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Helping Young Children Become Physically Active for Life Dr. Steve Sanders Tennessee Tech University Diana Courson, Editor Arkansas State University Childhood Services Sponsored by Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education Little Rock, Arkansas

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Page 1: Helping Young Children Become Physically Active for Life

Helping Young Children Become Physically

Active for Life

Dr. Steve Sanders

Tennessee Tech University

Diana Courson, Editor Arkansas State University

Childhood Services

Sponsored by Arkansas Department of Human Services

Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education Little Rock, Arkansas

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dr. Steve Sanders, the contributing author for the physical activity and movement pages, is Professor and Director of the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science at the University of South Florida. He is the author of Active for Life: Developmentally Appropriate Movement Programs for Young Children (2002, National Association for the Education of Young Children) and of Designing Preschool Movement Programs (1992). He is the editor of the Preschool Section for PE Central, a nationally acclaimed physical education Web site, www.pecentral.org.

Thank you to Kathy Sharp, Arkansas State University Childhood Services, for contributions to the literacy pages.

This book was originally published as B.A.M! Body and Mind, for Arkansas Children’s Week 2004.

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Table of Contents A Problem and a Solution 1

Fast Facts about Physical Activity and Movement 2 Physical activity and health 2 Physical activity and learning 3

The Importance of Physical Activity 5 “I Am Learning” Summary 7 Recommendations from the profession 9 Helping Children Become Physically Active for Life 11 Why plan for physical activity? 11 The adult’s role 12 Suggested teaching strategies for physical activity 13 Selected cues for practicing physical activity 15 Gross Motor Development—Widely Held Expectations 16 Is This Happening in Your Physical Activity Program? 18 Developmentally Appropriate Preschool Movement Checklist 21 Recommended Resources 28 Locomotor Skill Development and Movement Concepts 29 Stability Skill Development 45 Manipulative Skill Development 51 How to Make Equipment for Physical Activities 62 Leap Into Literacy 63

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A Problem and a Solution Children’s bodies and minds develop together. Good physical and mental health and optimal brain growth and development both depend on regular physical activity. Today’s children spend many hours “plugged in”. They watch television, play video games, and log many hours of computer time. As a result, our children are spending less time engaged in physical activities such as bike riding, running, and playing catch. In addition to a decrease in physical activity and movement, many children are living on fast food diets. Convenience foods tend to be higher in fat, salt, and sugar and lower in important nutrients. Poor diet affects the child’s health and ability to learn. We know that the child’s early experiences set the stage for lifelong habits and behaviors. The combination of inadequate nutrition with a tendency toward more sedentary pastimes has serious long-term consequences for our children and our society. The solution is simple. Children need appropriate gross motor activities every day and they need appropriate servings of nutritious meals and snacks. However, with the emphasis on supporting the child’s academic achievement, many early educators fail to plan and implement an adequate physical activity curriculum. The purpose of this book is to provide a knowledge base for incorporating regular physical activity into the curriculum. In this book you will find facts about physical activity and nutrition, background information for teachers, and ideas for many activities that children will enjoy. Handouts for families are also included so that you can share this information with parents and others who care about children. You will also find literature-based activities that combine physical activity and literacy. And don’t forget that what’s good for the children is also good for us! Daily physical activity and nutritious foods support health, problem solving, and creativity in adults. Join the children in these activities and become active for life!

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Fast Facts: Physical Activity and Movement

Physical Activity and Health When physical inactivity is combined with poor diet, the impact on public health is

devastating, accounting for an estimated 300,000 adult deaths per year. Obesity rates continue to climb among school-aged children from a low of about four

percent 40 years ago to nearly 15 percent in 2002. More than nine million children ages 6-19 are considered overweight, triple what the proportion was in 1980.

Tobacco use is the only health risk behavior that kills more people than obesity.

Physically active children have greater chances of being healthy for a lifetime.

Americans could substantially improve their health and quality of life by including moderate

amounts of physical activity in their daily lives. Substantial health benefits related to regular participation in physical activity include reduced risks of developing diabetes or dying prematurely from heart disease, high blood pressure, or colon cancer.

Numerous studies confirm that regular physical activity helps children to build and maintain

healthy bones, muscles, and joints, and to control weight, build lean muscle, and reduce fat; it prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure.

Americans are statistically less active with each year of age. Inactivity among children is now linked to future sedentary habits as adults.

Diseases associated with obesity are estimated to cost almost $100 billion per year, or

approximately 8% of the national health care budget.

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Physical activity and learning Brain research shows that young children need a substantial amount of physical activity in

order to meet their developmental needs. Scientists now believe that for young children to achieve their maximum potential, their

activities and environments need to be stimulating to their brains. Physical movement plays a vital role in the creation of nerve cell networks essential to

learning. Cross-lateral movement, specifically, activates both hemispheres and all four lobes of the brain, heightening cognitive functioning and increasing ease of learning.

Regular physical activity reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, and may, through its

effect on mental health, increase children’s capacity for learning. Children use movement to express feelings, manipulate objects, and learn about their world.

Children acquire knowledge experientially, using different modalities (visual, auditory, tactile,

kinesthetic). Many children who do poorly in school are predominantly tactile or kinesthetic learners who are not allowed to move to learn.

Movement can help children to adjust socially and emotionally because it can provide them

with successful experiences and permit interrelationships with other children. Young children are watching television an average of 24 hours a week. By the time a child

graduates from high school, estimates are that he/she will have spent 15,000 hours in front of a television and only 12,000 hours in the classroom.

Implementation of a success-oriented movement program reduces behavior problems in all

areas because children who experience success are less likely to want to disrupt the class. Opportunity for physical activity Daily developmentally appropriate movement experiences have the potential to shape the

lives of children in becoming physically active and healthy for a lifetime. Early movement experiences assist children in becoming efficient movers of their bodies while also helping them to develop positive attitudes about the importance of daily physical activity.

From experience and research we know that children who do not develop a foundation of

basic motor skills are less likely to participate in physical activity on a daily basis. For children ages 5-15, walking and bicycling activities

have dropped by 50% since 1977. Because of safety concerns, children spend less time playing outside.

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Schools now provide less time for physical activity programs, focusing more on traditional academics, and many communities have failed to invest in recreational facilities such as parks and recreation centers.

The urge to achieve physical skill mastery and capitalize on the body’s capacity for

movement is common to all children. They delight in physical accomplishment and enjoy movement for its own sake.

The early years—ages 3, 4, and 5—are a critical time for children’s development of physical

skills. Preschoolers should accumulate at least one hour of daily

structured physical activity. Preschoolers should engage in unstructured physical activity

whenever possible and should not be sedentary for more than one hour at a time.

In the developmentally appropriate preschool movement

program, the responsibility of a teacher is to create an environment, situations, challenges, and activities that allow children to develop physical skills and realize their potential for movement. Physical education is one piece of the early childhood teacher’s role in enhancing children’s development and learning in all curriculum areas.

A developmentally appropriate movement curriculum can give students the practice and instruction necessary to refine their movement skills and expand their movement vocabularies. This is critical because the ability to move well promotes feelings of self-confidence and will benefit children socially, emotionally, and physically.

Studies show that up to 50% of American children are not getting enough exercise, with

girls getting much less activity than boys. Success and enjoyment are key elements in establishing a lifelong love of movement.

Maturation alone does not ensure proper development of motor skills. Continuous practice

and instruction are required if movement skills are to be refined. Creating a developmentally appropriate movement program for young children requires

planning and an understanding of developmental characteristics of children. Due to their static nature, traditional playgrounds and their traditional uses do little to

stimulate children’s development and seriously limit their imaginative play.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Physical activity, play, and the development of motor skills are essential to the young child’s development. Children use movement to express feelings. Children manipulate objects to learn about their world. Children delight in physical accomplishment. Children enjoy movement for its own sake.

The purpose of physical activity programs is to nurture the child’s interest in movement through middle childhood and adolescence into adulthood. The goal is to guide children toward developing physical activity as a lifelong habit. Physical activity and play serve different roles throughout the lifespan, yet they are essential to quality of life. Good physical and mental health and constructive social relationships are influenced by physical activity and movement. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) recommends that all children from birth to age five engage in daily physical activity that promotes health-related fitness and movement skills. This position is based on empirical evidence that movement is a fundamental function of life. In addition, young children have an inherent interest in physical play. The preschool years are a critical time in the development of motor skills necessary to participation in lifelong physical activity.

Movement promotes cognitive development. Studies of young children have demonstrated that early knowledge is acquired experientially through play, experimentation, exploration, and discovery (Pica, 2004).

Traditional educational settings tend to treat the three domains of learning—physical, cognitive, and social-emotional—as separate entities. Yet, the domains are intrinsically interwoven, such that facilitation of one enhances learning in another. Children use movement to assist in their social and emotional development. Physical play enhances relationships among children, promoting early cooperation and communication skills (Sawyer, 2001).

New brain research shows that young children need a substantial amount of physical activity in order to meet their developmental needs.

Scientists now believe that for young children to achieve their maximum potential, their activities and environments need to be stimulating to their brains. Although genetics play an important role in determining the basic circuits in the brain, what the infant experiences through movement has a strong influence on the trillions of brain connections that develop after birth. For example, research has shown that intensive early education using objects such as blocks and beads, and participation

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in a variety of movement activities have a long-term positive effect on IQ and academic achievement. Physical activity is obviously important for a child’s physical development, but scientists now realize that it also contributes to the child’s brain development as well.

Early childhood educators have long understood that physical development is important and they encourage daily physical activity for children under their care. Research suggests ways in which physical play and motor development may contribute not only to the three domains of learning, but also to leading a healthy, disease free lifestyle.

Early movement experiences assist children in becoming efficient movers of their bodies, while also helping them to develop positive attitudes about the importance of daily physical activity.

From experience and research we know that children who do not develop a foundation of basic motor skills are less likely to participate in physical activity on a daily basis. It is known that activity 6decreases with age and that youths who are physically inactive tend to become sedentary as adults. In fact, research has demonstrated that very few adults who were physically inactive as children become active as adults. Physical education and movement programs for young children should concentrate on the development of physical skills. These skills are invaluable lifetime tools that children and adults use to maintain health and fitness and a successful participation in regular physical activity. Movement and sequential skill development are at the center of young children’s physical growth, for “no matter what the activity one cannot take part successfully if the essential fundamental movement skills contained within that activity have not been mastered” (Gallahue, 1995). Several curricula exist for early childhood physical activity. All have a base of what are generally referred to as movement skill themes and movement concepts.

Skill themes are those movements and combinations of movements that a child is neurologically ready to develop and refine during the preschool years. They are divided into the categories of locomotor, stability, and manipulative skills.

