Making Horizontal Lines Lesson

Kinesthetic Lessons for Toddlers and Preschoolers by Susan Kramer

Contents

1. ABA Sequencing Lesson
2. Benefits of Young Kids Learning Motor Skills
3. Circle Dance Using Rhythmic Motor Skills and Songs
4. Curving and Zigzag Shapes Lesson
5. Diagonal Line Shape Lesson
6. Climbing Stairs Lesson
7. Clockwise and Counterclockwise Lesson
8. Developing Concentration
9. Learning Right and Left Side
10. Outlining Shapes
11. Straight Lines Game

12. Making Horizontal Lines Lesson
13. Stretching in Vertical Lines Lesson
14. Moving Forward and Backward for Young Kids
15. Three Beginning Rhythmic Motor Skills
16. Three More Advanced Rhythmic Motor Skills
17. Moving in Directions Lesson
18. Straight Line Kinesthetic Lessons
19. Circles and Circling Lines Lesson
20. Curved and Bending Lines Lesson
21. Developing Language Skills Birth to 5

12. Making Horizontal Lines Lesson

This lesson is to help toddlers and preschoolers understand the concept of horizontal by doing various moving games. Most kids of varying abilities can derive benefit from this lesson. Give toddlers a helping hand with movements.

Horizontal is a concept used in later academics - crossing the "t" and "T" in printing, as an example; the way lines of reading are horizontal on a page; making the "=" sign in math is 2 horizontal lines. These are just beginning examples.

The more practice with horizontal shapes as toddlers and preschoolers, the better prepared children are for learning more advanced language and math skills.

Lessons to learn about horizontal

Have enough clear space ready. If you are using an indoor space clear the center of the room by pushing the furniture toward the walls.

It is best to wait half an hour after eating to do physical activities.

Children should wear comfortable clothes for moving about.

Advice: Praise every effort as a step toward success.

1. Using sliding motions, move sideways across room while looking and keeping body facing forward. Then turn to face the back of the room and slides sideways. Later, extend arms to side while moving horizontally.

2. Pretending to be an airplane with arms held out to the sides as the wings of the plane, while children run in a circle shape, gives them the idea of horizontal.

3. Practice moving across a flat horizontal floor and tell the children that the flat even floor that is level is horizontal; no feelings of going up or down, no valleys or hills.

4. Show the children a carpenter's level that has bubbles that come to the center when the level is horizontal. Let the child manipulate the level and bring it to horizontal himself; observing how it looks when horizontal.

5. Move across the floor while holding a cup of water without spilling. This is a practice in seeing what water looks like in the horizontal position.

Article by Susan Kramer

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