1. The Value and Purpose of Physical Education for Children
Chapter 1
The Value and Purpose of Physical Education for Children

2. Group Discussion
Why do children need physical education at school?
Create a list of four things that your elementary program would emphasize in physical education
Did you like physical education when you were in elementary school? Why or why not?

3. Key Points Children have an innate desire to move
We need to keep that desire alive by offering opportunities for learning, success and enjoyment of physical activity

4. The Purpose of Physical Education
Guide Youngsters
in the Process
of Becoming
Physically Active and Healthy
for a Lifetime

5. Key Points
Ideally children should be taught by a specialist possessing an extensive background in children’s physical education.
National Standards for Physical Education, (NASPE, 2004) define the purpose of a quality program as enabling students to leave school being “physically educated”

6. The Six Content Standards for Physical Education from the National Standards for Physical Education
A Physically Educated Person:
1. Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities
2. Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities
3. Participates regularly in physical activity

7. The Six Content Standards for Physical Education (cont)
A Physically Educated Person:
4. Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
5. Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings
6. Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction

8. Benefits of a Quality Physical Education Program
Health benefits associated with physical activity and regular participation in physical activity
Skill development
Improved physical fitness
Reinforcement of other subjects
Self-discipline
Goal setting
Leadership and cooperation
Enhanced self efficacy
Stress reduction
Strengthening peer relationships

9. Key Points
Consequences of being physically uneducated include having unpleasant memories of physical education experiences and lacking an understanding about what physical activity is
Since most children love movement, the challenge to the physical educator is to keep alive the childhood urge to move so that as individuals move into adult years the desire to be physically active is still present

10. Key Points A positive, quality physical education program is:
Developmentally appropriate
Instructionally appropriate
Specific to the children being served

11. Developmentally Appropriate and Instructionally Appropriate Physical Education
Recognizes and promotes children’s changing capacity to move
Takes into consideration individual characteristics of children, such as level of development, prior movement experiences, fitness and skill levels, body size and age
Instructionally Appropriate
Uses best practices that are derived from current research and from experiences teaching children
Provides a program that maximizes children’s opportunities to learn and to be successful

12. Characteristics of a positive, quality program
Time - at least 150 minutes a week
Class size - same as the regular classroom
Sequential, developmental curriculum - scope and sequence of curriculum connected to past and future lessons and children's developmental levels
Minimum of 50% moderate to vigorous Activity (MVPA) during each lesson
Practice opportunities - many opportunities to practice skill/concept being taught

13. Characteristics of a positive, quality program (cont)
High rates of success - for children at all ability levels
Positive developmental environment - children should feel emotionally safe in the physical education environment
Teacher background - ideally, the teacher should have extensive background in content and pedagogy of physical education
Realistic expectations - if time is limited for physical education, teachers set realistic goals to help develop motor skills so that children can successfully participate in physical activities

14. Characteristics of a positive, quality program (cont)
Adequate equipment and facilities - ideally, a variety of equipment for all children and both indoor an outdoor facilities
Enjoyable - learning should be fun!
Emphasize the psychomotor domain, but also focus on the cognitive and affective domains

15. Vignette #1
The PE teacher, Ms. Jones, likes basketball and is the assistant coach at the middle school. She spends 6 weeks each year on a basketball unit with the 4th and 5th grade students. The unit includes skill drills the first week and then teams playing 5 on 5, with a round robin tournament the last week.

16. Vignette #2
Mr. Rader, a third grade classroom teacher, is responsible for providing physical education to his students at least 2 times a week. One day he plans 30 minutes of simple games, and the other day he gives ‘free time’ with a variety of manipulative equipment, such as balls, hoops, ropes, etc.

17. Vignette #3
Two classroom teachers ask the physical education teacher to take both their classes at the same time on Fridays for 4 weeks so that they can have a planning time together. The classes would be in a small multipurpose room. Mr. Smith doesn’t know what they are planning together, only that it is an interdisciplinary school project.

18. Small Group Work
Write a mission statement for your elementary physical education program
Present your mission statement to the class

19. The Skill Theme Approach
Chapter 2
The Skill Theme Approach

20. Key Points Skill Themes are:
Fundamental movements, later modified into more specialized patterns upon which more complex activities/sports are built.
The Skill Theme Approach is a way of teaching physical
education that:
Is organized around Skill Themes and Movement concepts

21. Key Points Important motor development principles:
Children develop at different rates
Age does not predict motor ability
Children develop motor skills naturally through play
Skillfulness is a result of practice, not gender or heredity

22. The Curriculum Diamond

23. Key Points Curriculum Diamond Suggests the
development of a broad foundation of movement forms at the elementary and middle school level
focus on proficiency in few movements at high school

24. Key Points Elementary Level Focus: To help children acquire the
fundamental competencies:
First focus on developing movement concepts
Space awareness
Effort
Relationships
Then focus on developing skill themes
Manipulative skills
Locomotor skills
Non-manipulative skills

25. Active Learning Time
Generate a list of sports/physical activities taught in physical education.
Choose four different sports/activities
List all of the psychomotor skills necessary to successfully participate
What psychomotor skills do these sports/activities have in common?

26. Key Points Skill theme approach
Emphasizes helping children develop skill competencies that enable them to participate successfully with enjoyment.
Provides different tasks based on children’s ability
Four skill levels: precontrol, control, utilization, proficiency
Focuses on children learning the critical elements of a skill.

27. Key Points Additional Skill Theme Approach qualities:
Emphasizes both cognitive and affective domains by helping children understand the “how’s” and “why’s” of movement and giving them opportunities to feel good about themselves and others
Skill themes may be revisited throughout the school year many times

28. Comparing the Skill Theme Approach with the Traditional Method of Teaching Physical Education
Scope and sequence is designed to teach skills in preset “units” of three weeks, six weeks, etc
Scope and sequence is designed to reflect the needs and interests of the students over a period of years (i.e.,K-5)
Primary emphasis on providing learning experiences that are based on the child’s age or grade
Primary emphasis on providing learning experiences that are appropriate for the developmental level of the individual child
Primary emphasis on teaching children games, dances, and gymnastics without regard to skill acquisition.
Primary emphasis on fundamental motor skill acquisition and competency
Traditional Method
Skill Theme Approach

29. Practical Application
Using the skill theme of dribbling a ball, how could a teacher adjust the activity to be ‘developmentally appropriate’ for children of varying ability levels?