Movement concepts are the knowledge component of the curriculum. Concepts help to modify or enrich the range of skills and the effectiveness of children’s use of skills.

The ”I Am Learning” chart on the following page illustrates that the child is learning WHAT my body does (actual physical skills), HOW and WHERE my body moves, and how MY BODY RELATES to myself, other movers and objects (movement concepts).

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“I Am Learning” Summary

(Action Awareness) “I am learning WHAT my body does.”

Locomotor Skills Walking Running Hopping Skipping Galloping Sliding Leaping Climbing Crawling Chasing Fleeing

Stability Skills

Turning Twisting Bending Stopping Rolling

Balancing Transferring Weight

Jumping and Landing Stretching

Curling Swinging Swaying Dodging

Manipulative Skills

Throwing Catching and Collecting

Kicking Punting Dribbling Volleying

Striking with Rackets Striking with Long-handled

Implements

(Effort Awareness) “I am learning HOW my body moves.”

Time

Force

Control

Speeds Slow

Medium Fast

Accelerating

Rhythms

Beats Cadence Patterns

Degrees of Force Strong Medium

Light

Creating Force

Starting Sustained Explosive Gradual

Absorbing Force

Stopping Receiving Stabilizing

Dimensions

Single Movements

Combinations of Movements

Transitions

(Space Awareness) “I am learning WHERE my body moves.”

Space Self Space

Shared Space

Directions Up/Down

Forward/Backward Right/Left Sideways Clockwise

Counterclockwise

Levels High

Middle Low

Pathways

Straight Curved Zigzag

(Body Awareness) “I am learning about the RELATIONSHIPS my body creates.”

With Myself

With Other Movers and Objects

Body Parts Head, Neck, Ears, Eyes, Nose, Shoulder, Knee,

Heel, Arms, Waist, Chest, Stomach, Hips, Leg, Bottom, Foot, Spine,

Back, Elbow, Wrist, Hand, Fingers, Ankle, Toes

Body Shapes

Big/Small Curved/Straight Wide/Narrow

Twisted Like/Unlike

Roles

Leading Following Mirroring Unison

Alternately Solo

Partner Group

Locations

Near To/Far From Over/Under

In Front/Behind On/Off

Together/Apart Facing/Side by Side

Around/Through

(”I Am Learning Summary” Carson, 2002)

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Without a directed effort by professional educators, professional researchers, early educators, and families, the lack of both physical skill development and daily physical activity will continue to pose major educational and health concerns in the United States. The current and pressing issue in the area of early childhood physical activity is clear and simple: children do not get enough daily physical activity nor do they develop a foundation of physical skills to the degree necessary for achieving lifelong physical activity. Families and early educators must provide children with a wide variety of physical activity and enhance the development of a foundation of motor skills. Children’s exposure at an early age to physical skill development activities creates a greater likelihood of participation in physical activity as an adult. Children and adults who have the ability and confidence to throw a ball, balance while bicycling, or strike a ball with a racket are more likely to integrate these types of skills into their daily lives. Those lacking such ability or sense of self-competence simply do not participate. Therefore, ensuring adequate opportunities for learning fundamental skills at a young age makes it more likely such skills will be learned to mastery, and thus positively influence subsequent physical activity patterns. Play supports the development of the whole child—physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally (Rogers & Sawyers, 1988).

Movement programs for young children should enhance play because they provide children with opportunities to practice movement skills in a variety of contexts. On the other hand, over-reliance on play alone is detrimental to helping children develop because it neglects skills that, by necessity, must be facilitated by a competent teacher. Therefore, a certain amount of structure is necessary to help children maximize their movement experiences. Movement classes in early childhood settings that are planned and organized provide maximal opportunities for children to acquire a wider variety of physical skills than

would be developed during play alone. The combination of structure and play, while developmentally appropriate, results in a curriculum that looks quite different from traditional physical activity curricula. The curriculum context for preschool emphasizes gross motor fundamental skills as opposed to playing traditional, large group games (Wessel & Holland, 1992). As with any curriculum, learning experiences should be designed so that later learning experiences build on earlier learning experiences.

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Recommendations from the Profession To effectively promote lifetime activity habits among preschool children, it is recommended that developmentally appropriate physical activity programs be created and implemented in conjunction with the following guidelines (NASPE, 2002):

1. Preschoolers should accumulate at least 60 minutes of daily, structured physical activity. Preschoolers should engage in unstructured physical activity whenever possible. All children from birth to age five should engage in daily physical activity that promotes health-related fitness and movement skills.

2. Preschoolers should engage in at least 60 minutes and up to several

hours of daily, unstructured physical activity and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time except when sleeping.

3. Preschoolers should develop competence in movement skills that

are building blocks for more complex movement tasks.

4. Preschoolers should have indoor and outdoor areas that meet or exceed recommended safety standards for performing large-muscle activities.

5. Individuals responsible for the well being of preschoolers should be aware of the

importance of physical activity and facilitate the child’s movement skills. Yearly in-service training specific to developmentally appropriate physical activity for young children should be mandatory for all early childhood teachers and administrators.

Research has established a very real need for addressing the issue of physical activity among young children. As educators we have made strides in developing standards and guidelines for the promotion of physical activity and quality instructional practices within physical activity programs. Much work still must be done in order that children and adults make physical activity part of their daily lives. The ongoing creation and implementation of physical activity programs and developmentally appropriate activity environments that emphasize development of fundamental motor skills should be a national priority for early childhood education. References Carson, L., & Griffin, L. (2002). Fundamental movement skills and concepts. In Integrated physical education: A guide for the elementary classroom teacher, ed. L. Housner, 55-73.

Morgantown, WV: fitness Information Technology. Gallahue, D. L. (1995). Transforming physical education curriculum. In S. Bredekamp & T.

Rosegrant (Eds.), Reaching potentials: Transforming early childhood curriculum and assessment, vol 2 (pp. 125-144). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (1992). Outcomes of quality physical education programs. Reston, VA: Author. National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2000). Appropriate practices in movement programs for young children ages 3-5. Reston, VA: Author.

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National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2002). Active start: Physical activity for children birth to five years. Reston, VA: Author.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2004). Moving into the future: National standards for physical education: A guide to content and assessment (2nd ed.). Reston, VA: Author.

Pica, R. (2004). Experiences in movement birth to age 8. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar. Rogers, C., & Sawyers, J. (1988). Play in the lives of children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Sawyer, R. K. (2001). Play as improvisational rehearsal. In A. Göncü & E. L. Klein (Eds.). Children in play, story, and school (pp. 19-38). New York: Guilford Press.

Wessel, J. A., & Holland, B. V. (1992). The right stuff: Developmentally appropriate physical

education for early childhood (EC301404). East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 348784).

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HELPING CHILDREN BECOME PHYSICALLY ACTIVE FOR LIFE

Why plan for physical activities? Children who attend high quality preschool programs are more likely to succeed in school and in life. Good early education programs can enhance a child’s ability to learn, to communicate ideas and feelings, and to get along well with others. The foundational skills children need to achieve academic success include social development, cognitive development, and physical development. In most early education settings social and cognitive development are emphasized while physical development of children is left to chance. Until recently few early educators have provided quality physical activity programs for young children. There are many benefits to regular physical activity for children. Daily physical activity helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints. Daily physical activity helps to control weight, build lean muscle, and reduce fat. Daily physical activity prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure. Daily physical activity reduces feelings of depression and anxiety, and through its effects on

mental health, may help increase students’ capacity for learning. Daily physical activity promotes social well being as well as physical and mental health. A 2001 study conducted by the California Department of Education found compelling

evidence that the physical well-being of students has a direct impact on their ability to achieve academically.

We know that children learn by moving through their environment and that physical development influences development in the cognitive, language, social and emotional areas. A high quality early education program encourages young children to develop physical (gross motor) skills through a variety of different activities. Daily developmentally appropriate movement activities are an essential ingredient in any preschool curriculum. Children use movement to express feelings, manipulate objects, and to learn about their world. They also use movement in being physically active. The primary goal of any early childhood movement program is to provide children with opportunities to develop the specific motor skills they will need to become physically active and healthy throughout their lives. From experience and research we know that children who do not develop a foundation of basic motor skills (throwing, catching, kicking, skipping, galloping, etc.) are less likely to participate in physical activity on a daily basis. If children develop a foundation of motor skills they will have a greater tendency to participate in physical activity as children and later as adults.

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The adult’s role The preschool teacher’s role is an important one because so much physical skill development happens during the preschool years. Motor skills such as throwing, skipping, catching, and kicking, do not mysteriously emerge at around age six. The foundation for gross motor skill development is sequential and begins at birth. Building these skills takes planning, instruction, lots of practice and participation in a variety of physical activities. Preschool teachers can support children developing gross motor skills by using the following strategies. Provide daily time for children to participate in specific motor skill development

activities. Because children are comforted by and respond well to rituals and familiarity, it is best to schedule movement sessions for the same time each day.

Introduce new pieces of equipment (e.g. balls or hoops). Children should be provided

time to play, explore, and experiment with the equipment. The time period will vary depending upon the equipment and the ages and physical experiences of the children.

Set up experiences for learning specific skills. Experiences can include activity stations

or conducting large and small group movement activities. These teachable moments can vary from short periods of time to repeated daily instruction for several weeks in different contexts. After children have an understanding of how to use the equipment and a foundation for performing the skill, they should receive continued instruction with periods of time to practice on their own with the equipment.

Provide children many opportunities for free play to practice what they have learned.

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Suggested teaching strategies for physical activities Many of the same strategies used in other areas of the curriculum are also used when presenting motor development activities to children. This review of teaching strategies will provide teachers with an understanding of developmentally appropriate instructional strategies used with young children in movement settings. Providing Appropriate Tasks It is important to understand the process of making an activity harder or easier to match the developmental level of the children. Tasks, the things the teacher plans for the children to do, are designed to gradually and sequentially lead children to improve their gross motor skills. The tasks a teacher presents to children, although they are more general than specific, should have a definite purpose and logical progression. In addition, activities presented to children should provide them with high rates of success. Cueing Good teachers spend time observing and analyzing the movement of children. They are able to look at a child’s movement and suggest to her or him the next step toward improving her or his skill. This is called refining the skill or cueing. Cues provide children with little steps that help them learn a skill quickly and correctly. The appropriate cue may also keep children from forming bad habits. For example, saying, “Keep looking at the ball” when they are attempting to catch would be an appropriate cue to use for preschool children. (See page 19.) Challenging Repetition is important in order for children to improve their gross motor skills. Children do not learn a new skill simply by watching the teacher and then practicing a few times. Providing challenges is a technique for maintaining the interest of children, and there are a number of different strategies that teachers can use. For example:

• Repetitions encourage children to meet a suggested goal. “Can you jump over the rope and land without falling five times in a row?”

