Catching and Throwing - Unit Overview

The Reception-level Striver Lesson Plans offer a comprehensive overview of the Catching & Throwing unit, designed to develop young pupils' fundamental motor skills. Throughout the unit, children will learn to execute both underarm and overarm throws with a degree of accuracy, using equipment such as beanbags and tennis balls. The lessons are structured to enhance their ability to roll, throw, and catch circular equipment, with a particular focus on catching moving balls. These skills are built on a foundation of prior learning that includes basic throwing and catching, as well as bouncing, rolling, coordination, and balance.

Each lesson within the unit has specific learning objectives and success criteria. For example, pupils will start by learning to handle equipment safely and perform various actions, progressing to combine movement with underarm throwing, and eventually, they will be able to throw a tennis ball with both underarm and overarm techniques consistently. Teaching tips highlight the importance of repetition for this age group to master key skills, the need for simple activities that can be scaled up in complexity, and the suggestion to challenge more advanced pupils with individual targets. The unit emphasizes the 'cup' technique for catching different sized balls and introduces a range of equipment, including hoops and quoits, to diversify the skills being taught.