To answer the query "What works with young children?" Requires first considering another question: "What approaches fit children's characteristics and the ways they learn and develop?"
In the physical education and movement area, the council on physical education for Children (COPEC) has responded to these questions with guidance for teachers and others who work with young children. yes = Appropriate w/ preschool children No = Not appropriate w/ preschooL Limiting class size Yes = Teachers limit the group size in order to provide young children with developmentally appropriate individualized instruction. No more than 9-10 children ages 4 to 5 are assigned to an adult. younger children require smaller groups. No = Teachers organize the children in groups larger than recommended for physical activity, thereby necessitating the use of more teacher directed methods and limiting opportunities for exploration and guided discovery. Facilitating maximum participation Yes = Teachers use activities that do not eliminate children and frequently modify activities to enhance maximum participation. However, they recognize that young children might need brief rest periods when participating in particularly strenuous activities. Teachers provide sufficient equipment so each child can maximally participate. The equipment includes a variety of shapes, sizes, textures, and weights to allow for experimentation and active participation, increasing the confidence and skill level of the children. Modified, nontraditional equipment is used where appropriate, such as scarves for catching and balloons for volleying. No = Teachers fail to maximize opportunities to learn or practice motor skills by requiring children to wait for a turn. for example, teachers encourage playing sedentary games such as " duck, duck, goose' or other activities that eliminate children and provide no chance to re-enter the activity, teachers provide insufficient equipment or only offer regulation or "adult size" equipment, which may inhibit skill development or injure or intimidate the children. continuous, extended aerobic activity is expected. Integrating movement programs and play Yes = Movement programs are planned and organized by teachers as part of the total educational program. They are included in each day's curriculum. Regularly scheduled indoor and outdoor movement experiences enhance play experiences. No = Teachers use outdoor and free play only as a way to get children to use up excess energy; it is characterized by a lack of goals, organization, planning, and instruction. Allowing for repetition and variation Yes = teachers provide a variety of new learning experiences that emphasize the same motor skill, across different environmental contexts, allowing for the gradual development of desired movement patterns. teachers provide opportunities for the extension and refinement of these skills within instructional sessions. No = Activities are repeated without variation or are introduced and practiced only once a year, providing little opportunity for children to develop a foundation of motor skills. Designing learning experiences Yes = teachers employ both direct and indirect teaching methods. direct methods provide instructional models for children to replicate. Indirect teaching methods encourage children to explore and discover a range of movement possibilities. teachers provide opportunities for children to make choices within and between tasks, while actively exploring their environment. teachers serve as facilitators, preparing a stimulating environment with challenging activities. No = Teachers implement highly structured, teacher-directed lessons most of the time. large group instruction is often used in which all children are expected to perform the same manner. for example, teachers provide recorded music with verbal cues that children are expected to follow. Facilitating total development Yes = teachers design movement activities for the total development of children. the unique role of movement programs, which allow children to move while also moving to learn, is recognized and explored. teachers provide many opportunities within a developmentally appropriate movement program for children to enhance motor, cognitive, emotional, and social development. for example, opportunities to teach such developmentally appropriate social skills as cooperating, taking turns, and sharing exist within the context of a lesson. within the same lesson, fundamental locomotor skills are practiced while children develop spatial awareness by moving along a variety of pathways. the cognitive concepts associated with the activity and its relationship to a healthy lifestyle are reinforced. lessons are centered on the development of the total child within a nurturing and accepting environment. No = teachers view movement programs as separate from other areas of instruction. they are felt to be a means of 'burning excess energy'. for example, teachers address only the physical realm without including cognitive, emotional, and social contexts. From " Active for life: developmentally appropriate movement programs for young children "
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Mr. Pires PhysedBlog about physical education, health and sports training. Archives
February 2021
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