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Pre & Post Test Analysis of Gross Motor Skills

Name child: Gray Towers Name Evaluator: Vinny Sangiuolo

1. Complete the TGMD-2 modified assessment sheet

Assessment of gross motor skills Child: ________________________

Locomotor - Run   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Brief period where both feet are off of the ground  0 0  N/A  N/A
Arms in opposition to legs, elbows bent  0 1   N/A  N/A
2 cones 50 feet apart to Foot placement near or on line (not flat footed)  0  0  N/A  N/A
run in between. Video Non-supporting leg is bent around 90 degrees (close to
front and size view buttocks)  0  0  N/A  N/A

Motor Stage  Initial  Inital  N/A  N/A

Locomotor- Gallop   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
A step forward with the lead foot followed by step with the trail
Place 2 cones 25 feet foot to a position adjacent to or behind the lead foot. N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
apart - tell child to gallop Brief period where both of the feet are off the ground N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
from one cone to the
Arms bent and lifted to waist level N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
other, stop and repeat. 2
trials, video both from side Able to lead with the right and left foot N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
view
Motor Stage N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Locomotor- Hop   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Foot of nonsupport leg is bent and carried in back of body N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Nonsupport leg swings in pendulum fashion to produce force N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Child will hop 4 times on
Arms bent at elbows and swing forward on take off N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
his/her preferred foot
(establish this before testing). Takes off and lands three consecutive time on preferred foot N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Repeat on 2nd trial. Front view Takes off and lands three consecutive time on non-preferred
video foot N/A N/A  N/A  N/A

Motor Stage N/A N/A  N/A  N/A

Locomotor- Leap   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Take off on one foot and land on the opposite N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
2 cones 50 feet apart with a A period where both feet are off of the ground (longer than
bean bag in the middle. Ask running) N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
students to run and leap over Forward reach with arm opposite lead foot N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
the bean bag. Video tape a
side and front view

Motor Stage N/A N/A  N/A  N/A

Locomotor- Jump   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Mark of a starting line on floor. Preparatory movement includes flexion of both knees with arms
Position child behind line. Tell
extended behind the body  1 1   N/A  N/A
child to jump far. Repeat.
Arms extended forcefully forward and upward, reaching full
Video front and side view
extension above head  0  0  N/A  N/A
Take off and land on both feet simultaneously  1 0   N/A  N/A
Arms are brought downward during landing  0  0  N/A  N/A
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Motor Stage  Initial Initial   N/A  N/A

Locomotor- Slide   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Body turned sideways so shoulders are aligned with the line on
the floor N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Place 2 cones 25 feet apart on A step sideways with lead foot followed by a slide of the trailing
a straight line. Tell the child to foot to a point next to the lead foot N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
slide from one cone to the
other cone. Side view for video A minimum of four continuous step-slide cycles to the right N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
A minimum of four continuous step-slide cycles to the left N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Motor Stage N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Locomotor- Skip   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Place 2 cones 30 feet apart. A step forward followed by a hop on the same foot  0 N/A  0 0 
Mark of two lines. Tell the child
Arms are flexed and move in opposition to legs to produce force  0 N/A  0 0
to skip from one cone to the
other. Front and side view Completes 4 continuous rhythmical alternating skips  0 N/A  0 0
video
Motor Stage  Inital N/A  Initial Initial 
Manipulative - Strike long implement Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Dominant hand grips bat above non-dominant hand N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
4 inch plastic ball on Non-preferred side of body faces imaginary tosser with feet
batting tee at waist level. parallel N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Tell child to hit ball hard
Hips and shoulder rotation during swing N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
and straight ahead with
bat. Video tape front and Transfers body weight to front foot N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
side view Bat contacts ball N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Motor Stage N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Manipulative - Catch   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Mark off 2 lines 15 feet apart. Preparation phase where hands are in front of the body and
The child stands on one line
elbows are flexed  0 N/A  1 1 
and the tosser on the other.
Toss 4 inch ball underhand to Arms extend while reaching for the ball as it arrives  0 N/A  0 0
chest area. Tell the child to Ball is caught by hands only  0 N/A  0 0 
catch with 2 hands. Only count
a trial if ball is near chest.
Front and side view video Motor Stage  Initial N/A  Initial Initial 
Manipulative- Kick   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Mark off 1 line about 20 feet Rapid continuous approach to the ball  0  0  N/A  N/A
from wall and second line 8 An elongated stride or leap immediately prior to ball contact 0  0  N/A  N/A
feet beyond first line. Place 8-
10 inch ball on the first line Non-kicking foot placed even with or slightly in back of the ball  0  0  N/A  N/A
closest to wall. Tell the child to Kicks ball with instep of preferred foot or toe  0 0  N/A  N/A
run up and kick hard towards
wall. Front and side view
Motor Stage  Initial Initial  N/A  N/A
Manipulative - Underhand Throw Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Preferred hand swings down and back reaching behind the
Attach a piece of tape on the trunk N/A N/A  1 1
floor 15 feet from wall. Child
Steps forward with the foot opposite the throwing hand N/A N/A  0 0 
stand behind tape line facing
wall. Tell child to throw ball Ball is tossed forward hitting the wall without a bounce N/A N/A  0 0 
hard underhand at wall. View Hand follows through after ball release to chest level N/A N/A  0 0 
and side view video
Motor Stage N/A N/A  Initial Initial 
Manipulative-Overhand Throw Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Attach a piece of tape on the
Windup is initiated with downward movement of hand/arm N/A N/A  0  0
floor 20 feet from wall. Child
stand behind tape line facing Rotates hip and shoulders to a point where the non-throwing N/A N/A  0  0
side faces the wall
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Weight is transferred by stepping with the foot opposite the