• Timing is a self-testing technique wherein children compete against the clock.

“Can you hop for ten seconds without touching both feet to the floor?”

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Individualizing All children should not be performing the same task at the same time. Individualizing allows the teacher to modify a task based on the abilities and interests of the children. This is a difficult teaching skill because it requires the teacher to observe a child and decide if a task should be made easier or harder. For example, the task is to throw a ball and hit a target on the wall that is five feet away. The child is having difficulty with that task, so the teacher individualizes the activity by asking that child to stand three feet away, making the task easier. If standing five feet away from the target appears too easy, the teacher would ask the child to stand ten feet away. This technique allows the teacher to match a task to the skill level of each child in the class. Most of the time individualizing is used with a specific child, and the other children in the class are not aware that a task has been changed for that child. Modeling Modeling and pinpointing are strategies used to demonstrate an activity or task to children. We know that many children have a difficult time understanding verbal instruction, but may do better if they observe someone practicing the skill first. In pinpointing, the teacher asks the children to stop their activity for ten to 15 seconds and asks two or three children to demonstrate for their classmates. For example, “Now I want you to watch David and Mary. See how they hold their arms straight out from their sides to help them keep their balance as they walk on the beam.” This is not to suggest that children are to copy a movement exactly, but to observe others and get ideas. Promoting Success Successful teachers motivate children. Failure makes children want to quit trying. Successful preschool teachers provide activities that enable children to succeed. Activities should be designed so that children can modify the difficulty level to meet their needs. An activity should also be interesting and provide satisfaction for the children so that they want to continue the activity. Research suggests that as children practice a new skill, they should be successful approximately 70-80% of the time in order to develop and learn the skill. Teaching by Invitation In teaching by invitation, the teacher provides children with two or more different tasks and allows the children to choose between the tasks. Teachers set up a variety of different learning centers in the movement environment. The children then have the opportunity to select which center and which skill they would like to practice.

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Selected cues for practicing physical skills Locomotor Skills

• Walking – swing arms, head up, balance stops • Running – swing arms, bend elbow, head up, balance stops • Galloping – same foot forward • Hopping – arms out, one knee up • Marching – arms and legs move in opposition, raise knees high • Climbing – maintain balance, move slowly • Skipping – Lift knees high, hop and land on one foot, hop and land on the other foot

Stability Skills

• Jumping and Landing – bend knees, swing arms, land both feet at same time, balance landing

• Balancing – maintain stillness, tighten muscles, extend arms, keep center of gravity over base of support

Manipulative Skills

• Throwing – face side to the target, hold arm way back, step with opposite foot, follow through

• Catching – watch the ball, reach, pull it in • Kicking – use instep (at shoelaces) as contact, watch the ball • Dribbling – use finger pads (tips of fingers), keep knees bent, put hand on top of ball • Striking with a paddle – use a flat paddle, watch the ball, hold wrist stiff

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Gross Motor Development Widely Held Expectations

For 3-year-olds

• Walks without watching feet; walks backward; runs at an even pace; turns and stops well • Climbs stairs with alternating feet, using hand rail for balance

Jumps off low steps or objects; does not judge well in jumping over objects • Shows improved coordination; begins to move legs and arms to pump a swing or ride a

tricycle, sometimes forgetting to watch the direction of these actions and crashing into objects

• Perceives height and speed of objects (like a thrown ball,) but may be overly bold or fearful,

lacking a realistic sense of own ability

• Stands on one foot unsteadily; balances with difficulty on the low balance beam (four-inch width) and watches feet

• Plays actively (trying to keep up with older children) and then needs rest; fatigues suddenly

and becomes cranky if overly tired

For 4-year-olds

• Walks heel-to-toe; skips unevenly; runs well • Stands on one foot for five seconds or more; masters the low balance beam (four-inch

width) but has difficulty on the two-inch-wide beam without watching feet

• Walks down steps, alternating feet; judges well in placing feet on climbing structures

• Develops sufficient timing to jump rope or play games requiring quick reactions

• Begins to coordinate movements to climb on a jungle gym or jump on a small trampoline

• Shows greater perceptual judgment and awareness of own limitations and/or the consequences of unsafe behaviors; still needs supervision crossing a street or protecting self in certain activities

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• Exhibits increased endurance, with long periods of high energy (needing increased intakes of liquids and calories); sometimes becomes overexcited and less self-regulated in group activities

For 5-year-olds

• Walks backward quickly; skips and runs with agility and speed; can incorporate motor skills into a game

• Walks a two-inch balance beam well; jumps over objects

• Hops well; maintains an even gate in stepping

• Jumps down several steps; jumps rope

• Climbs well; coordinates movements for swimming or bike riding

• Shows uneven perceptual judgment; acts overly confident at times but accepts limit setting

and follows rules

• Displays high energy levels; rarely shows fatigue; finds inactivity difficult and seeks active games and environments

Source: Bredekamp, S. and Copple, C., Ed. 1997. Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs, revised ed. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

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Is This Happening in Your Physical Activity Program?

Teachers can actively support children’s developing physical skills and concept development in the preschool years. As you read the following statements, take a moment to reflect on what you do in your program. Put a check mark by each strategy you use. Make note of new strategies that you want to try. Adults In programs that support the development of physical skills and the acquisition of movement concept knowledge you will see adults . . .

Creating both indoor and outdoor physical activity areas so that children have adequate

space to move freely and safely. Providing children with frequent and meaningful age-appropriate instruction and numerous

practice opportunities.

Encouraging children to be involved in all activities and designing learning experiences that allow children to remain active.

Providing brief rest periods during particularly strenuous activities. Providing appropriate equipment so that each child benefits from maximum participation.

For example, each child should have his/her own ball so that there is minimal time spent waiting for a turn to use equipment.

Scheduling opportunities for daily, high-quality movement instruction, in addition to free play

sessions.

Challenging children to think about movement. For example, asking questions such as “How can you jump and land quietly?”

Providing a variety of learning activities and materials to encourage children to practice a skill (e.g. striking a punch ball) in a variety of ways (e.g. using a variety of different colors and sizes of balls for striking skills reinforces colors and sizes as well as striking skills).

Discussing with children the importance of physical activity and fitness. For example, after

an appropriate period of continuous locomotor movement, children are asked to discuss what is happening to their bodies during exercise.

Planning for and encouraging children to use their imaginations in a variety of musical and

expressive dance experiences. Encouraging both boys and girls in achievement of physical skills.

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Communicating regularly with families to provide information about the motor development curriculum with the intent of promoting family involvement in children’s motor skill development.

Assessing children’s motor skill development and using this information to individualize instruction, plan appropriate lessons, and communicate with families about children’s progress.

Children In classrooms that support the development of physical skills and the acquisition of movement concept knowledge you will see children . . .

Using a variety of different types and appropriate sizes of equipment. Choosing their own partners, equipment, and individual personal space.

Selecting activities on their own and changing activities to meet interest and need. Choosing their own activities or learning centers.

Using skills and concepts in a variety of contexts to improve depth of learning. Actively engaged in learning new skills.

Moving freely throughout the movement space without bumping into others,

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Respecting equipment and understanding how to get out equipment and put it away in

appropriate place.

Learning through interaction with their environment.

Practicing locomotor skills while developing spatial awareness by moving along a variety of pathways and in different directions.

Learning through interaction with the environment.

Participating daily in structured and unstructured physical activity

Focusing on the development of motor skills.

Participating in activities that allow them to remain active.

Using their imaginations to move to the sound of music.

Practicing skills at high rates of success.

Practicing skills independently of other children.

Developing skills while participating in activities in both indoor and outdoor play areas.

Asking questions in order to find individual solutions to problems through movement.

Smiling, laughing, and having fun.

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Developmentally Appropriate Preschool Movement Checklist

Teaching developmentally appropriate movement to preschool children requires much thought and evaluation. The following checklist will be useful for teachers in assessing current practice and building better programs.

Curriculum Movement curriculum needs an obvious scope and sequence based on goals and objectives that are age appropriate.

Do you …

Develop goals and objectives and provide guidelines for progressive development of the content?

Map out the curriculum for the year as well as make more specific daily plans?

Provide a variety of learning

experiences that capture the interests of all children?

Provide a balance of experiences

utilizing different skills and concepts, not just those that interest the teacher?

Set up the physical education program

to enhance the development of the whole child, including cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains?

Create activities so that children are

challenged to think, socialize, and benefit physically?

Teaching Strategies Movement exploration, guided discovery and creative problem solving are the predominant teaching strategies employed in an effective program. Do you…

Provide children with the opportunity to make choices and actively explore their environment?

Offer children different equipment to select from and allow them to move freely from one activity to another?

Avoid highly structured, teacher-

directed lessons where all children are expected to perform the same? For example, in an effective program children are not asked to perform the exact same movements at the same time as their peers to the same beat of music.

Do you prepare a stimulating and

challenging environment for all children? For example, providing a variety of different stations for exploring and practicing balance to allow children to select the points where they want to begin.

Give every child individual feedback?

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Development of Movement Concepts and Motor Skills Children are provided with frequent and meaningful age appropriate instruction and practice opportunities. Do you…

Provide practice opportunities to enable individual children to develop a functional understanding of movement concepts (body awareness; space awareness; effort)?

Integrate movement concepts and motor skills into all areas of children’s learning and classroom life?

Encourage children to participate in a

variety of activities designed to facilitate individualism and creativity (for example, children dancing to portray their interpretations of falling leaves or blowing flowers) instead of activities that require one correct answer?

Cognitive Development Movement activities are designed with both the physical and cognitive development of the child in mind. Do you…

Encourage children to question, integrate, analyze, communicate, and apply cognitive concepts?

Use exploratory and problem-solving teaching methods?

Employ activities that integrate

classroom learning (e.g., math, science) with movement experiences?

View the movement program as

contributing to other areas of the curriculum?

Affective Development Many opportunities are provided for children to practice age appropriate social skills. Do you…

Give children tasks that let them practice the skills of cooperation, taking turns and sharing (for example, children are asked to take a turn on a balance beam or trade equipment with others)?

Actively encourage the development of social skills and use conflicts as teachable moments (for example, an argument over a ball is taken as an opportunity to facilitate children to work out the conflict on their own)?

Recognize that some children may not

be ready to consistently exhibit appropriate social skills and therefore mediate problems where appropriate?

