Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes

Part A: Jump Around

10 minutes

Part B: Selecting The Right Rope

20 minutes

Part C: Beginner Skipping Skills

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will

develop an awareness of their bodies, gross motor skills and rhythm
build confidence in skipping equipment and processes.

Success criteria

Students can...

move their bodies in a variety of ways
demonstrate how to check equipment is appropriate
demonstrate how to use skipping ropes safely
perform some simple skipping skills on their own and with a group.

Part A: Jump around

Step 1

Invite students to line up on the baseline of a basketball or tennis court.

Step 2

Ask students to jump like a kangaroo, keeping two feet together. Instruct students to focus on landing after each jump with their feet on the baseline, controlling their body and not moving around too much.

Step 3

Demonstrate a 'scarecrow' jump. This is like a jumping jack. Land once with feet spread wide apart, and on the next jump, land with feet together. Get a rhythm going.

Step 4

Now practise a 'scissor' jump, where your legs move like the blades of a pair of scissors. Students’ feet shouldn’t move outside of the width of their shoulders. This jump is like the scarecrow jump before, but instead, land once with the left foot forward and the right foot back. Then, on the next jump, switch your feet in mid-air so that you land with your right foot forward and your left foot back. Again, keep jumping to develop a rhythm.

Part B: Selecting the right rope

Step 1

Before students start skipping, they need to choose the correct rope. There are a variety of different sizes.

Step 2

Ask students to hold the ends of the rope in each hand.

Step 3

Ask students to place both their feet onto the centre of the rope, continuing to hold the handles with each hand.

Step 4

With both feet planted on the ground, have them hold the handles up towards their shoulders.

Step 5

The handles should sit just below their shoulders – this is the correct-sized rope.

Step 6

If the rope is slightly too long, simply tie a knot or two at each end of the rope, just below the handle. This will shorten the rope slightly.

Part C: Beginner skipping skills

Step 1

Have a discussion with students about expectations during skipping lessons, including listening to the teacher, not hitting others with the rope, leaving an appropriate distance between each other so that you can swing the rope properly, and persisting and having a go.

Step 2

Ask students to stand and copy your movements as you demonstrate the proper technique:

Head – held straight, looking ahead
Shoulders – level and straight, not hunched
Arms – at about a 90° angle, held slightly forward and extended sideways
Wrists – move in a circular wrist action to turn the rope
Elbows – held in close to the body
Knees – close together with a slight bend.

You can use this head-to-toe checklist to analyse students’ movements and form to pinpoint any specific problems in their skipping technique as you move amongst the group.

Step 3

It’s recommended you start skipping on a hard surface, such as the stadium floor, asphalt basketball court, or concrete walkway. Grass can catch the rope and make it hard for beginners to turn.

Step 4

Students might feel comfortable only jumping once when the rope passes beneath their feet, or they might find it easier to have a smaller bounce in between rope turns. Remind them to jump off both feet at the same time, like a kangaroo.

Step 5

Ask students to try turning the rope backwards. This might test their spacial awareness as they can’t see the rope pass before them to know when to jump. Remember to let students move at their own pace.

Step 6

Remember the scarecrow and scissor jumps? Now is the time to reintroduce them, but with a skipping rope!

If students are struggling, it can be useful to stand with them and have them jump to the rhythmic clap of your hands. Then try reintroducing the rope, with that same rhythm of jumping. Sometimes students can be too worried about swinging the rope, rather than just letting the rope do the work and jumping consistently.

Step 7

Now that students have a basic understanding of when to jump, practise moving around the space whilst skipping. Students might jog by stepping over the turning rope with their right foot, then their left foot; or they might find that only one foot is passing over the rope whilst the other is providing a mini bounce step when the rope is overhead.

Step 8

Don’t be afraid to try long rope jumping with your Jump Starters. The most important skill is the turning of the rope, so if you have another adult on board - perhaps by combining classes - it will make for an easier introduction. The key is to 'catch' the student whenever they decide to jump. This can sometimes mean delaying or extending the turn of the rope so that they make it in.

Communication is also key. Count hesitant students in with “3, 2, 1, go!” every time the rope thwacks the ground. Students may try to enter when the long rope is overhead and is already too late, whereas they should be running in just after the rope hits the ground.

Reflection

Ask students to identify some of the physiological responses to the skipping session. For example, they might have sore calves or ankles, the palms of their hands might be red, they might be sweaty, and especially they will notice an increase in their heart rate as they perform vigorous exercise.

Lead students in a breathing exercise to calm their body back down, breathing in through their nose for five seconds, and out through their mouth for five seconds.

Differentiated Learning

Extension - If students are feeling confident with these skipping skills, consider moving onto Skipping Games or the Move Your Body lessons hosted on the Jump Rope for Heart website (you'll need to register to view them).

Provisions for Learning Support - See the Jump Rope for Heart-hosted lesson on Inclusive Skipping for support on inclusive practices in HPE and around the classroom (you'll need to register to view it).

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Jump Rope For Heart - Starting To Skip

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Success criteria:

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