throwing hand N/A N/A  0  0
Follow-through beyond ball release diagonally across the body
wall. Tell child to throw ball toward the non-preferred side N/A N/A  0  0
hard at wall. View and side
view video
Motor Stage N/A N/A  Initial Initial 
Manipulative - Roll   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Preferred hand swings down and back, reaching behind the trunk while
Place 2 cones against a wall chest faces cones  0 0   N/A  N/A
so they are 4 feet apart. Attach
a piece of tape on the floor 20 Strides forward with foot opposite the preferred hand toward the cones  0 0   N/A  N/A
feet from wall, tell the child to Bends knees to lower body  0 0  N/A  N/A
roll a tennis ball hard so that it Releases ball close to the floor so ball does not bounce more than 4
goes between the cones. Front
and side view
inches high  0 0   N/A  N/A
Motor Stage  Initial  Initial  N/A  N/A
Manipulative - Dribble   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Contacts ball with one hand at about belt level N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Child will dribble a 8-10 inch Pushes ball with fingertips (not a slap) N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
ball four times without moving Ball contacts surface in front of or to the outside of foot on
his or her feet, using one hand, preferred side N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
and then stop by catching the Maintains control of ball for four consecutive bounces without
ball. Front view video
having to move the feet to retrieve it N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Motor Stage N/A N/A  N/A  N/A
Stability - Static   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: R leg L leg R leg L leg
Use poly spot for child to stand Maintains a steady balance  0 0   0  0
on. Ask the child to lift up one
leg and count to 5 and put leg Adjusts body to maintains balance  0  0  1  0
down. On second trial, child Eyes forward  0 0   0  1
lifts other leg and holds it for 5
seconds and puts it back Can hold for 5 seconds while maintaining balance  0  1  0  0
down. Video twice front view. Motor Stage  Initial  Initial  Initial  Initial
Stability - Dynamic   Pre Post
Materials/Directions Skill Criteria: Low beam High beam Low beam High beam
Maintains a steady balance 1 1   0 N/A
Child walks on low balance
Adjusts body to maintains balance  0 0   0 N/A
beam without assistance, then
high beam without assistance. Eyes forward  0 0 0  N/A
Assistance for getting on the
Uses arms for balance  0 0  0 N/A
beam is ok. Front view videos
of both trials Can cross the beam without falling off  1 0   1 N/A
Motor Stage  Initial Inital   Initial N/A

2. Complete the table using the pre and post data from the assessment

Directions: To calculate the scores: Count up the #of 1’s in trial 1 and trial 2, divide by total critical elements of
both trials and times by 100 for %. For example, Running has 4 critical elements. If trial 1 has a score of 2 and
trial 2 has a score of 1, then the total score is 3/8 and the % is 37.5%