Help all children experience the

satisfaction and joy of regular physical activity both in and out of school?

Integration of Movement With Other Curricular Areas Effective learning environments are structured to permit the interweaving of appropriate movement challenges for all children into many different curricular topics. Do you…

Use your movement class to integrate, whenever possible, the concepts, abilities, and actions that emerge through guided exploration and discovery (for example, using a variety of different types of balls for catching activities to reinforce learning about color and size)?

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Fitness Effective programs recognize the importance of children valuing physical activity as a lifelong habit. Do you…

Help children consider fitness a byproduct of participation in regular physical activity? For example, after an appropriate period of continuous locomotor movement, do you discuss with children what is happening to their bodies during exercise?

Encourage children to participate in physical activities outside the classroom (such as during recess and at home) to learn the joy and value of exploring their physical capabilities as a lifetime pursuit?

Assessment Systematic assessment is based on knowledge of developmental characteristics and on ongoing observations of children as they participate in physical activities. Do you…

Use developmental characteristics and observational information to individualize teaching and plan objective-oriented learning experiences?

Evaluate the program’s effectiveness, including both the curriculum and teaching?

Assess children’s self-development,

but not solely on the basis of physical skills tests of standardized fitness tests?

Measure children’s progress by other

means than the number of times they can successfully perform a physical skill in an artificial testing situation?

Active Participation For Every Child All children need activities that allow them to remain active, but provide for appropriate short intervals of rest. Do you…

Avoid continuous, extended aerobic activity in your program? For example, children should not be expected to participate in adult type aerobic dance activities in which everyone does the same thing at the same time.

Recognize that children need brief

rest periods when participating in particularly strenuous activities? For example, after galloping for 60 seconds children are provided 20-30 seconds to rest before moving again.

Maximize activity time? Children

should not wait in lines to run a relay, stand idle due to a lack of equipment, or play sedentary games (such as “Duck, Duck, Goose).

Dance/Rhythmical Experiences Effective movement programs include a variety of rhythmical and expressive dance experiences. Do you…

Design dance activities with the physical, cultural, emotional, and social characteristics of the children in mind?

Provide a variety of rhythmical experiences, not just those that may interest you the teacher?

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Encourage children to use their imaginations and move to the sound of their individual rhythms?

Modify cultural dances, if used, to

meet the developmental needs of children?

Educational Gymnastics Broad skill areas such as balancing, rolling, jumping and landing, climbing, and weight transfer are an important part of the curriculum. Do you…

Provide children with many different opportunities to explore gymnastic (stability) skills (for example, providing mats for rolling and requesting a climbing apparatus for the playground)?

Present skills in a variety of situations appropriate to the children’s skill and confidence levels?

Avoid expecting all children to perform

the same predetermined stunts (such as requiring all children to do forward rolls or a specific sequence of gymnastic skills)?

Games Teachers or children select games that are designed, sequenced, or modified to maximize learning and enjoyment. Do you…

Avoid including traditional sport games (for example, softball, soccer, football, hockey) as part of the preschool movement program?

Encourage children to play a role in designing game-type activities (for

example suggesting “Jenny and I made up a game, she rolls the ball to me and I bounce it back to her”)?

Gender Directed Activities Both girls and boys have equal access to all activities. Do you…

Encourage, support, and socialize girls and boys are equally toward successful achievement in all aspects of movement activity?

Avoid using gender as a factor in dividing children into groups (for example assigning girls go to the balance beam station while the boys play with the balls)?

Competition Activities should emphasize, “try again,” effort, self-improvement, participation, and cooperation instead of winning and losing. Do you…

Avoid having children participate in activities that label them as winners or losers?

Avoid requiring children to participate in activities that compare one child’s performance against others (for example, “Mary hit the target 10 times; you should be able to do that too”)?

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Success Rate Children need the opportunity to practice skills at high rates of success adjusted for their individual skill levels. Do you…

Design activities in ways that allow children to practice skills independently and confidently, avoiding the pressure of having to perform at the same level of other children (for example, children practicing locomotor skills concentrate on their movement and not comparing their skills to others)?

Avoid having children participate in activities that are too easy or too hard and instead have them work at the skill level that is appropriate for them?

Provide task extensions for children

with higher levels of skill and easier variations as an option for children who are less skilled?

Allow children to develop skills

according to their ability and interests (for example, knowing that, if a child desires, it is appropriate for him to spend all his time at one station, throwing, for instance, compared to walking a balance beam)?

Avoid placing children in small groups

or partner situations in which their success is limited, resulting in a lack of skill development (for example, in throwing and catching with a partner, more time is spent chasing the ball than practicing throwing/catching skills)?

Class Size Individual teaching is possible by assigning two adults to no more than nine or ten 4- and 5-year-old children at one time. Do you…

Assign younger children to even smaller groups, increasing the opportunities for exploration and guided discovery?

Frequency of Movement Programs and Play Physical education or movement is an integral part of the total educational program. Do you…

Provide daily opportunities for quality movement learning exclusive of free play?

Schedule movement activity experiences on a daily basis?

Plan and organize movement

programs as part of the total educational program and integrate them into the curriculum daily (for example, allowing 30 to 60 minutes per day, with each class exposed to a variety of skill themes and movement concepts)?

Regularly schedule indoor and outdoor

play experiences to enhance planned movement experiences?

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Facilities Both indoor and outdoor areas should be available, with adequate space for children to move freely and safely. Do you…

Avoid as much as possible canceling movement classes because of other uses of the facilities or because of weather?

Avoid restrictions on movement activities due to lack of space and/or appropriate areas for movement (for example, knowing that narrow hallways or small classrooms are not effective places to teach movement activities)?

Equipment Enough equipment is available so that each child benefits from maximum participation (for example, every child is provided a ball, no time is spent waiting for a turn with a ball). Do you…

Avoid asking children to wait in line to use a large apparatus (for example, offering several other activities instead of providing only one balance beam, so children do not wait long periods of time to have a turn)?

Match equipment to the children’s sizes, confidence levels, and skills (for example, having balls of different sizes and that are soft and easy to grasp; racquets or bats with large striking surfaces and smaller grips and that are lightweight)?

Modify or substitute equipment when

appropriate (for example, using punch balls instead of playground balls for volleying)?

Provide children with junior-size equipment such as low nets and goals?

Safe Environment Children need to exercise in a physically and psychologically safe environment that allows them to explore their capabilities. Do you…

Provide appropriate activity space, with each child having enough space to move without bumping into another child?

Provide opportunities for children to participate in self selected activities that lead to feelings of self-confidence and self-worth?

Provide a variety of activities and

tasks with a range of possibilities thus creating a positive learning environment?

Consider each child’s readiness to

learn? Individual and Free Expression Children are encouraged to use movement as a form of individual expression. Do you…

Provide opportunities for children to ask questions and find individual solutions to problems through movement (for example, asking children to, “Find the best way to balance on three body parts without falling over)?

Encourage children to express themselves freely?

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Avoid requiring children to move in prescribed ways or meet set standards of performance?

Fine and Gross Motor Activities Movement programs provide learning experiences with both fine motor (such as finger play) and gross-motor (such as running, throwing, kicking) activities. Do you…

Ensure that fine motor learning experiences are as available as gross motor activities?

Repetition Children need a variety of learning experiences throughout the year that emphasize the same motor skill so they may develop skilled movement patterns. Do you…

Ensure that skills are repeated through the year and not taught just once, providing little opportunity for children to develop a foundation of motor patterns (for example, focusing on kicking, throwing, or catching in various activities at different times during the year)?

Family and Teacher Communication Teachers work in partnership and communicate regularly with families. Do you…

Inform families about the movement curriculum, with the intent of promoting family involvement in children’s motor skill development (for example, sharing observations of children’s skills in family newsletters about the movement program)?

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Recommended Resources Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children Birth to Five Years. (2002). National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Appropriate Practice in Movement Programs for Young Children. (2000). National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Davison, B. (1998). Creative Physical Activities and Equipment. Leisure Press. Gould, P. and Sullivan, J. (1999). The Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom: Easy Ways to Adapt Learning Centers for All Children. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House. Moving into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education, 2nd Edition. (2004). National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Perry, G., & Duru, M.S., Ed. (2000). Resources for developmentally appropriate practice: Recommendations from the profession. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC. (For information on developmentally appropriate physical activity programs for young children see pages 121- 128.) Rockwell, R., Hoge, D., and Searcy, B. (1999). Linking language. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House. Sanders, S. (2002). Active for life: Developmentally appropriate movement programs for young children. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC. Stillwell, J. (1987). Making and using creative play equipment. Human Kinetics Publishers. Thompson, M. (1993). Jump for Joy. West Nyack, NY: Parker Publishing. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. www.usda.gov/cnpp National Association for Sport and Physical Education. www.aalperd.org/naspe NASPE promotes professional development and practice in sport and physical activity. Order their publications online or by calling 800-321-0789. PE Central. www.pecentral.org

PE Central is the premier Web site on the Internet for K-12 physical educators, classroom teachers, students, and parents. You will find ready-to-use teaching ideas for pre-K, elementary, and middle school and much more.

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LOCOMOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND MOVEMENT CONCEPTS

Most of children’s daily physical activities involve one or more traveling or locomotor skills. These skills are used to move the body from one place to another, and include these skills:

walking marching running hopping skipping

galloping sliding leaping climbing crawling

Preschool children should spend the majority of their time focused on walking, marching, running, galloping, and climbing.

The development of these skills contributes to a child’s ability to move efficiently throughout the school, home, and play environment, and to participate safely while playing with peers. Unlike other physical skills such as throwing, catching, rolling, and kicking, the development of locomotor skills depends mostly on maturation. Therefore, patterns are considered to be naturally developing skills. By about eight years of age, most children have mature locomotor skills and can utilize these skills while participating in sport, gymnastics, dance, and other recreational activities. Modeling is one of the best ways for children to develop these skills; the children follow the example of the teacher and other children who have mastered the skill.

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Learning Self Space Goals/objectives Help children learn about self space Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmark 3.17

Preparation Young children develop a sense of where their bodies are in relationship to the world around them. Preschool children who develop a sense of space will be better able to move safely as they move in the classroom and at home. Space awareness, or learning where their bodies move, may be the most important motor concept that young children can learn. An understanding of self-space (the area around a child’s body) and general space (space in a room within which a child can move) is crucial for a child’s safety during large group movement activities. Developing knowledge of self-space means children will be less likely to bump into others. Provide visual reminders of self-space. These reminders might be carpet squares, decorated paper plates, ropes shaped into circles, or X’s marked on the floor. Allow children to imagine they are on their own little self-space islands. After children understand self-space, take away the visual reminders. Teaching Ideas At the beginning of each movement time, ask each child to get a carpet square and place

the square in a large circle, then sit on the square. Many younger children may not know how to form a large circle; teachers may need to initially place carpet squares in a circle for the children.

