Small Steps

The Quick Open Reverse Turn

The man lowers toe-heel back onto his left foot, and the woman forward onto her right foot outside the man’s right side. The couple now continue with the basic quickstep.

Continue to turn left; the man swings his right side forward past the woman and onto his right toes swaying left. The woman swings onto her left toes as she takes a smaller step to the side swaying to the right.

Still flexed at the knee, the man drives forwards, left foot in line with the woman, and continues to turn left. The woman moves backwards with her right foot.

Compare these instructions with:

Find 17% of £25.00

1% of £25.00 is £0.25 (25 divided by 100)

7% of £25.00 is £1.75 (0.25 times 7)

10% of £25.00 is £2.50 (25 divided by 10)

17% of £25.00 is £4.25 (£1.75 plus £2.50)

To make the quickstep instructions comprehensible the couple may need a little help. The printed words are all very well but hearing the music and following the instructor glide around the floor will speed up the ability to learn the turn and, in time, remember what has been taught. It would help if the steps leading up to the turn have been learnt and understood.

To remember the steps of working out how to find a percentage also assumes that your ten year old has some prior information.

A percentage is out of a hundred.

To find 1% divide by 100. It would help if your child knew how to divide by a hundred before the percentage exercise. If you are teaching dividing by 100 as well as percentages you may, a times, be asking your child to take on too much.

So when you are working through examples on an eleven plus paper it does help to write out the steps. This will help you to focus on what has to be learnt. It should also help make sure you are using the right vocabulary – and that you are not assuming too much.

If you are unsure of what this means take a trip to a local dance class. Join a group where the level of instruction is challenging to you. Return the following week and see just how much you can remember.

If you can break down all the steps you have been taught a week later then you can expect the same from your child.