Locomotor Subtest
Pre-Test Post-Test
Total score and % Total score and %

Run 1/8, 12.5% N/A

Gallop N/A N/A
Hop N/A N/A
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Leap N/A N/A

Horizontal Jump 3/8, 37.5% N/A
Slide N/A N/A
Skip 0/3, 0% 0/6, 0%
Raw total score (sum of all subscores) 4/19, 21.05% 0,6 0%

Object Control Subtest

Skills Pre-Test Post-Test
Total score and % Total score and %
Striking long handed N/A N/A
Catch 0/3, 0% 2/6, 33.33%
Kick 0/8, 0% N/A

Underhand Throw N/A 2/8, 25%

Overhand Throw N/A 0/8, 0%

Roll 0/8, 0% N/A

Dribble N/A N/A

Raw Total Score (sum of all subscores) 0/19, 0% 4/22, 18.18%

Stability Subtest
Skills Pre-Test Skill Score Post-Test Skill Score
Total score and % Total score and %
Static Balance 1/8, 12.5% 2/8, 25%

Dynamic Balance 3/10, 30% 1/5, 20%

Raw Total Scores (Sum) 4/18, 22.22% 3/13, 23.08%

3. Quantitative Analysis: Create and insert a graphical image of the different scores comparing the pre and post-
test (show all skills in three different categories. Do not include the raw total scores, use the percentages to
compare. Use a vertical bar graph. Compare the skills.) – Hint: use Excel, copy and paste the above % data from
above into excel and click graph. Copy and paste the table below this prompt.
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Locomotor Subtest
40.00%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
Percentages

20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Run Gallop Hop Leap Horizontal Slide Skip
Jump

Skills

Pre Test Post Test

Manipulative Subtest
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
Percentages

10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
ed ch ck w w ll e
t Ki ro ro Ro bl
a nd Ca Th Th rib
h d d D
ng an an
lo e rh e rh
g
kin Un
d Ov
ri
St

Skills

Pre Test Post Test

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Stability Subtest
35.00%

30.00%

25.00%
Percentages

20.00%

15.00%

10.00%

5.00%

0.00%
Pre Test Post Test

Static Balance Dynamic Balance

4. Provide a qualitative analysis of the growth and performance of each of the FMS skills of the child over time
(explain the data and graph in words: list each skill and discuss the growth over time using the critical elements,
explaining in detail how they perform each skill)
In addition, in the far right column, provide at least 2 enjoyable and easy to understand tasks that a parent could
do with the child over the break to help the child improve.

A. Locomotor

Skill Qualitative analysis Suggestions for tasks at home

Run When Gray was at the running station, he showed a 1. Run in a straight line between 2 cones
movement with his elbows bent and the arms were
moving in opposition of his legs, but that was it. His
feet were flat, there were times when both feet would 2. Run and emphasize on having him pump his
remain on the ground at the same time, and his arms back and forth while running
nonsupport leg would only come a little bit off the
floor.
Gallop In the mature stage of galloping, students display a 1. Gallop on a line or mark on the floor
smooth, rhythmical pattern at a moderate tempo.
Their feet remain close to the ground, with hips
oriented forward. 2. Gallop in more ways than just a straight line, so
other pathways like curved and zig zag.
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Hop In the mature stage of hopping, the student’s 1. Set up 2 cones and try to hop back and forth from
nonsupport leg is bent, their knee pumps forward each cone as quick as possible
and back in a perpendicular action, there is forward
body lean, and there’s arm opposition with the swing 2. Have him pump his arms back and forth while
leg. hopping
Leap In the mature stage of leaping, the motion is relaxed 1. Leap over a mark or object on the ground
and rhythmical, there is forceful extension of the
takeoff leg. There’s good summation of horizontal
and vertical forces, definite forward trunk lean and 2. Leap in a rhythmical pattern with music
definite arm opposition. There is also full extension
of their legs during flight.
Jump Gray showed a preparatory movement for the jump, 1. Jump over a rope on the floor
which included flexion at his knees and both arms
were extended behind the body. When he would
take off for his jump, both feet would leave the 2. Jump in and out of a hoop (or an object that can
ground for the take off at the same time and both make a circle) that is on the floor
feet would land simultaneously.
Slide In the mature stage of sliding, students display a 1. Sliding on a line using different speeds
smooth, rhythmical pattern at a moderate tempo.
Their feet remain close to the ground, with hips
oriented forward. They are moving sideways while 2. Sliding in different pathways such as a straight
facing in direction of movement. line, a zig zag, or a curved pathway.
Skip In the mature stage of skipping, the movement 1. Practice step-hop in self space “step forward and
appears easy and rhythmical. Arm action is reduced hop on the same foot”
with the student’s hands below their shoulders. Also,
their support foot is near the surface on the hop. 2. Skip while changing directions, pathways, and
Gray did not show any of this but is at a young age levels
where he can quickly learn!

