Musilton’s Musing: Thought Provoking Questions, Statements, and Other Ponderings From a P.E. Teacher.

Mr. Usilton has been teaching P.E. for 28 years; the past 20 years at the elementary level. He has been the co-op for 45 student teachers. Mr. Usilton is the father of 4 children 12-14 years old (12 yr. old triplets). He is continually observing everything he can about children and sport. The following is the second in a series of articles. These articles are opinions and observations. Most however, are research based.

Double Dutch in First Grade? Why Not! Here's How

written by Michael Usilton, Fern Hill Elementary School, West Chester PA

(Videos to view at bottom of this page.)

One thing that has always intrigued me was the sport/skill of double dutch (it was on my bucket list). As a young professional I had no idea how to perform or teach the skills necessary to teach double dutch to my fourth and fifth grade students (my target group). I tried the skill myself several times, and the whole experience was a blur of moving ropes and very intimidating.

A new colleague, Mrs. Joanie LePage, currently at Hillsdale, (who ran the jump rope for heart demonstration team in Pennsylvania) was assigned to work with me part time and quickly taught me the skill and how to teach it. The rest as they say is history. So at age 38 I "double dutched" for the first time. I use that last sentence as a motivator every year in an attempt to remind my students that you are never too old to learn.

That year (2001), I taught the skill to my 5th grade safeties (gym helpers, approximately 10 children). Several of my safeties learned the skill, and gave me confidence to put the skill into the main stream curriculum along with short rope and single long rope. The next year a student would be deemed exceptional if he or she could enter and jump 10 times in a row. However, many fourth and 5th grade students did learn the skill, and a new facet of the jump rope curriculum was born.

Each year that passed I took the skill down to the next grade. I refined how I taught the turning skill, and what I said to get the children to enter the moving rope. I also added many games and activities to the short rope skills and single long rope skills. Examples of these games would be school, chase, and rapid fire.

'School' is a game that with each successful chance you advance a grade (i.e. in first grade you jump in, jump one time, and then jump out).

'Chase' is a game played in a figure 8 pattern where the jumpers enter, jump one time, and exit. Following the figure 8 pattern one jumper tries to catch another.

'Rapid fire' played well is the hardest of the three. In this game a line of 5-15 students get ready to jump in, jump once, and jump out using the figure 8 pattern. The catch is that a student must enter and jump once on every turn of the rope!

Logistically, teaching primary (1st and 2nd grade) children double dutch is not easy. Students need to be somewhat independent in long and short rope in order to practice already learned skills while I teach double dutch to others.

I decided during the summer of 2006 that I would experiment with the possibility of teaching double dutch in first grade. My own children (triplets) who had just finished kindergarten would be the guinea pigs. They could all enter a moving long rope (a current requirement in kindergarten) so that was not the issue. Jumping twice as fast, and entering twice as fast was! We had great times during that summer as they all 3 learned very quickly. Every extra moment was taken up with "Dad can we double dutch?"

That fall I took the skill to the first grade and have continued to do so. The first grade children must volunteer to try double dutch. After a brief discussion on the attributes that it takes to preform double dutch, and a basic no-moving rope demonstration with me as the jumper, I ask "Who wants to try double dutch?"

The following became my requirements if I was going to do this. I had to have kindergartners "jump in" to a moving long rope. We use the phrase, "One, two, ready, go." On the word 'go' it's off to the races, no holds barred. "Trust Mr. Usilton that the rope won't hit me in the face."

With that skill out of the way, and after extensive practice with turning circles (yes, we have to turn the rope correctly also), we were ready to go to first grade. I use the first 3 months of school (5 minute warm up K-2 only) to get the children extensive short rope practice. The jumping pattern is established during these 3 critical months. That skill (turning their own short rope) is taught the first day of kindergarten with all the kindergartners observing. I love it when they say "I can't jump rope." I simply say, "Guess what I’m here for?"

I take the rope behind me, with all the eyes in the class focused on me, and tell the children "When you think I see the rope above my head yell jump." (If you wait till the rope gets chest level, like we would, the typical kindergartner won't be able to process quickly enough to jump). The whole class gets involved telling me when to jump!

I always "forget" to jump and the class has a great time laughing at me. I try again, fail (on purpose) and say I forgot again, which brings great amounts of laughter. On the third try, with everyone yelling jump, I finally make one jump! This year one of my classes jumped up and hugged me! Remember this was the first day of P.E. in their entire life. It's amazing how quickly kindergartners can learn to jump. Soon I'm saying, "10 in a row and you're on track."

About February of Kindergarten we introduce the long rope, and how to enter the rope while it's moving. I take half of the first and second grade class and reiterate that "jumping in" skill, and the other half of the class works on short rope. After several classes of this I ask the question, "Does anyone want to try double dutch?" I use the same format; half of my students jump short rope, or by now many can turn long rope for each other (although this is not without its share of problems). The other half of the class who has volunteered joins me, and I explain the pace of jumping (very fast) and how you need to watch only one rope to "get in," and only need to watch one at a time after you get in. After each child gets a chance, we switch.

This year I also made groups (4 children per group) that practiced long rope while I "visited" the groups (the children have now become self-sufficient at long rope) one at a time, and brought my extra rope with me to make double dutch ropes. This worked even better (more structure). First graders are somewhat fearless, so that helps when going in, and they always get two or more tries so that helps take the pressure of success off. After their turn jumping they must have a turn, turning (no pun). Sometimes I think it is harder to turn than it is to jump.

About a week before Jump Rope for Heart first graders start to blossom in their double dutch skills, and have a great time showing off for their parents. It's certainly not easy, but worth the effort knowing that the next 4 years can be an extension of already acquired skills.

Last year's (2012) first grade success rate was 70%, and almost 90% of those who volunteered. Once the basic skill is mastered (2 foot jumping) I teach the children alternating feet. After that skill is mastered there are many more tricks that can be learned (But you will have to come to jump rope for heart to see them!).

Fast forward ten years and the 5th grade jump rope skills are astounding compared to what they were 10 years ago. In fact, I use double dutch, along with certain long and short rope skills as an exit goal for each and every student (we have received very nice comments from the middle school teachers).

Last year in 5th grade we had a 97% success rate (for those who love statistics). Last year's fifth grade Jump Rope for Heart show-off time was truly phenomenal. Some skills that come to mind are double dutch on a pogo stick, and a student jumping over my head (bending slightly over) into a set of moving double dutch ropes! By the way I’m 6'2".

This year I have even more things in mind! The game of chase through double dutch, chase with one young man on a unicycle, and two children back to back jumping, pogo stick in double dutch...to mention a few. How about entering and jumping double dutch blindfolded without any words spoken (It's a great way to keep 100 fifth graders quiet)? Of course these aforementioned skills have to be perfected first!

In conclusion, as a teacher I have to evaluate what is possible and continue to push the limit of possibilities, I also have to know when I am pushing too hard. Right now I will continue to offer the opportunity to learn double dutch in first grade, as we will have four more years to learn more about the art of "jump rope." One acronym that comes to mind is "experience counts." In this case it truly does!

Best to all, Mr. Usilton

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