Reflective Questions for Motor Learning

How do you provide feedback to children regarding their performance on a motor skill?  Do you provide constructive criticism, positive praise, additional motor commands, additional demonstrations or more trials? Why not ask the child to verbally plan or review their own performance on a motor task.  For example, once you request a motor task to be completed ask an open ended question such as:

  • What do you plan to do? 

Then once the motor skill has been completed ask more open ended question(s) such as:

  • How did you think you did?
  • What could you have done differently?
  • Could you have done anything better?
  • Did you accomplish what you planned to do?

If necessary provide more detailed question(s) such as the following examples:

  • Did you perform the skill fast enough?
  • Did you stay on the line?
  • Did the ball go into the basket?
  • Did you avoid the obstacles?
  • Did you climb to the top?

And don’t forget to allow the children 5-10 seconds to answer the question.  

By involving the children in planning and feedback it provides additional input during motor learning trials.

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