B. Manipulative / Object Control

Skill Qualitative analysis Suggestions for tasks at home

Strike with For the mature stage of striking, the child 1. Strike ball off tee as hard as possible
long demonstrates a motion that includes a contralateral
implement step, segmented body rotation, weight shifting to the
back foot while the object is still moving backwards. 2. Hit with a pool noodle to strike the ball easy
There is a strike in a long, full arc in the horizontal
plane, and weight shifting to the front foot on
contact.
Catch In the pre-test analysis, Gray did not meet any of 1. Throw and catch with a partner close by
the skill criteria. However, when we got to the post
test Gray showed a preparation phase where his
hands where in front of his body and his elbows 2. Underhand toss with a partner, student receiving
were flexed, showing he was ready to catch the the ball takes 1 step towards ball to catch.
object.
Kick When Gray was at the kicking station, he showed a 1. Kick a stationary ball to the wall
movement with very little leg windup while standing
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still. That’s what would be considered as the initial 2. Kick a stationary ball lightly to a partner
stage of kicking.
Underhan When Gray was performing the underhand throw 1. Stride stance with ball, bend knees slightly and
d Throw movement skill, he displayed his preferred throwing swing arm back and forth (transfer the weight)
hand swinging down and backwards, reaching
behind his trunk. There was no step into the throw 2. Stride stance, underhand throw to a target with 1
made, his hand did not follow through after hand at different distances (far, near) varying
releasing the ball, and the ball would bounce a few force
times before hitting the wall.
Overhand For the overhand throw movement, Gray’s 1. Overhand throw without a ball to a target
Throw performance of the movement had no spinal (opposition, medium level, swing)
rotation, his feet were stationary, and he had a
vertical windup that made it look like he was 2. Overhand throw to target with 1 hand at different
chopping at an object. This would be considered the distances (far, near) varying force
initial stage of overhand throwing.
Roll a ball Before any prior teaching, Gray would hold the ball 1. Stride stance with ball, bend knees (lunge) to
with two hands and would have this backwards create a low level and swing arm back and forth
pendulum motion, while only watching the ball and (transfer weight)
not the target. Once he received some teaching, he 2. Stride stance roll with 1 hand under a rope
would roll with one hand and was in a bent “ready suspended by two cones (or people holding the
position” if you will. So it was really nice to see that ends of the rope) at a low level (transfer weight,
he can quickly learn, if he was able to take that step low, swing
when rolling the ball as well than he would more
than likely be considered in the elementary stage of
underhand rolling.
Dribble a The mature stage of dribbling is a controlled dribble 1. Dribble a ball as many times as you can until it
ball with with feet in a narrow stance with the opposite foot of stops
hand the dribbling hand forward, there slight forward body
lean, the ball is pushed with the fingers only and it 2. Dribble a ball consecutive while staying inself-
never comes past the height of the waist. And visual space
monitoring of the ball is unnecessary. Unfortunately
dribbling isn’t a skill Gray and I were able to get to
work on this semester.

