Steps to success with Resene footprint stencils

Thanks to RoadSense Facilitator Murray Bushop, here are some ideas about how these stencils can be used in an inventive manner around your school. If you have other suggestions email them to us and we'll add them to the list.

Outside

• Use at a spot where students are to line up or wait, such as at a four square game, school bus queues, waiting to use the school crossing.

• Create 'walk don't run areas', such as on dangerous corners around/close to buildings where there is no or little visibility. Suggest you use the colour red.

• Create school trails for fitness that could include exercise stations.

• Use the footprints to create feet that can be used as arrows to highlight a cross country course.

• Netball - create shooting spots within the circle. Children challenge each other to reach No. 10. Footprints are placed at various distances and angles from the goal post.

• If you are planning to paint on a public footpath, don't forget to seek permission from the local council first.

In the classroom

Using the stencil the children trace the shape onto paper/card/material then use the shape for:

• Progression ladders - reading groups; spelling levels etc. 'Steps to success'.

• Vocabulary feet. The words connected with the teaching theme are displayed.

• Language and mathematic rules are displayed on the feet.

• Feet are used to display the child's goal(s) for the term. Could be posted into their home/profile books.

• Use to display the values/virtues that are the focus for that week.

• Feet rewards. Use different colours for specific rewards or value.

• Foot letters. Teachers write a letter to a child thanking/praising them for carrying out the right actions. Often just left inside their desk for them to discover. Watch their facial expression when they realise they have been rewarded for being good.

• Foot trees - for displaying student questions related to inquiry learning.

• Foot arrows on the wall that link the direction/steps the children should follow.

• Language-foot stories. Pages could be stapled together to form a book.

• A decorated foot bookmark.

• Foot poems. The foot shape is used to display the poem.

• Use to display 'foot words', such as footpath, footnote, footstep, footman, footprint, football etc.

• Foot jokes. Use the shape to display jokes from the children. Create laughter as well as it becomes a reading/writing event. Rules need to be explained as to what is acceptable. A joke corner could be established.

Email us with your suggestions of creative ways to use the footprint stencils or to order footprint stencils for your school.