“The space on the carpet square is your space and no one else can get in the space.” Demonstrate by trying to sit on a carpet square where a child is already sitting. Children will quickly understand they cannot move into another child’s space. Challenge children to discover how many ways they can move while pretending that their feet are glued to the floor in their own self space.

Always start the physical activity time in the same way. Children need predictable routines

and they will quickly learn to come into the movement space, select carpet squares, and place them in a circle.

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Traveling Through Space Goals/objectives Help children learn basic locomotor or traveling skills Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 4.9, 4.11

Preparation When helping children develop locomotor skills, it is best to have a large open, obstacle-free space. A space of about 40 feet by 40 feet is appropriate for preschool children. Indoors, make sure there are no chairs, tables, or other obstacles that children might run into or trip on. Outdoors, select a grassy area and create some boundaries using cones so that the children don’t wander off: “When moving around our space make sure you stay within the boundaries.” Teaching Ideas Development of a good foundation of locomotor skills takes several years. For this reason teachers should prepare locomotor tasks for children to practice each and every day. Start with a progression of walking, marching, galloping, hopping and then running. A typical task progression for a 5-7 minute locomotor skill session might look like this. “Can you walk around in our general space, staying as far away from your friends as possible? If you see someone coming close to you, it is your job to get away from that person.” Repeat the walking activity until children move without bumping into others. When children appear to be ready for another task, sound your stop signal so that children stop long enough to hear the next challenge and then begin moving again. “Can you show me that you can march in a straight pathway across the room?” “Show me you can gallop in a curved pathway.” “Can you hold one leg off the floor and hop up and down on the other?” As skills develop, children should be challenged to move in different directions, in different pathways, and at various speeds.

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A signal (striking rhythm sticks together, striking a drum, shaking bells, or clapping hands) should be used to help children develop listening skills while they are moving. The teacher should emphasize that when the signal is sounded, children should freeze like a statue. The teacher then gives the next task and children are on their way again.

When developing locomotor tasks for children always remember to add movement concepts to the tasks such as directions, pathways, and speeds. [Early Childhood Benchmarks 5.2, 5.9]

Example: “Can you walk slowly in a curved pathway without bumping into your friends?”

After children have begun to develop locomotor skills...

Increase the difficulty by adding obstacles to the space for children to move around. An easy way to create obstacles is to place 10 to 15 plastic bottles throughout the space. Ask children to repeat all of the locomotor tasks, but without knocking over any of the bottles. Children can pretend they are walking through the forest and the bottles are the trees. Allow the children to plant the trees where they wish within the activity space and to pick up the trees at the end of the activity. See page 66 for information on using soda bottles for physical activities.

[Early Childhood Benchmarks 3.17, 3.32]

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Developing challenges for locomotor skills is a good time to use music.

“Can you gallop to the beat of the music?”

“When the music stops, can you change the way you are traveling?” (Play the music for 10 to 15 seconds, stop it for 5 seconds so children can think about the locomotor skill they will change to and then begin the music again.) Select music that has an 8 count beat. [Early Childhood Benchmarks 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.9]

Additional locomotor/traveling task ideas Traveling in general space Traveling with different locomotor movements Traveling in different ways Traveling with imagery Traveling in rope pathways Traveling with different locomotor patterns (Run, leap, skip, hop, gallop, slide, etc.) Traveling with music Traveling an obstacle course Traveling in different pathways Traveling at different speeds Changing speeds while traveling

Children enhance their learning by...

Moving safely throughout the space without bumping into their classmates. Listening to the teacher’s signal and stopping to freeze when appropriate. Children stop

long enough to hear the next challenge and then begin moving again. Practicing each individual skill even though movement patterns may feel awkward. Moving in a variety of pathways and at varying speeds.

A Closer Look

The movement concept of space is referenced in the National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE, 1995). Preschool sample benchmarks for space awareness include:

• Walks, runs, hops, and gallops, in forward and sideways directions and changes directions quickly in response to a signal.

• Understands self and general space and can move safely throughout the environment.

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Identifying Body Parts Goals/objectives Help children develop awareness of different parts of the

body Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 3.17, 4.1, 5.2

Preparation Children should have knowledge of and be able to name all of their body parts by the time they are four years old. During the preschool years, they also need to master understanding of different body shapes (big, small, curved, straight, wide, narrow, twisted, unlike, like), roles they can take on (leading, following, mirroring, unison, alternating, solo, partner, group) and locations (near, far, over, under, front, behind, on, off). Teaching Ideas Ask children to identify their body parts frequently in short activities of 2-3 minutes, such as those listed below.

Ask children to touch with their hands different parts of the body. “Can you touch your head (shoulders, knees, toes, feet, etc.)?”

Ask children to identify larger areas of their upper body (head, chest, abdominal region, back, arm) and lower body (legs, bottom/seat, feet, knees).

When children know their body part vocabulary, ask them to use those body parts in relation to objects in their environment. “Can you point to the wall with your knee (nose, head, foot, elbow)?”

Provide verbal challenges to children to “bend (straighten) your elbow (knee, total body, head, hand, fingers, toes)” or “swing (sway) your arm (leg, total body)”.

Ask children to draw or paint circular, straight, curved, large, or small shapes. Take those drawings to the movement area and ask children to “make your bodies look like the shapes you have drawn.” “Can you make a tall shape?” “Can you make your body in the shape of an elephant?”

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Tony Chestnut and More Goals/objectives Help children learn to identify different parts of the body Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 3.17, 4.1, 5.2

Preparation Use these activities for two-to-four minutes at the beginning or end of movement class or during circle time in the classroom. No equipment needed. There is published music for the activities below, but the music is not needed to do the activity. Children should be sitting in a circle to begin this activity. There are literally dozens of songs available asking children to touch or move body parts to the beat of the music. Songs such as the following make learning about body parts fun. Teaching Ideas Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes. This popular song has been used in children’s programs

for many years. Children follow the words and touch correct body parts as they go. My head, my shoulders, my knees, my toes, My head, my shoulders, my knees, my toes, My head, my shoulders, my knees, my toes, Let’s all clap hands together.

(Repeat lyrics through twice) Tony Chestnut. Children love this song. Recorded music is available, but words can also

be sung by teachers and students without accompaniment.

Introduce the song by telling children they have a body part friend with them all the time—Tony Chestnut.

Tony Chestnut knows I love you Tony knows

Tony knows Tony Chestnut knows I love you

That’s what Tony knows.

As children sing, they touch each body part as it is named. The “To” in Tony stands for toe, and the children touch their toes. The “ny” in Tony stands for knee, and the children touch their knees. The “chest” in Chestnut stands for chest, and the children touch their chests.

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The “nut” in Chestnut refers to the child’s head, and the children touch their heads. For the word “knows” children touch their nose. For the words “love you,” have each child hug himself . For the words “That’s what” children clap hands one time for each word.

Extend the activity In the classroom provide a puzzle of body parts that children can put together.

Observe children during body part identification activities and ask to “see how fast you can

touch the body part I call out. Can you touch it in two seconds or less?” Lay a large roll of newsprint paper on the floor and have children lay down on their backs on

the paper. Trace the child’s body and cut out. Ask children if they would like to label some of their body parts; write the names of the body parts as children direct you. For school-age children, provide word cards so children can tape them on the appropriate place on the cutout or have them do their own labeling.

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Beanbag Balance Goals/objectives Help children identify body parts Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 1.6, 4.1, 4.9, 4.11, 4.12, 5.9

Preparation Ask children to scatter throughout general space. Each child needs one four-inch square flat beanbag. Ask children to get a beanbag and stand away from their friends. Beanbag Challenges “Can you balance the beanbag on your head (elbow, shoulder, knee, foot, back)?”

Make the tasks more challenging by asking children to move in different directions with the

beanbags balanced on body parts. “Can you walk backward with the beanbag balanced on your shoulder?” “Show me you can walk on your hands and feet with the beanbag balanced on your back.” “Can you spin in a circle with the beanbag balanced on your elbow?”

As children develop skill in identifying body parts, challenge them to balance two or more

beanbags on different body parts. “Can you balance a beanbag on each shoulder while you are walking backward?” “Can you balance a beanbag on both a shoulder and your head while moving sideways?” “Can you balance a beanbag on each elbow and spin slowly in a circle?”

Play follow-the-leader and ask that children balance a beanbag on a body part while a peer

follows doing the same thing. Children can also move over, through, and around objects as they follow the leader.

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Teaching Tips Provide beanbags that are of an appropriate size for the children’s small body parts. Usually

a 4 x 4 inch bag works well. Smaller or larger beanbags may be difficult for children to balance on their small body parts.

When doing beanbag body part identification activities, the teacher should always have a

beanbag to place on his/her body parts. This helps children observe and understand the task.

For children having initial problems getting a beanbag to balance on a specific body part, the

teacher can place the beanbag on the body part for the child. See page 39 for information on how to make beanbags.

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Beanbags Flat bags can be made from 4-inch cut material that is sewn together and filled with plastic

pellets. A cubed beanbag better fits a young child’s hands. The cubed beanbag can be made by

cutting material in 2-inch-by-6-inch rectangles and sewing the material together to form a cube. Fill the bag with plastic pellets and sew the end closed. Bright colors are suggested for beanbags.

Scoops

Scoops can be purchased from physical education supply companies or can be made from gallon plastic milk jugs. Cut out the bottom of the jug, hold the handle and you have a scoop.

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Move to the Beat of the Drum

Goals/objectives To build understanding of movement at different speeds Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 1.5, 1.6, 3.22, 3.24, 4.11, 5.2, 5.9

Preparation The teacher needs a drum or two sticks to strike together.

Teaching Ideas Introduce the activity by asking children to scatter throughout general space.

Tell children that on the signal (drum beat), they will move throughout the space to the beat of the drum. If the drum beat is slow, they should move slowly. If the drum beat is fast, they should move quickly. Beat the drum at least 10-12 times in a row.

“Move as slowly as you can.” Adult beats the drum slowly, one beat every 5 seconds.

Children take one step on every beat “Move as fast as you can with the beat of the drum.” The teacher beats the drum quickly,

three-to-four beats per second. Children take one step on every beat. Note: This may be too fast for some children and the teacher may need to slow down the drumbeat.

“Your first movement was a slow speed. Your second was fast. Can you tell the difference?”

As children understand the difference between slow and fast, the adult should beat the drum slower and faster so that children understand the range of speeds.