C. Balance

Skill Qualitative analysis Suggestions for tasks at home

Static Static balance is something Gray and I got to work a 1. Balance on one leg trying to strike a balloon
Balance lot on this semester. The first time we did it, Gray
was unable to meet any of the criteria. But we went
back to it a week later and he was able to balance 2. Balance on 1 leg trying to pick up something off
on his left leg for 5 seconds without losing balance. the floor
This amazed me since the first time we tried this he
kept falling over or his nonsupport foot would hit the
ground so he wouldn’t fall probably 1-2 seconds into
attempting to hold his balance. For the post test, he
was unable to balance on either leg for 5 seconds
again, but on his right leg he adjusted his body to
maintain balance, and on his left leg his eyes were
looking forward so he can keep his balance for as
long as he could.
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Dynamic Dynamic balance is another skill we were able to 1. Walk across a narrow beam/object with bean
Balance work on numerous times throughout the semester. bags on shoulders (posture)
The first time we went through dynamic balance,
Gray was doing great and met more criteria than I 2. Walk across narrow beam/object with extended
thought he would at the start. On the low balance arms for support
beam he maintained a steady balance and was able
to make it across the beam without falling off. On the
high beam, he was able to maintain a steady
balance, but needed outside support to make it
across (which is totally okay for the age he’s at!) In
the post test we only got to work with the low beam,
but once again he was able to make his way across
without falling, but he also ran across the beam
rather than the walking method we’ve gone through
all semester. Regardless I was thoroughly impressed
with Gray’s performance on the balance beams this
semester!

5. What do you think you, as a teacher could have done differently to help the child progress during the class? Be
specific.

As a teacher, I felt I could have been maybe more on top of the kids. Since they were only seeing me twice every other
week, I wanted them to feel comfortable around me, but I also made sure they understood that I was a teacher and that
meant I was in charge and they had to listen to me as they would the teachers in their school. I felt I could have maybe
shown the child demonstrations of the skill as they were doing, but when you’re observing a student to see how they are
doing on their own, and teaching 3-5 students at a time and trying to give each student an equal amount of your attention for
a 4 minute station, it can be challenging. Overall, I feel I gave my best effort to the preschoolers of Homer Elementary
School. I feel I did almost everything I could to help them progress their development of the fundament movement skills we
went over for the entire semester.

6. Write your parent letter explaining your analysis of all three domains (PM, Affective, Cognitive) and some
suggestions for what to practice over the break. Include the letter below this prompt.

SUNY Cortland
12/4/2019
To the parents/guardians of Gray Towers
This semester has flown by, and I for one had such an amazing and fun experience being able
to work with Gray every time I had the opportunity to. Gray always would walk in with a big smile on
his face and was always so energetic and ready to take on whatever we had set up that day. No matter
the skill we were doing or the situation in general, he always seemed happy and would find joy in just
about anything, whether he did something right, or if he made a mistake he would just laugh about it
and not let it get the best of him, which I thought was really a great quality of his, not getting down on
himself! The skills that he has worked on are split into three different categories: locomotor,
manipulative (object control), and stability. Locomotor skills consist of running, galloping, hopping,
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leaping, jumping and sliding. The manipulative category consists of striking, dribbling, catching,
kicking, underhand and overhand throwing, and underhand rolling. Finally, we assessed her stability
by observing her static balance and dynamic balance.
From the beginning of the semester up until this point, Gray has made some awesome strides!
Although he wasn’t going from being an initial learner to mastering down each skill, he made progress
this semester that’s only going to help him with his fundamental movement skills down the road. We
didn’t get to practice and perform all 16 of the fundamental movement skills, but for the ones we did
Gray made some great strides with a few and was always willing to participate and gave it his best
effort each time. Gray also showed that he was willing to learn and take advice and/or feedback so that
he could improve his technique in whatever movement skill we were doing at the time. For example,
early on in the semester we went over catching, a manipulative skill. At first Gray would just stand
still and attempt to hug at the ball/object as it approached him. As the semester went on and we were
able to practice this, he was still standing stationary but now he has his arms bent and hands out in
front, ready to attempt to catch the ball with just his hands and no other body part. This is a great step
he’s taken because now, once he understands to step to where the ball is going and to move his body,
he will be able to catch at a much more efficient rate, thus improving his skill. Another skill where
Gray showed tremendous improvement was static balance, which falls under the stability skills we
work on. At the start of the year, Gray wasn’t able to hold hid balance for very long. He was all
wobbly and would have to put his other foot back down on the ground very quickly to avoid falling. I
had told him to use his arms like “airplane arms” and stick them out to the side to help maintain
balance and to avoid falling. The following week we went back to static balance, and using the
techniques we worked on, he showed he was able to balance on one leg for 5 seconds without falling
over and/or losing balance. I was so impressed and so proud of Gray when he did this. It showed he
cares and wanted to do better than he did the week before and not fall over. What I also loved about
Gray was every time he fell down; he would laugh it off and get back up and try again. It’s hard to
teach resilience to a preschooler but seeing that fighting spirit of his to get back up and keep trying
made me really proud because he showed that spirit time and time again throughout the semester. Gray
has all the tools needed to be able to perform these skills at higher levels, with some more practice I’m
certain he can get there in no time!
I couldn’t have asked for a better student to work with this entire semester. From the very first
day I met him he had this big bright smile on his face and was ready and willing to take part in just
about anything and everything that we did. A funny moment him and I had was when I asked him his
favorite color, assuming it would be grey since his name is Gray, and he emphatically replied with a
big smile on his face “All the colors!” Gray really is a great kid and I could tell that he really valued
and enjoyed the physical education class we were able to take part in together this semester. I chose
physical education because I wanted to work with kids and working with Gray this whole semester has
turned my dream into a reality. I look forward to knowing one day he is better and more efficient at all
of these skills with much more practice that I know he’ll go through, with a smile on his face
nonetheless! Gray truly is a remarkable kid, and you should be proud of your son because I know I am.
If you have any questions regarding his assessment or things to work on at home, feel free to reach out
to me at [email protected]
Sincerely,

