Understanding Children’s and Readiness for Physical Activity Chapter 2
Children’s shared needs: Movement Success and approval Peer acceptance and approval Cooperate and compete
Children’s shared needs: Physical competency Adventure and novelty Creative satisfaction Rhythmic expression To know
Motor Skills Skill that requires the effective use of skeletal muscles Generally developed in childhood and expanded to more complex skills as one moves throughout the lifespan
Motor Skill Development Fine motor skills – hands, hand-eye coordination Gross motor skills - large muscles of the body
Physical Development K-2 3-6 Fine motor skills are low=avoid throwing, catching small fast objects 20-30 seconds of activity Students like to move to rhythm and 3-6 Become interested in sports Hand-eye coordination is developing – use soft objects
Cognitive Development K-2 Can understand simple directions and rules Get off task easily so change activities Allow students show creativity 3-6 Attention span increase so can add more steps/rules to activity Need specific rules to follow Like to work in small groups
Social Development K-2 3-6 Boys and girls have similar interests Want to please the teacher Want others to know they can do the activity 3-6 Want to do movement well Don’t want to lose
Gender Considerations Boys and girls have similar amounts of bone and muscle mass through early primary grades At preadolescence, boys and girls begin to experience physical differences
Cognitive Implications 4-7 year olds can focus only on one aspect of a skill at a time Most successful at low complexity skills 7-11 year olds develop ability to problem solve
Affective Implications Play is important to children Has an influence on self-esteem If children believe they can do the skill, they are more likely to participate
Practice Progressions Developmental Readiness – Having attained the age, fitness, and skill levels required to perform a particular activity Partner Individual Exploration Large-group Cooperative Activity Small-sized Group Activity