“Now I am going to beat the drum at different speeds, so sometimes you will need to

speed up and sometimes you will need to slow down. Try to make your movement happen with the beat of the drum.” Note: When children are traveling fast, try to keep the activity period short to avoid fatigue.

Extend the activity Children often equate slowness with heavy, jerky, stiff actions rather than with graceful movement. Provide examples of slow moving animals (giraffe, tiger, etc.) to assist them in their understanding.

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Exporing Pathways

Goals/objectives

Help children learn about straight, curved, and zigzag pathways Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 4.9 Arkansas Infant and Toddler Benchmarks 5.2.C

Preparation Large indoor or outdoor play area with defined boundaries This activity takes about 10 minutes. Each child selects a ribbon stick. See page 69 for information on

purchasing and making ribbon sticks. Children scatter throughout general space. Make sure children

understand that they must not get into another child’s space. Children could stand on carpet squares so that they are evenly spaced throughout the activity area.

Teaching Ideas Ask children to hold their sticks tightly as they move their ribbons throughout the space in front of them to practice the following movement. Wipers – In this movement, patterned after the motion of windshield wipers, children move

their hands and arms from right to left as the ribbon flows back and forth high in the air in a curved pathway.

Circles – “Hold the end of the stick and move your hand and arm in a large circle in front of

your body. Can you make circles at your side? Can you make a circle over your head?” Floor Sweeps – “Move your ribbon from side to side on the floor in front of you. Can you

pretend that you are sweeping the floor?” Fishing – Children use the ribbon stick as a fishing pole. They move the stick into the air

and slightly behind the head, and then bring the hand and arm forward as if throwing a fishing line into the lake. Next they bring the line back over their heads and begin again making giant curved pathways above their heads.

Squiggle Down – This movement is similar to fishing except when children bring the ribbon

forward, they should shake it in a zigzag path from above their heads down to the floor.

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Snakes – Children love to watch the ribbon move like a snake on the floor. Ask that children put the ribbon on the floor in front of them and then walk backward as they move the ribbon back and forth in a zigzag pathway.

Extend the activity After children learn the movements that they can make with the ribbons, select music and develop simple routines for children to do with the ribbons. Include marching songs so children can move the ribbons in various pathways as they march throughout the movement space. This activity can be done with scarves instead of the ribbon sticks.

Developing Locomotor Skills Locomotor skills transport the body as a whole from one point to another. Children acquire the ability to perform locomotor skills at their own rates, but will be unable to reach mature performance patterns without instruction and practice. Fundamental movement skills are usually present by age five, with most children by age six able to perform most locomotor skills in a mature pattern. Sliding and skipping are commonly the last two locomotor skills acquired.

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Follow the Leader

Goals/objectives Provide opportunities to move in different directions and pathways using a variety of

locomotor skills Build on cooperative play skills used when leading or following a partner Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 4.9, 4.11 Arkansas Infant and Toddler Benchmark 5.1.C

Preparation Before participating in this activity, children should have had experiences where they have

individually practiced locomotor skills, while safely moving about the space provided. Conduct the activity in a large indoor or outdoor space with marked boundaries so that

children know where they can and cannot move. Children work with partners, one being the leader and the other the follower.

Teaching Ideas

Introduce the activity to children by demonstrating the roles of the leader and follower. The leader’s role is to move in different directions and pathways throughout the space while galloping, marching, crawling, etc., and in general trying to challenge the follower to travel in a variety of different ways. The follower’s role is to attempt to replicate the movements of the leader. The follower

should not get too far behind the leader, and the leader should be asked to slow down if he is getting too far away from the partner.

Give children opportunities to discuss and decide who will be the follower first and who will

be the leader. Explain that they will get to take turns being both the leader and follower. For safety reasons, suggest that children not get closer than two giant steps from each

other. Have leaders begin to move about the space using a variety of different locomotor

movements. Tell followers to follow the leaders, copying their “traveling actions.” Explain that children can move in different directions (forward, backward, sideways) and

pathways (straight, zigzag, curved), as well as use a variety of traveling patterns. Emphasize that the leaders should not only create challenging traveling sequences for their

partners, but also watch where they lead to avoid bumping into another group.

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No more than 60 to 90 seconds is sufficient time for a child to be a leader before changing places. Leaders can be changed several times during the activity.

Extend the experience

After children become experienced with playing this simple game, challenge them to change environments and play the game in the outdoor play area, leading and following their classmates as they travel around obstacles.

More experienced children may also want the challenge of leading and following in larger groups. Up to four children could be in one group with one child leading and three following and copying the traveling actions of the leader.

Assessment Idea The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 1995) has developed benchmarks in this area that suggest that by the time a child completes kindergarten, she should be able to travel forward, backward, and sideways using a variety of locomotor patterns and be able to walk, run, and gallop using a mature form.

Participating in activities such as Follow the Leader will provide children with opportunities for skill practice. Teachers can use this time to observe children’s locomotor skills and record their progression toward reaching benchmarks in this area.

Adaptations for children with special needs Children with special needs who are not movement restricted should have little difficulty participating in this activity. Children who have movement restrictions can still participate, but their partners should be asked to move slower. Children in wheelchairs can move themselves or be pushed through the travel pathways. This activity is not suggested for children who have severe movement restrictions.

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STABILITY SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Stability skills are movements in which the child’s body moves around its axis. Stability skills include: turning twisting bending stopping rolling balancing jumping and landing swinging swaying

Young children love to jump and they attempt to do so whenever possible. They seem to have a natural fascination with propelling themselves off the ground and momentarily flying through the air. The major focus of any jumping activity for young children should be landing on balance without falling.

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Statues Goals/objectives To build an understanding of strong and light force Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 2.3, 3.21, 3.22, 4.9, 4.11, 4.12, 5.2

Preparation Large indoor or outdoor play area (40 feet x 40 feet) with defined boundaries.

If children do not yet understand general and self-space, the teacher may want to have a

hoop or carpet square available for each child to identify space. Children may then make their statues while standing in their hoop or on their carpet square. Activity lasts about five to seven minutes.

Teaching Ideas Ask children to scatter throughout general space. “Today we are going to explore force.

A strong force means making every muscle in your body strong, even your head, neck, stomach, back, hands and feet.” “In your own space, with your whole body, make a statue that shows how strong you are.” “When making a statue, you must make your muscles tense and freeze and not move. Hold your statue without moving for at least five seconds.”

“Now make a statue that is very light, such as a leaf floating in the wind.

“Your statue should be so light that it would blow away if a strong wind came along. “This is called a light force.”

Teachers select specific statue examples such as elephants, sunflowers, cars, and birds.

When children understand the concept of strong and light force in self-space, ask that they

begin to demonstrate force while moving. “Move throughout the space and be as strong as you can be, make all your body parts strong.” “Make yourself as light as you can, just as if you are floating as you move throughout the space.” “Move like an ant on a rock” (light force) “Move like a snowflake” (light force) “Move like a cat getting ready to pounce on a mouse” (light force and then strong force when pouncing) “Walk like an elephant” (strong force)

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Body Part Balance Goals/objectives Help children develop and improve skills of balancing on different body parts Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 1.6, 4.1, 4.12, 5.2, 5.9

Preparation Each child needs a hoop or carpet square.

Ask children to lay their hoops/carpets flat on the floor (away from their classmates for safety). The hoops help to direct a child’s attention to a particular area inside the hoop. many children will be able to better concentrate on the movement challenge when the task is confined to a small space.

Time needed for this activity is twelve to fifteen minutes. Teaching Ideas Start with activities that involve balancing on many body parts and wide bases of support,

and progress to balancing on a few body parts on narrow bases of support. Provide examples of wide bases using many body parts.

“Can you balance on your hands and your feet?” “Can you balance on two hands, two feet, and two knees?” “Show me that you can balance on your head, hands, and feet.” “Can you balance on your knees and elbows?” “Can you balance on your knees and one elbow?” “Balance on three body parts of your choice.”

Provide examples of narrow bases, few body parts.

“Show me that you can balance on your head and feet.” “Can you balance on one foot and one hand?” “Can you balance on one knee and one elbow?” “Can you balance on your head and one foot?” “Can you balance on one knee and one hand?”

From these examples teachers can design other challenges to help children develop balancing skills. Don’t hesitate to ask children for their ideas for balancing challenges.

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Learning to Jump Rope Jumping rope is part of our culture. Young children love the challenge. Even children as young as three can learn the movement patterns involved in swinging the rope and jumping at the appropriate time. By the time they are five, most children can turn the rope and jump several times in a row.

Goals/objectives Develop and improve skills of turning and jumping a rope Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmark 4.11

Preparation Large indoor or outdoor space physical activity setting. A jump rope seven feet long with plastic beads along its length is the best type for young

children. The plastic beads give extra weight to help children swing the rope over their heads. A longer rope tends to tangle; a shorter rope is difficult for children to get over their heads.

Teachers need to make sure children are not close to each other when swinging the ropes. One method of providing space for the children is to place a large “x” of tape on the floor ( one “x” per child) for them to stand on while they are jumping.

Teaching Ideas Demonstrate as you give children the following directions. Hold the rope by the handles, one in each hand, with your thumbs pointing down. Hold the rope out in front of your body. Step over the rope. Bend your elbows up close to your ears. Move the arms forward and swing the rope over your head. Let the rope hit the floor. Jump over the rope, taking off and landing on two feet.

Safety note: Emphasize that children should not jump while the rope is in the air. Children will sometimes do this and, losing their balance, fall forward. The rope should strike the floor in front of the child before the child jumps. Remember that children learning to jump need to jump off two feet and land on two feet while staying on balance.

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Jump the River Jumping can be broken down into three successive phases: Takeoff is the action the child takes to propel his/her body off the ground. Flight is the action of the child’s body while it is off the ground and in the air. Landing is the action of the child’s body as it reestablishes contact with the ground.

There are five basic fundamental jumping patterns young children should have frequent opportunities to practice. The patterns are: Two-foot takeoff to a one-foot landing Two foot takeoff to a two foot landing One-foot takeoff to a landing on the same foot (hop) One-foot takeoff to a landing on the other foot (leap) One-foot takeoff to a two-foot landing

Goals/objectives Provide opportunity to practice the skills of jumping and landing, emphasizing swinging the

arms when jumping and landing in a balanced position without falling Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 4.9, 4.11 Arkansas Infant and Toddler Benchmark 5.1.C

Preparation Provide at least one object to jump over per child. These objects might be jump ropes,

hoops, or tape lines on the floor. Conduct this activity in a large indoor or outdoor space with marked boundaries so that

children know where they can and cannot move. Before beginning the activity, scatter the jump ropes or hoops throughout the space so they

are flat on the floor.

