Chapter 1
The Value and Purpose of
Physical Education for Children
Group Discussion
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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?
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
The Purpose of Physical Education
Guide Youngsters
in the Process
of Becoming
Physically Active and Healthy
for a Lifetime
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”
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
The Six Content Standards for Physical Education
(cont)
A Physically Educated Person:
4.
5.
6.
Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of
physical fitness
Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior
that respects self and others in physical activity
settings
Values physical activity for health, enjoyment,
challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction
Benefits of a Quality Physical Education
Program
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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
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
Key Points
A positive, quality physical education program is:
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Developmentally appropriate
Instructionally appropriate
Specific to the children being served
Developmentally Appropriate and Instructionally
Appropriate Physical Education
Developmentally Appropriate
 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
Characteristics of a positive, quality program

Time - at least 150 minutes a week
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Class size - same as the regular classroom
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Sequential, developmental curriculum - scope and
sequence of curriculum connected to past and future
lessons and children's developmental levels
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Minimum of 50% moderate to vigorous Activity
(MVPA) during each lesson
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Practice opportunities - many opportunities to
practice skill/concept being taught
Characteristics of a positive, quality program
(cont)
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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
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
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Enjoyable - learning should be fun!
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Emphasize the psychomotor domain, but also focus
on the cognitive and affective domains
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.
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.
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.
Small Group Work

Write a mission statement for your
elementary physical education program

Present your mission statement to the class
Chapter 2
The Skill Theme Approach
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
Key Points
Important motor development principles:

Children develop at different rates
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Age does not predict motor ability
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Children develop motor skills naturally through play
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Skillfulness is a result of practice, not gender or heredity
The Curriculum Diamond
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
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
Active Learning Time
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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?
Key Points
Skill theme approach

Emphasizes helping children develop skill competencies
that enable them to participate successfully with
enjoyment.
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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.
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
Comparing the Skill Theme Approach with the
Traditional Method of Teaching Physical Education
Skill Theme Approach
Traditional Method
Primary emphasis on fundamental
motor skill acquisition and
competency
Primary emphasis on teaching
children games, dances, and
gymnastics without regard to skill
acquisition.
Primary emphasis on providing
learning experiences that are
appropriate for the developmental
level of the individual child
Primary emphasis on providing
learning experiences that are
based on the child’s age or grade
Scope and sequence is designed
to reflect the needs and interests
of the students over a period of
years (i.e.,K-5)
Scope and sequence is designed
to teach skills in preset “units” of
three weeks, six weeks, etc
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?