In Physical Education Teacher Education programs, we argue that a focus on fewer models to be taught and learned would provide time for higher competence to be attained by preservice teachers in a curriculum limited in terms of contact hours. During their teacher training, preservice teachers should be given ample opportunities to practice the…

Taking weight on hands is an important skill that should be taught in physical education. Many teachers shy away from integrating such gymnastics-based skills into the curriculum. This could be for a variety of reasons such as limited knowledge of the content, lack of equipment, students' perceived interest, and fear of injury. The information in…

Many adolescents lack the requisite physical preparation for sport participation and PA. Multi-sport participation and resistance training during youth (age 5-11) and adolescence (age 12-17) years can positively affect physical activity levels, health outcomes, and promote long-term athletic development (LTAD). The National Strength and…

Badminton is a popular sport played across the lifespan. This article introduces a knowledge packet for the teaching of badminton to upper elementary students. The knowledge packet consists of a content map, task descriptions, and an assessment. The content map illustrates progressions and sequences of tasks. The descriptions of the tasks,…

Dance is a form of physical activity that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. Students at the elementary level benefit greatly from successful experiences in dance that lead to competency in various dance forms as well as an appreciation of personal expression through dance. Teaching dance, however, may not be comfortable or easy for beginning…

The majority of the sport and physical education literature defines how a technique and tactic should look. However, a gap existing in the current literature is how to select different techniques and tactics to teach diverse learners at different developmental stages. This article takes an initial step to map out the techniques and tactics that…

While there are differences between coaches and physical educators, there are best practices in each profession that have universal applications. Using a coaching/teaching scenario to provide background for this article, the authors identify useful strategies employed by both successful coaches and physical educators that can be adopted by each.…

Every student must be given the opportunity to participate in physical education and develop the skills and knowledge competencies to become skillful movers for a lifetime. Students with disabilities have unique needs that must be addressed in the least restrictive environment. With the adoption of the "National Standards and Grade-level…

This article focuses on the development of assessment tools to enhance the acquisition of the grade-level outcomes developed in the K-12 curriculum. Physical education is one of the few educational programs that does not have a multitude of available state and national tests to measure student progress. This distinction has been both a strength…

Fitness development in physical education is most often attained via implementation of fitness training principles into school based settings. It is seldom attained via adherence to developmentally appropriate principles. The program presented in this article provides the physical educator with a method and the tools to attain both. This program…

Teaching and learning in physical education at the elementary level should be a time filled with excitement and fun for both teachers and students. Children by nature are inquisitive and bring an abundance of energy into the learning environment. Physical educators who are able to harness this student energy in positive ways are able to…

Physical Education is a core component of the primary school curriculum. The primary years are perhaps the most significant period for motor development in children, a time during which basic movement competencies are developed and which offers the first opportunity for embedding physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. This is the first…

In consideration of the academic priorities and budgetary constraints in many elementary schools across the country, the classroom teacher (CRT) will likely remain as a primary physical education provider. Reliance on physical education specialists (PES) as indirect service providers can play an important role in preparing CRTs for this task.…

It is common to begin a physical education class by having students run laps. Many teachers find that doing the same running warm-up day after day leads to boredom and a lack of interest in their students. This article provides teachers with developmentally appropriate warm-up activities that will not only motivate students, but also keep them…

This paper presents a systematic progression of small-sided games within two traditional sports units (soccer and volleyball). Developmentally appropriate guidelines encourage teachers at all levels to incorporate small-sided games (2v2, 3v3, and 4v4). Advantages of small-sided games include: allowing students numerous practice opportunities;…