Lots of unmitigated excellence in some small bodies - that captures the work with early childhood students in PE these days. The video features some scenes from our locomotor warm-up with balls and then some challenges on a new obstacle course. Do one thing a day that scares you...... easy to say, hard to do. These 4th graders really challenged themselves yesterday by learning to front somersault. One person went from having never tried it to completing one in 6 (SIX) jumps/progressions, truly awesome! Well done all! Parkour is a popular outdoor sport which involves bounding, climbing, and jumping over obstacles; running, balancing and swinging between structures. In elementary PE we can transform our teaching spaces into surprisingly challenging movement environments which can be adapted to every age level. The video captures students in PK, 1st and 5th grades enjoying elements of the same obstacle course set up in the activities room which uses chairs, tires, mats, wall bars and benches. Construction doesn't happen too often in PE but creating hula huts is a huge hit! Students practice working in a group, using a light touch in building as well as moving carefully. First and second grade students enjoyed the challenge of building and sharing hula huts with each other.
In mid March most of the Physical Education Department flew to Boston to attend the Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) conference. Mr. Wright returned with all sorts of fresh ideas for our classes. Among the gems, were several simple partner games which get kids active and communicating with a variety of classmates. We have been testing these out with our classes at different levels and students and teachers love them! Elementary students of all levels are used to reading the board when they come into the gym. We usually post an agenda for each class so that students know what to expect. Sometimes we may use checklists, worksheets or activity cards for students to practice reading while in PE. We even have some activity balls which encourage literacy skills in young students.
4th and 5th Grade students created simple gymnastic routines combining balances, rolls and transfers of weight. The video shows a small sampling of a few routines. Lots of creativity and focus! With the weather being so beautiful outside and the fun run around the corner, some classes have had the chance to get outside and do some running. It's great to exercise outside.
Students in early childhood and primary grades enjoy lots of opportunities to practice handling balls. We use a variety of sizes and bounce quality. Basic skill practice helps build confidence and makes game situations all the more engaging. In our PE classes we often set up stations for students to practice related skills. This means they spend a short time at each station practicing one or two discrete skills or even combinations. The advantages are several: kids enjoy the variety, the element of choice, and a sense of urgency to maximize their time at each area. The video shows 3rd Grade students at 4 gymnastic stations: static balances, walking balances, rolls, and jumping. |
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September 2017
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