult support person.
This week, I have uploaded a new printable board game which involves children in following directions. For the next few weeks, the game will be available free to everyone, whether a registered readilearn user or not. Why? Because I need your help, please.
Continue reading: readilearn: Turtle Island – a game of directions: forwards, backwards, left, right
Passing on via email to two teacher friends. Thanks.
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Thanks so much, Jules. Appreciated. 🙂
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I also struggle differentiating left and right and don’t even have your excuse. I read somewhere recently (could even have been your blog) about a culture that didn’t use left/right to indicate direction but compass points (from an early age and perhaps without a compass) so there wouldn’t be that confusion between my right and your right. Fascinating stuff and your game looks fun. Sorry I don’t have anyone to test it out on.
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I’ve been thinking about the ability to use compass points without a compass ever since I read your comment in my inbox, Anne, and I just can’t figure it out. Most of the time I don’t even think about which compass point I’m facing, unless I’m facing into or away from the sun. It’s an interesting idea that I’d like to follow up with a little research. Thanks for letting me know about it.
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It is fascinating to think they’re so orientated the world around them. I hope I didn’t make it up!
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It is fascinating, Anne, and I’m grateful to you for raising the topic. You definitely didn’t make it up – I checked and found a few interesting articles, including these:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_direction
http://nautil.us/blog/5-languages-that-could-change-the-way-you-see-the-world
and
I’ll be interested to see if this comment gets spammed. There were 264 comments in my spam folder today – more than there’s ever been before, and all spam. 🙂
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264 spam comments!!! Success of kind, I suppose.
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!!! 🙂 I hadn’t checked it for a couple of days, but that’s a ridiculous number.
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This is definitely important, Norah.
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Thank you, Jennie. 🙂
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You’re welcome, Norah. 🙂 Also, I got the Ted Arnold book, but it is Iron Giant, not Iron Man. Same book??
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Hi Jennie, I don’t know that book. The one I mentioned is The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. 🙂 Please let me know what Ted Arnold’s Iron Giant is like.
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Very interesting! I have read the first few pages, and the Giant fell off a cliff. The body parts have worked to find each other. The children’s librarian told me the book is a classic, written 30 years ago. I will email you a photo of the cover.
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Jennie, that sounds just like the beginning of The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. Strange. I look forward to your photo but I have to Google it myself. I’m intrigued.
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Okay, I see it now. There was an animated movie called The Iron Giant that was based on Ted Hughes’s book called The Iron Man. It is the same story, and definitely a classic. 🙂
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😀
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Thanks for the photo, Jennie. I think these two stories might be the same with a different title. 🙂
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I think you are right.
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I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
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It is amazing how much kids learn through play–and directions is one. Thanks for this, Norah. I’m RT this to my Ask a Tech Teacher blog!
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Thanks so much for your support, Jacqui. Appreciated. 🙂 The benefits of play and games are enormous.
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Hmm. Might try this with some older students but who have little English. The vocabulary and concepts of orientation and direction also have an application with integers and general number sense with a number line.
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Interesting point, D.
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Thanks, D. I’m interested to know what you think. 🙂
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