Teacher's name

Analysis Gf practice opportunities and success rate

)Cb W

~ Seo+ t

Observer's name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Directions: Select one child (try to make it a highly skilled child) and another child (try to make it a low-skilled child).
Each time they attempt the skill presented in the task (kick with the instep, catch a ball, etc.) mark an "S" if the attempt
is successful; mark a "U" if the attempt is unsuccessful. Switch your observation from one child to the other every other
minute.
Criterion skill 14.k

e 6S ~s 0-.S

Child#1

..
__

g~~'g__

Total attempts _ __,_J_]~_

Cf ~ 'Z

(Total successful+ Total attempts)

Figure 7.1

--~\.!_\-e

Total unsuccessful ___

attempts---~~~

Success rate

fV1

Total successful ___

Total unsuccessful _ _
Total

{/\___l

Child#2

30

Total successful

t>oSS; ble

-g~--

Success rate "'

5 Z.. Lt

(Total successful+ Total attempts) . ,,

~~

Sample form for analyzing practice opportunities and success rates.

From G. Graham. 2008. Teachir:g C.hildren Physical Educal!on. 3rd ed. (Champa1gn, IL: Hu<nan Kiret1cs)

ever, only with practice attempts that are easily counted. Lessons emphasizing throwing,
Latching, and kicking are ideal. By counting the successful and unsuccessful tries for a
low- and a higher-skilled child in a class, an observer can obtain a reasonably accurate
estimate of the number of tries for each child, as well as the success rate.

In addition to creating succcss-orienred environments, effective teachers find ways to help

children develop an intrinsic motivation for improving. This is called mastery learning.
In a mastery climate, teachers provide children with
., a variety of tasks,
., opportunities
~

to

make decisions about rhe tasks,

feedback (private recognition and evaluation),

., self-paced instruction and choices of tasks, and

~

ways

to

measure personal improvement and avoid social comparisons.

A mastery learning environment encourages children to develop a high sense of independence or autonomy in their lessons, thereby encouraging intrinsic motivation (Valentini
& Rudisill, 2004). Mastery teachers encourage children ro practice hard so they can
gain the sarisfaction of seeing their own improvement rather than improve to please the
teacher or to win a contest.
Mastery teachers encourage children to build and sustain an intrinsic motivation by
avoiding social comparisons, both with other children in the class and with externally
validated norms. In classes taught hy those teachers, for example, you won't see contests