A student completes a target throw. Their partner says, “Good job” or “Try harder.” “Good job” offers encouragement. Add something the thrower can use on the next attempt: an accurate observation and one clear action to try.
Set up a manageable throw
Choose a light, soft object and a stable, broad floor target at a distance that suits the learner. Check the surface, space, throwing direction and equipment. Mark clear boundaries, give students a stop signal and explain how objects will be retrieved. Put the observer in a designated position outside the object’s path.
Soft equipment is useful, but it isn’t the whole safety plan. Spacing, supervision and sensible organisation still matter. The NSW Department of Education’s physical education guidance covers these environment, equipment and participation decisions.
Agree on one action to watch
Use a movement students have already learnt and practised. Agree on one visible action, demonstrate it and ask the observer to point it out before pairs begin. Then ask the thrower to explain or show what they’ll try.
For an appropriate underarm throw, the action might be moving the throwing hand towards the target during release. That’s an example, not a rule for every learner. Choose an action that fits the movement, the student and your instruction.
Keep the feedback to one aspect at a time and check that the learner understands it, in line with the department’s guidance on providing feedback in physical education. One action gives the observer a fair chance of noticing something accurately. It also gives the thrower a next step they can name.
Model the words first
Don’t send pairs off with “give helpful feedback” and leave them to work out what that means. Establish the shared action, model the exchange and monitor whether comments are accurate and useful. The NSW peer and self-feedback technique guide recommends modelling peer feedback and using shared criteria and sentence stems.
Thrower: “Watch where my hand moves.”
Observer: “Your hand moved across your body. Try moving it towards the target.”
Thrower: “I’ll try that.”
“I’ll try that” shows willingness, but it doesn’t show what the thrower understood. Follow with, “Show me what you’ll try.” The thrower can name or demonstrate the intended movement before throwing again.
Use that observation and hint only when they match what actually happened and the action you taught. Listen for accuracy. Students are observing a movement, not inventing technical advice for one another.
Try again, then describe what happened
Offer another attempt and have the thrower ask, “What did you see my hand do this time?” A useful reply could be, “Your hand moved towards the target that time. The object landed short.”
Those sentences report two different things. The first describes the agreed action. The second describes where the object landed. A hit doesn’t establish learning, and a miss doesn’t make the feedback useless.
If the action was already present, the observer can say, “Your hand moved towards the target. Try using that action again.” If they’re unsure, “I couldn’t tell that time” is an honest answer. They can ask the teacher for help instead of guessing. Two attempts simply organise the conversation; they aren’t a guaranteed route to improvement.
Make observation a real role
The observer watches quietly during the attempt. There’s no scoring, ranking, guessing about effort or public commentary on ability. A student can point to an agreed action card or report privately to the teacher. Swap roles when appropriate.
Adjust the task for the students in front of you. Options might include seated throwing, rolling or supported equipment, with the observed action changed to suit the chosen movement. Accessible participation, encouragement and negotiated roles belong in the planning, not as an afterthought.
Keep the curriculum connection in proportion
The Years 5–6 HPE content descriptions include adapting movement skills, investigating how movement concepts affect outcomes, encouraging others and negotiating group roles. This activity gives Year 5 students one possible setting for that work. It doesn’t cover those descriptions in full.
Listen for a usable next step
Listen to one pair. Did the observer name what happened and offer one suitable action the thrower understood? If the comment is still “try harder”, return to the agreed movement and model a specific sentence. Judge the usefulness of the feedback separately from whether the object hits the target.
Before the next throw, ask: what will your partner actually try?