Vincent Sangiuolo
SUNY Cortland Physical Education Teacher Candidate
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7. Create a letter to the future teacher candidate of your preschooler. Explain what worked and what did not work
focusing on ALL three domains of learning!! Include the letter below this prompt.

SUNY Cortland
12/4/2019
Dear Teacher Candidate taking place in PED 321 Movement Literacy Program,
I know a lot of people who have taken this class say all the time how tough of a class this is
and how you’re working with kids practically the entire semester. Don’t let that overwhelm you. Yes
there is a lot of work to stay on top of in this class, but that’s what you have to do. You must stay on
top of your work in this class and do your best to not procrastinate. Yes the midterm and final are not
easy, but like any other class you have to study, and you have to prepare yourself to the best of your
ability. I know this seems like a lot but seeing the look on the kids faces when you’ve helped them
succeed in a skill is so rewarding and makes all the work you’ll do in this class so, so worth it. I can
honestly say that every Tuesday and Thursday, I looked forward to 1:50PM because I was able to
work with some of the preschoolers at Homer Elementary, and it would make my day every single
time.
I had the absolute great pleasure of working with Gray this semester. When we first were
meeting the kids, a lot of my peers were nervous and wanted the students to like them since we were
going to be working with these kids the entire semester. Personally, I wasn’t nervous at all because
working with kids is something I want to do so I was excited for it. The number one thing I can say is
be yourself and the kids will love having you around to help them. If I was nervous about anything, it
was whether or not he would want to participate in any of the drills we had set up for the skills we
were working on that day. You won’t have to have that worry with Gray I can promise you that. Gray
is full of energy and always has a smile on his face regardless of what activity you guys are doing. He
loves to be doing something and will take joy in working on the fundamental movement skills with
you during the semester. He is very bright and picks up on cues pretty well. Sometimes he’ll need a
demonstration while you’re saying what to do so he can understand better what he has to do to be
more efficient in the skill, but he tries his best and is always very eager to learn. If you can find ways
to keep smiles on his face and find ways to get him to laugh, he will immediately trust you and will
look forward to seeing you every time he has physical education. I can promise you that you’ll have a
lot of fun and an awesome semester working with Gray, he really is a great kid.
I had a great time working with Gray this semester, and I know you will too. Just remember to
donate time out of class to going over what you learn and the chapters you are assigned to read,
because a lot of what is said in the chapters and in the movement concepts and skills packet carried
over to what you’ll do in class and the material tests and quizzes will have on them. Enjoy your time
with Gray and the rest of the children, as the semester will fly by in the blink of an eye, and you’ll be
here writing a letter to a future candidate yourself like I’m doing for you right now. I wish you the best
of luck next semester, and have a great semester working with Gray!
Sincerely,
Vincent Sangiuolo
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***This assignment can be used in your discussion with the teacher or parents and it can also
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