Teaching Ideas Explain to the children that they are taking a walk in the woods and may need to cross a stream or river. Ask children to walk throughout the space and when they come to a river (rope, hoop, or tape line on floor), they need to jump over the river without getting their feet wet. Children should work independently of their classmates during this activity. To assist children in learning the fundamentals of jumping, adults should initially ask children

to takeoff on two feet and to swing their arms forward when they jump.

When landing, children should land on two feet spreading their feet about shoulder width apart so they have a wide base of support when they land. After landing children should

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proceed to and jump over the next river. Emphasis should be placed on landing on both feet at the same time without falling over.

Give children plenty of time to move throughout the space and jump over all the rivers.

For safety reasons, suggest that children not get closer than two giant steps from each

other, especially when they are swinging their arms to take off and when landing. After 3 to 5 minutes of jumping, children may need a brief rest period (30 to 60 seconds)

before continuing the activity.

Extend the experience

Vary activity by asking children to see how high they can jump and how far they can jump when traveling over the river. Emphasize landing on balance without falling over.

More experienced children may like the challenge of clapping their hands as they fly through

the air, or turning in the air before they land. Whatever the variation, teachers and children should not lose sight of the main objective of landing in a balanced position.

Do not feel limited to only jumping over hoops or jump ropes. This can be a great

classroom integration activity and can have many variations. For example, ask children to draw or paint their own rivers on large sheets of paper. Make sure they draw fish, trees, and other objects in and alongside their river. Tape children’s drawings to the floor and pretend that the class is going on a trip. When children reach the different rivers scattered throughout the room they must swing their arms and jump over the river, landing on the other side without falling over.

Adults may also want to integrate this idea with a book they read to children about rivers or

ways people travel. More experienced children may want the challenge of taking off from one-foot and landing

on two-feet, or jumping off of one-foot and landing on one-foot. The focus should still be the same—swing arms when jumping and land without falling.

Assessment Ideas The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 1995) has developed benchmarks in this area that suggest that by the time a child completes kindergarten, he/she should be able to jump and land while being under control. This suggests that children this age should be able to jump in different directions both on the ground and off low obstacles, and to stay on balance and not fall when landing. Observe children's jumping and landing skills and record their progression toward reaching benchmarks in this area.

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MANIPULATIVE SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Manipulative skills involve giving force to objects or receiving force from objects. These skills are most often associated with games. Basic manipulative skills include: throwing catching kicking punting dribbling volleying striking with a racket

Because of the visual-motor coordination required in learning manipulative skills (throw, catch, strike) they are more difficult for children than the locomotor and balance movements. These skills develop through repetition and practice over periods of time.

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Encouraging Manipulative Skill Development Schedule practice opportunities for each manipulative skill frequently throughout the year.

Children learn and develop skill through repetition and practice over periods of time. For example, teachers might schedule throwing activities one day each week for the entire year as opposed to every day for three weeks.

When first introducing a new skill using equipment, always allow time for children to

explore the equipment before providing a specific task to practice. When helping children develop manipulative skills, make sure to match the equipment to

the size, confidence, and skill level of the children so that they are motivated to actively participate in activities. Using adult sized balls that are too heavy hinders skill development in young children.

Providing time to teach children about sharing is important in preschool. But sharing of

equipment hinders physical skill development. Teachers should make sure that each child has his own ball to practice with. Waiting in lines for a turn to use equipment is considered developmentally inappropriate and provides less practice time for children to develop skills.

Provide practice activities that give children the opportunity to

be successful. Research in this area suggests that children should practice manipulative skill development activities at a success rate of about 70-80%. For example, if children are throwing at a target that is 10 feet away and they only can hit the target 4 out of 10 times the teacher should suggest that they get closer to the target so they can hit the target 8 out of 10 times. This keeps children from getting frustrated and enhances the development of the skill.

Experienced teachers provide feedback that is specific and that

assists children in learning a new skill. For example, teachers might say “You are catching by watching the ball,” rather than saying, “Good catch.”

Teachers should provide short skill demonstrations of no more that 45-60 seconds. If

demonstrations are too long, children lose interest in watching the teacher and want to get to the activity.

Many young children do not understand initial demonstrations from the teacher. Make sure

to encourage children that if they need more help “it is ok to watch other children and get ideas from them.”

When helping children develop manipulative skills, it is best to have a large open, obstacle

free space. A space of about 40 feet by 40 feet is appropriate for 18 preschool children. For safety reasons, make sure that children understand that they are not to get close to each other when using equipment.

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Young children need a lot of practice time as they develop manipulative skills. Creating challenges is a teaching technique for maintaining children’s interest without changing the activity or task. Challenges are tasks made measurable (or more fun) by the teacher. The teacher motivates the child to try it in a different way. The task, “See if you can throw your beanbag and hit the target,” becomes “Can you hit the target three times in a row?” “Show me you can bounce the ball,” leads to “how many times can you bounce the ball with one hand?” or “How many different ways can you find to bounce the ball?”

Words that describe movement are a fundamental part of a child’s vocabulary (throw,

catch, kick, strike, ball). Enhancing a child’s movement vocabulary enriches her overall vocabulary. This is valuable because understanding word meaning is the first step in developing oral and written communication skills. Movement skill words should be placed on large cards and taped on the walls of the movement area so children can see what the words catch, throw, and kick look like as they practice catching throwing, and kicking.

Teachers should introduce new manipulative activities by asking about children’s prior

experiences. “Has anyone ever kicked a ball before? What are some activities where we might use kicking?”

When exploring manipulative skills, teachers must adapt the equipment to the children

rather than expecting the children to adapt to the equipment.

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Classroom Gross Motor Center Many programs are able to include a gross motor or movement center among the other learning centers. Examples of activities in the gross motor center might include beanbag toss games and balance activities. Because all physical activities are not suited to a classroom learning center, the teacher will plan a physical activity session for the children at another time in the daily schedule.

Learning Centers in the Physical Activity Space An effective way to provide practice in manipulative skills is to set up learning centers in a large gross motor or movement area. After each skill has been presented and practiced individually by the children (usually happens over a period of several weeks), then teachers can set up learning centers. Children can select the skills they wish to practice. It is best to have at least one center for every three children in the class (15 children would require 5 learning centers). Centers should be placed in the movement area so there is plenty of space to move. One corner could be for throwing, another for catching, the third for kicking, and one for striking with body parts. The last could be striking with paddles. Another way to design learning centers is to have them all used for practicing the same skill. For example, each of five throwing centers could have different targets for children to throw at.

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Striking Using Punch Balls Large punch balls move slowly, giving children time to track them and prepare the body to strike. They are excellent for helping young children develop striking skills. Punch balls can be purchased at most local toy stores for less than $1.00. These are sometimes called punch balloons, but they are much thicker and sturdier than balloons. When used with the children, be sure to call them balls, not balloons.

Because of safety concerns, do not use latex balloons with children.

Goals/objectives Develop and improve skills of striking and kicking Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmark 4.10

Preparation Conduct this activity in a large indoor space. This activity is not recommended for outside. Each child works independently and has a punch ball. The activity lasts about 15-20 minutes. Blow up the punch ball to a 16-inch diameter. After filling the ball with air, tightly roll the

end of the ball and then poke the rolled end into the balloon. This allows you to blow up the ball again if air comes out.

Make sure you have all the balls blown up and have a ball for every child. Place punch balls in large baskets along one wall of the movement area so they will not roll.

Teaching Procedures Children walk over and pick up a ball, then find a space to stand where they are not close to other children. The first step in striking the punch ball is to throw it into the air. Children can consistently throw the ball straight up into the air if they: Hold the ball in both hands and lower the ball so that it almost touches their knees. Raise both hands into the air and let go of the ball as it passes their noses.

As children begin tasks listed above they should concentrate on tracking the ball with their eyes wherever it goes.

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Kick Far Many children’s games include the skill of kicking. Kicking requires that children contact a ball with their foot while maintaining the balance necessary to propel the ball as straight and as far as they desire. Children should have a variety of opportunities to practice kicking skills. When children practice kicking, the emphasis should be on development of the mature kicking pattern. Children develop this mature pattern by participating in activities where they move their kicking leg through the full range of kicking motion. Therefore, initial kicking experiences should emphasize kicking hard or kicking for distance as opposed to kicking for accuracy.

Goals/objectives Provide opportunities to practice kicking a ball Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 4.9, 4.11 Arkansas Infant and Toddler Benchmark 5.1.C

Preparation A 10-inch diameter rubber playground ball or foam or soft covered soccer ball for each child.

Do not use regulation soccer balls with hard coverings that may hurt a child’s foot when kicked. This may discourage children from practicing.

Practicing kicking skills is an outdoor activity and should not be done inside. A large grassy

area is ideal for this activity.

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Teaching Ideas

Initially ask children to place the balls on the ground and ask that they take one step back and kick the ball hard and as far away as possible.

Children then retrieve the balls and kick again.

After children get the idea of kicking far, ask that they take several steps back away from

the ball and run toward the ball and kick it. It may be helpful to place cones or markers out in the field so that

children have a direction in which to kick. A marker or cone in the field can also be used to challenge children

to kick farther. “Show me how far you can kick the ball. See if you can kick the ball past the cones.” Initially place cones about 10 to 12 yards away.

As children get the basic concept of kicking far and hard, ask that they travel throughout the

grassy area continually kicking their ball. “Kick your ball far and then run up and kick it again.”

Assessment Idea The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 1995) has developed benchmarks in this area that suggest that by the time a child completes kindergarten he/she should kick a stationary ball using a smooth, continuous running step and demonstrate progress toward the mature form of kicking. This suggests that the kindergarten child should show progress toward understanding and being able to kick for distance.

Adaptations for children with special needs Special needs children who can walk and run should have little difficulty with this activity. Children in wheel chairs may not be able to participate.

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Throw Hard At this developmental age children should focus on throwing hard at the target. This will enable children to go through the full range of the throwing motion and assist them in “stepping with the opposite foot” when they throw. Stepping with the opposite foot when throwing is an important part of demonstrating a mature throwing pattern. With young children it is important to participate in throwing activities that are both fun and success oriented. Research tells us that children need to be successful about 80% of the time to stay on task, to avoid frustration, and to have the best opportunity to develop skills. Children who consistently miss the target when they throw may get frustrated and not practice. Throwing activities must be success oriented in order that children will have the opportunity to develop the skill. The best beginning throwing activity is to simply ask children to throw hard. This allows children to naturally step with their opposite foot when throwing and assists in the development of a mature throwing pattern.

