Imitation
The essence of this method is if not only tasks of movements are shown but also the similar ones that will be imitated. For example, “as trees bend in the wind you should move forward and backward just like trees, form a circle and imitate bending trees.” Making children do this exercise their interest may be raised. It is crucial to make learners imitate movements and motions that they know and have already experienced.
Certain, everyday work can also be imitated and demonstrated, such as wood cutting, sawing and biking; the movements of objects found outdoors, consumer goods (bending trees, rocking boat), figures of tales (dog, cat, rabbit, train, plane, giant, dwarf). The method of onomatopoeia can also be used here.
It may happen that similar movements that would characterize and imitate certain motions children do not know. In this case we need not use explanations and after uttering a motivating sentence a teacher/ trainer is advised to show and imitate the series of movements. For example, swing your arms as your teacher does it. This method can be applied if we regularly meet our students.
Examples
Picking apples
“Stand straight! Put your arms by your ears! Now try to pick apples from a tree! Alternate your arms! Stretch your arms high up to be able to reach apples! Repeat this exercise! It is enough!”
Wind is blowing the trees
“Open the gate and put your arms by your ears! To the left, to the right! A strong wind is blowing now! Lean sideways! The wind is blowing more heavily; this is what I would like to hear! Let’s finish the exercise!”
Belly dancer
“Straddle and hold your hands over your head! You must have seen a belly dancer in your life so far! Let’s try to imitate her! Circle with your hips, once to the right then to the left! The children whose legs will not move from the ground are very skilful.”
Gate
“Stand straight! Put your hand onto your nape! With a great leap forward open the gate, jump into straddle then with a leap again close the gate! Open, close!”
Cancan
“Now we will become famous dancers. Put your hands on your hips! With a leap swing your knees forward! Up and back again! Do the same exercise with stretched legs! Up and back again! Now do it with your other leg. Knee back! Leg back! Now we are dancing cancan! Knee back! Leg back!... “
A clock
“Open the gate again! Put your hand by your hips at your sides! With our head we will imitate a clock! Tilt your head to the left, then to the right! At the same time we are imitating its sound. Tick-tack!....”
Scything
“You must have seen an old man scything. Let’s see, how he can do it. Put your hands at one of your sides the way I am showing it to you! Now swing the arms to your other side, then swing them back! The students who can swing the scythe well back they are very skilful. .. We have done a good job and we have managed to do this job!”
Windmill
“Now we are collecting grass! Windmill is helping us! Put one of your hands by your ear and leave the other hand by your body! Circle your arms just like a windmill! Start speeding! Quicker, quicker!... Slow down! … and the windmill stops. We have collected the grass!”
Biking
“Start biking! Sit down and support yourself behind the back! Put one of your legs on the pedal below then put your other leg on the pedal above! We can start! Bike quicker otherwise you will be dropped behind!.. Finish the exercise!”
Foot-swing
“We will be swinging on our feet/ soles! Stand straight! Lift your feet and stand on your toes! Support yourself on your heels! Stand on your toes and back again! Support on your heels and back! The students who can stand straight are very skilful.”
Rowing
“It is high time to go and start rowing. Sit down in Turkish seat and hold your arms bent in front of your chest! Stretch your arms forward and put the paddle deep into the water then pull it back. Help yourself with the movements of your torso! Forward and backward!”
Waving
“Sit with stretched, closed legs and support your body behind the back! We will wave with our feet! Show me one of your feet and hide the other one so that we cannot see it! Now alter your feet! Wave continuously!
Tunnel
“You may have experienced travelling through a tunnel! Kneel down and support yourself with your hands while your thighs are straight! Stretch your knees and lift your hip high up! Here is the tunnel! You have left the tunnel! Do the exercise, up and down!”
Cat
“We are going to imitate cats. Kneel down and support your body with your hands! Arch your back just like cats and look up at the sky! You can also meow!”
Table
“Sit down and support yourself with your hands at the back! Pull your knees up a bit, but your feet should remain on the floor! Lift your hips high up and straighten your torso and thighs so as to look like a table! Descend back! Have a square meal!”
Foal
“I am sure that you like horses, especially the young ones! Crouch and support yourself with your hands in front of you! Lift your legs into the air and start wriggling! Take care not to fall onto your nose! Slow down a bit, do not do the exercise with great zest otherwise you may fall over! Try doing this exercise at least five times! The more time you can stay in the air the more skilful you are.”
Hungry crocodile
“Have you ever seen a crocodile at a zoo or on TV? Do you know that the hungry crocodile is very dangerous? Now we will become hungry crocodiles. Lie onto your stomach and put your hands behind your ears! Open the mouth of the crocodile so as to support your body with one of your hands and lift the other hand together with your torso! Now close its mouth! Open its mouth again! The crocodile is skilful if it can wide open its mouth. Open, close…!”
Sparrow jumping
“Stand straight; put your hands on your hips! Show how small sparrows jump! First on the spot! You are very skilful! Now the little bird is asked to jump forward four times! Let’s count loudly. One, two, three, four! Now jump back! One, two, three, four! Then jump toward the window! One, two, three, four! Jump toward the door! One, two, three, four!”
Steering
“We have not sat in a car today yet. It is a very interesting car as it must be driven while lying on the floor! Lie onto your stomach and put your hands by your ears! Lift up your torso so as to be able to see through the window! Hold the steering wheel and rotate the wheel! I want to hear the noises of cars. The students who can hold their torso up in the air the longest they will be able to cover longer distances.”
Mast
“We are by the