Physical Education is FUN!!!!
Most of us know physical fitness can be both fun and important to every stage of life, and now, more and more scientific evidence
is coming out proving this. Benefits such as:
Lower risk of early death and disease
improved physical capabilities
improved mental and emotional function
are being tied to a regular routine of activity, exercise, and proper diet. As educators and role models, it is imperative we
employ positive thinking and activities towards physical education so that our children adopt positive and healthy habits.
Childhood obesity (and developing type II diabetes) is on the rise!! A recent report by the state of Texas states that over 35% of Texas schoolchildren are overweight or obese. This is largely due to a combination of lack of physical activity and poor eating choices.
The challenge educators and parents face is to help children and adolescents get enough physical activity in - whether by encouraging walking or riding bikes to/from school, by providing time during the day for both structured and unstructured activity, or by changing the nature of activities we provide for them.
Games that allow the majority of participants to stand around waiting for their turn or for action to come their way (traditional kickball) really limits the opportunity to maximize the time allotted for activity.
A better solution may be to organize around skill themes.. generic and not tied to a single sport or activity which can be defined for the particular age group. This should be done in small groups that are cooperating with each other helping complete a task verses groups that win or lose based on competitive results. This isn't to say that the small groups can't have an opportunity to compete against each other for a portion of the activity but mastery of the skill is more important than who can do it faster. For those participants that do excel, there can be a segment of the time where the teams can compete against each other.
How the groups are formed should be adjusted as well. The traditional method of picking captains who then select their teams has run out of favor. First off, it's more suited for larger team based activities, and second, it removes the disappointment the last picks always feel. In place of that, alternative numbering schemes can be employed (taking a class of 35 and dividing into groups of 4 by counting 1 thru 9, different color groups, different fruit groups, etc, etc..).
A guide for educators is to focus on the four S's: Safe, Successful, Satisfying, and Skill-Appropriate.
With those at the core of a physical education program the students will adopt a positive attitude
towards staying active and better managing their diets that should follow them into their adulthood and then
pass on to their children..
Most of us know physical fitness can be both fun and important to every stage of life, and now, more and more scientific evidence
is coming out proving this. Benefits such as:
are being tied to a regular routine of activity, exercise, and proper diet. As educators and role models, it is imperative we
employ positive thinking and activities towards physical education so that our children adopt positive and healthy habits.
Childhood obesity (and developing type II diabetes) is on the rise!! A recent report by the state of Texas states that over 35% of Texas schoolchildren are overweight or obese. This is largely due to a combination of lack of physical activity and poor eating choices.
The challenge educators and parents face is to help children and adolescents get enough physical activity in - whether by encouraging walking or riding bikes to/from school, by providing time during the day for both structured and unstructured activity, or by changing the nature of activities we provide for them.
Games that allow the majority of participants to stand around waiting for their turn or for action to come their way (traditional kickball) really limits the opportunity to maximize the time allotted for activity.
A better solution may be to organize around skill themes.. generic and not tied to a single sport or activity which can be defined for the particular age group. This should be done in small groups that are cooperating with each other helping complete a task verses groups that win or lose based on competitive results. This isn't to say that the small groups can't have an opportunity to compete against each other for a portion of the activity but mastery of the skill is more important than who can do it faster. For those participants that do excel, there can be a segment of the time where the teams can compete against each other.
How the groups are formed should be adjusted as well. The traditional method of picking captains who then select their teams has run out of favor. First off, it's more suited for larger team based activities, and second, it removes the disappointment the last picks always feel. In place of that, alternative numbering schemes can be employed (taking a class of 35 and dividing into groups of 4 by counting 1 thru 9, different color groups, different fruit groups, etc, etc..).
A guide for educators is to focus on the four S's: Safe, Successful, Satisfying, and Skill-Appropriate.
With those at the core of a physical education program the students will adopt a positive attitude
towards staying active and better managing their diets that should follow them into their adulthood and then
pass on to their children..
Links:
http://www.fitness.gov/
http://www.examiner.com/x-13147-San-Antonio-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m11d10-Do-kids-need-physcial-education-class
http://www.foodfacts.info/
http://broadmeadow.needham.k12.ma.us/Classroom_Teachers/PhysEd.html
p.e. central