Three Steps Forwards, One Step Backwards

More often than not the words “Forwards” and “Backwards” are used daily within some point in your conversations.  When teaching your child the theory of forwards and backwards the concept is solidified quickly when you offer her actual, hands-on opportunities for practice.  Engaging your child in a fast paced game that involves these two words will help her understand the process.

One of the games I loved to play with children is what we called the “Luck of the Roll” game. You stand in the front of the room facing towards your child or multiple children. Ahead of time you’ll need to find a pair of dice.  Use one die the way you’re supposed to and then use tape to cover up the dots on the remaining die and then write the words forward or backward on all six sides.  Roll the dice and have your child move what is thrown.  For instance, if the dice land on “forward” on one dice and “three” on the other instruct your child to move forward three steps.  You can add other steps in the mix too such as baby steps, dinosaur steps, snake slithers, and more when you are ready to make the game more exciting and challenging.  When you child gets to the finish line she wins! In the game “Luck of the Roll” children can take turns calling out the moves.  This fun game covers language development, motor development, social skills and cognitive development as well! 

Mathematically speaking, you can teach your child to count forwards up to ten and then back again as she counts backwards.  My own kids loved to count this way, “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blast Off!”  We would all slowly squat and bend down and then blast off our bodies when we got the end!  It was exciting and fun for my active children to add the action to the numbers.

When you child is playing with her toys she can move them forward or backwards.  Sometimes you may hear someone say take two steps forward so people can get by.  My daughter has little cars she loved to play with.  We would practice the words forward and backwards by driving her cars forward down the pretend street and the do it backwards.  She might even back her car into the parking space. When she is outside you can have her practice walking forward and backwards. Soon, these two directional words will soon become very commonly used in her vocabulary too.