Goals/objectives Provide opportunities to practice throwing overhand. Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmarks 4.9, 4.10 Arkansas Infant and Toddler Benchmark 5.1.C

Preparation A yarn ball, Koosh, or beanbag is most appropriate for this activity indoors, a plastic ball or

tennis ball outdoors. Make sure the ball or beanbag is the size that will easily fit into the child’s hand. Beanbags or yarn balls are the best choice if inside a building, as they will not roll away from the children. A small plastic ball can be used outside in a grassy area where there is less chance for the ball to roll away from the child.

Conduct this activity in a large indoor open space such as a gym or multipurpose room where there is a large wall (free of obstacles) to throw at, or in a large open outdoor space.

Teaching Ideas Ask children to pick up a beanbag and place it in the hand they are going to use to throw

(this should be the same hand they write with). “Bend your elbow up and hold the beanbag behind your head, step forward with the

opposite foot, and throw the beanbag as hard as you can.”

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If indoors, children should be directed to throw hard at the wall. If outdoors, ask that they throw as far (or hard) as they can into the open field. Adults may want to place cones or markers in the field so that children have a large target to throw toward.

Remember to stress the cues “throw hard” and “step with the opposite foot.”

The throwing skills of young children will vary greatly. Some children may want to get close

to the wall while others will need the challenge of being farther away. While this activity seems very simple it is an important foundational first step activity for

young children learning how to throw. Extend the experience

If children are having trouble stepping forward when they throw, place a tape line, jump

rope, or chalk line on the ground and ask that children step over the line when they throw. This will help them begin to develop the opposite foot stepping pattern.

As children get the basic concept of throwing hard while stepping with the opposite foot, use

targets to challenge them to keep practicing. Use large targets indoors, such as painting a target on a large sheet and then attaching to

the wall. Outdoors, provide a restraining line for children to stand behind and ask that they throw

over another line that is 20 to 30 feet away. Provide a line that is closer for those that cannot throw as far.

Assessment Idea The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 1995) has developed benchmarks in this area that suggest that by the time a child completes kindergarten he/she should demonstrate progress toward the mature form of throwing. This suggests that the kindergarten child should show progress toward understanding and being able to throw hard, and step with the opposite foot when throwing overhand. Adaptation for children with special needs Many children with special needs may not be able to step when throwing. Ask these children to throw as hard as they can and make sure they have the opportunity to stand as close to the wall or target as needed.

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Catching Using the Punch Balls Catching is receiving and controlling an object by the body or its parts. As children learn to catch, they may first fear the ball and pull away to protect themselves. Children progress from catching a ball with their whole body, then with their arms and hands, and eventually with their hands alone. What are some basic activities that parents and teachers can introduce to children to assist them in learning how to catch? It is considered developmentally appropriate to select catching equipment that is matched to the size, confidence and skill level of children so that they are motivated to actively participate. Equipment must be modified to assist children in learning the skill. It would be inappropriate to use an official volleyball or basketball to initially learn how to catch. More appropriate equipment would include scarves, punch balls, and beanbags. Inappropriate equipment leads children to frustration when they are unsuccessful and thus they do not develop the skill. Goals Assist children is learning how to catch Arkansas Early Childhood Benchmark 4.10 Arkansas Infant and Toddler Benchmark 5.1.C

Preparation Initial catching activities should involve the use of a large, sturdy balloon called a punch ball.

The punch ball moves slowly through the air giving children time to track the ball and get their arms in the position to catch.

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Teaching Procedures In order for children to catch the punch ball, they must first be able to throw it straight up into the air. Adults can provide the following simple directions to assist children in throwing the ball into the air. Hold the ball out in front of you with one hand on each side. Lower the ball below your waist until it touches your knees. Raise both hands into the air and let go of the ball as it passes your nose. Timing the release of the ball is important. If the ball is released too soon, it may travel far

out in front of the child where it is hard to catch. If the ball is released too late, it will travel behind the child and be almost impossible to catch.

A progression of punch ball catching activities might include: Drop the ball, let it bounce, and then catch it. Throw the ball into the air and catch it. See how high you can throw the ball and still catch it. Throw the ball into the air and see how many times you can clap

your hands before you catch it. Throw the ball against the wall and catch it. Throw the ball back and forth with a friend.

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How to Make Equipment for Physical Activities

Launch Board Use ¼ inch-thick birch plywood, 30 inches long and 5 inches wide. Seven inches from one end, attach a 5-inch-long, 1½ inch-diameter dowel stick with glue and screws. Place a small ball or beanbag on the launch end of the board. If using a ball, drill a 2-inch hole in the end of the board to place the ball. A cubed beanbag works well because it easily fits into a child’s small hands. Balance Beam Balance beams can be made using a four-by-four length of lumber that is 6 to 8 feet long. Sand the beam to remove rough spots or splinters. Place a base on each end to raise the beam an additional 2 inches above the ground. The base stabilizes the beam while children balance on it. You now have a beam that raises the child’s feet about 6 inches off the ground, a height from which a child can easily jump or step without injury.

Soda Bottles Two liter soda bottles can be used as markers or cones. Fill bottles one-fourth full of sand or gravel and secure the bottle cap with tape. Weighting bottles keeps them from easily tipping over.

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LEAP INTO LITERACY Children’s books make a great introduction to movement and nutrition experiences. On the following pages are selected books that can be used to encourage physical activity and nutrition. Enjoy reading the books with your children. Many of the titles provide opportunities to build other literacy skills such as rhyming and segmenting. As you try the sample activities and design your own, your children will be strengthening their bodies and their minds.

Just Me (Written by Marie Hall Ets, 1965, Viking Press) Move like the animals in the story. Try moving slowly, quietly, high, low.

Explore different pathways as you pretend to be the animals—straight, curved, zigzag.

Take photographs of children as they move like the animals and as they move like

themselves. Display the photos on a “Just Me” chart. Scatter pictures of the animals on the floor. The child tosses a beanbag and makes the

sound or movement of the animal on which the beanbag lands. Older children might spell the word, give the beginning sound or a rhyming word.

Eat animal food: milk (cat), apples (pig), carrots (rabbit), hay (shredded wheat for the cow

and horse), nuts (squirrel), and a class favorite for “just like me”.

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Color Dance (Written by Ann Jonas, 1989, Greenwillow) Using chiffon scarves or cellophane streamers, can you move with a partner to create

another color? Can you make different shades of a color?

With your friends, make up a rainbow dance. How can you bend and stretch and twist and

leap? Imitate the dance movements of the children in the story.

Use translucent objects on an overhead projector to explore color.

Put assorted colors of gelatin cubes in clear cups. Provide flashlights for children to shine

through their snacks. Watch for colors on the ceiling, floor, and walls.

Silly Sally (Written by Audrey Wood, 1992, Scholastic) Go outdoors and try some of Silly Sally’s movements. “Show me how many different ways we can go to

town.” Substitute a child’s name for “Sally”. That child decides

where we will go and how we will get there. Have an upside down day. Sing “Goodbye” instead of

good morning. Walk backwards to the playground or lunchroom. Tape large sheets of paper to the underside of tables; children lie on their backs to draw.

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Jump, Frog, Jump (Written by Robert Kalan, 1981, Mulberry Books) Make large green lily pads from sturdy green paper. Children jump from pad to pad. Be

sure to secure the lily pads so that they do not slide when children jump on them. For older children, add a letter, number, word, or picture to each lily pad. Children shout

out the name of the symbol or picture when they land on the lily pad. Use launch boards (see page 65) and green beanbags. Children shout, “Jump, frog, jump,”

as they step on the launch boards. Older children might try catching the “frogs” in a basket.

Frog Legs (Written by George Shannon, 2000, Greenwillow) These poems make great transition tools. Try “Sky Dance” as children move from group

time into learning centers. “Can Can” might be an interesting way to move to the playground.

Use “Tutu, Too” with older children as they play with hula-hoops.

“Just Like Me” is a great way to start an impromptu game of follow the leader.

Explore the rich language and wealth of movement vocabulary with individuals and small

groups.

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Pretend You’re a Cat (Written by Jean Marzollo, 1990, Puffin Books) Invite children to demonstrate some of the actions described in the story. Allow plenty of

time for children to explore each animal’s movements.

Any page would make a great transition tool.

Use several pages during physical

activity time. Ask children to suggest animals that

were not in the book. Suggest that they create rhymes and movements for those animals.

Keep a chart of the animals in the book. When children think of something else they can do

like an animal, add that to the chart. We’re Going On a Picnic (Written by Pat Hutchings, 2002, Greenwillow) Make a path of picnic basket cutouts for children to follow to the snack

tables. Design an obstacle course for the children. Encourage children to pretend they are walking

across a field, up a hill, down the hill, down a path, and around the lane. Toddlers will enjoy playing fill-and-dump games with plastic food models and baskets.

Make a book in the shape of a picnic basket. Children create the pages for the book,

drawing pictures of foods they like and dictating or writing short stories about the foods. Plan a picnic snack or lunch. Be sure to include berries, apples, and pears.

Provide sturdy foods such as apples, potatoes, and carrots for children to explore.

Encourage children to experiment and describe the weight of different foods.

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Tumble Bumble (Written by Felicia Bond, 1996, Harper Trophy)

Use Tumble Bumble to reinforce the concepts

of self-space and general space. Invite children to dramatize the story.

Children can draw, paint, and write about foods

that are good to eat. Provide music that might encourage children to

“dance a jig”, “zigzag”, and “tippy-toe.” Encourage children to try out zigzag pathways

and to create other pathways. School-age children might re-write the story

inventing rhymes that use names of the children in the group. For example, “Then he balanced a unicycle. Oh, my, look out, it’s our good friend Michael!”

Bouncing Time (Written by Patricia Hubbell, 2000, Harper Collins) In a safe activity area, invite children to bounce, hop, jump, skip, flip, tumble, like the

animals in the story. Play with different kinds of balls and other objects that bounce.

Blow bubbles and watch them bounce in the air. “Can you bounce like a bubble?”

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From Head to Toe (Written by Eric Carle, 1997, Harper Collins Publishers) It is impossible to read this story without joining the fun! Toddler and preschool children will

love naming body parts and moving with the animals. Make a “head to toe” snack. For each child you will need a round cracker, 5 stick pretzels, 6

raisins, 2 saltine crackers, 2 grape halves or oyster crackers, a squirt of cheese, and a paper plate. Children use the pieces to make a body from head to toe: round cracker head; pretzel neck, arms, and legs; saltine chest and hips; raisin eyes, hands, knees; grape half or oyster cracker feet, and a cheese mouth.

As you read the story, challenge children to balance a beanbag on each named body part.