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A physically educated person is one who has mastered the necessary movement skills to participate confidently in many different forms of physical activity, values physical fitness, and understands that both are related to health and well-being. The most basic element of a child’s development is learning to move. Even before birth children begin learning to move and learning through movement. The process continues throughout childhood and into adolescence.

In the primary grades, children are learning the fundamentals of physical education, becoming more skillful, and deriving pleasure from learning new skills. At this level, development of physical and motor fitness attributes is emphasized, including agility, flexibility, and coordination. This level emphasizes such basic skills as walking, running, hopping, jumping, sliding, galloping, skipping, throwing, kicking, balancing, bending, and stretching. Also important are such fitness attributes as cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength and endurance.

Children in kindergarten are solo learners. They focus primarily on moving within space, including general space around them and their own personal space. Non-locomotor skills (remaining in place and maintaining balance while moving parts of the body) include how the body moves on its axis and locomotor skills (moving the body from one place to another) include moving in open space. Once the children are able to move effectively in their space, they focus on objects, for instance, equipment, supplies, and materials. They also learn about and interpret their environment through play. They should move in a safe environment that helps them look forward to positive experiences in physical education.

A program of physical education should provide developmentally appropriate activities to students using a variety of teaching methods based on each student’s individual needs. Teachers must plan programs for all students regardless of race, gender, home language, disability, or cultural or economic backgrounds. Adaptations or modification of the program, activities, or types of equipment can be beneficial to all students. In addition, a variety of assessment tools should be used to determine each student’s level of performance.

The vision is for all students to be physically educated and have fun while moving. Students who participate in quality physical education programs receive a variety of benefits including the development of 1) a variety of motor skills and abilities related to lifetime leisure activities, 2) improved understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, 3) improved understanding of movement and the human body, 4) improved knowledge of rules and strategies of particular games and sports, and, 5) self-confidence and self-worth as these relate to physical education and recreation programs.

(See PE Scope and Sequence for K - 5)

CONTENT STANDARD 1

1. Movement Skills and Movement Knowledge

• The Kindergarten student will be competent in many movement activities.

Performance Indicators

1.K.1 Travel in different ways in a large group without bumping into others or falling

1.K.2 Balance while bending, twisting, or stretching

1.K.3 Strike a stationary ball with any part of the body

1.K.4 Walk and running using mature form.

1.K.5 Roll without hesitating or stopping

1.K.6 Toss a ball and catching it before it bounce

Examples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:

• ask students to use a variety of locomotor movements to travel through space. When they hear the signal, they should change to a different movement named by the teacher. After enough practice, when they hear the signal to change, students must select any locomotor movement they desire, and are encouraged to be as creative as they can. Students must demonstrate they have a variety of locomotor skills and that they can correctly identify and demonstrate the movement when it is named by the teacher.

CONTENT STANDARD 2

2. MOVEMENT SKILLS AND MOVEMENT KNOWLEDGE

• The Kindergarten student will understand how and why they move in a variety of situations and use this information to enhance their own skills.

Performance Indicators

2.K.1 Identify various parts of the body and their location--for example, arms, legs, and hands.

2.K.2 Identify fundamental movement patterns

2.K.3 Identify and beginning to use the technique employed to soften the landing in jumping.

Examples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:

• have students pretend they are recreating and act out the story of Jack and Jill rolling down the hill. Have them describe and demonstrate what Jack and Jill would need to do to roll sideways down the hill. The students can prepare a drawing that illustrates the rolling action used by Jack and Jill. Students should be able to identify the critical elements of rolling and demonstrate appropriate rolling movement.

CONTENT STANDARD 3

3. Movement Skills and Movement Knowledge

• The Kindergarten student will achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.

Performance Indicators

3.K.1 Recognize changes in heart rate

3.K.2 Sustain moderate to vigorous physical activity

Examples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:

• have, during recess, a variety of activities with varying degrees of physical exertion. Observe and periodically record their participation. Have students select activities that are vigorous in nature, participate at a level sufficient to increase breathing and sweating, and participate regularly in health enhancing physical activities.

CONTENT STANDARD 4

4. Self-Image and Personal Development

• The Kindergarten student will exhibit a physically active lifestyle and will understand that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, and self-expression.

Performance Indicators

4.K.1 Participate regularly in vigorous physical activity

4.K.2 Try new movement activities and skills

4.K.3 Identify feelings that result from participation in physical activities

Examples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:

• have students participate for several minutes in a vigorous activity and place their hands on their chests to feel the heartbeat before and immediately after the activity. Have students discuss: (1) What is the difference between your heartbeat before we did the activity and now? (2) Why is your heart beating faster now? (3) Is anyone sweating? (4) What other activities could we do to make our heart beat faster? Have students associate the faster heartbeat with vigorous activity, associate the slower heartbeat with rest, and identify other physical activities that elicit a faster heartbeat.

CONTENT STANDARD 5

5. Self-Image and Personal Development

• The Kindergarten student will demonstrate responsible personal behavior while participating in movement activities.

Performance Indicators

5.K.1 Follow adult-delivered rules

5.K.2 Respond to rule infractions when reminded 5.K.3

Handle equipment safely by putting it away when not in use

Examples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:

Observe students following rules and procedures during a class period. Students should comply with the rules or procedures established in class, and if a rule is broken, will comply after being reminded.

CONTENT STANDARD 6

6. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• The Kindergarten student will demonstrates responsible social behavior while participating in movement activities. The student will understand the importance of respect for all others.

Performance Indicators

6.K.1 Working in a group setting without interfering with others

6.K.2 Taking turns using a piece of equipment

6.K.3 Transferring rules of the gym to rules of the playground

6.K.4 Choosing playmates without regard to personal differences (e.g., race, gender, disability)

Examples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:

• Students are asked to select a picture from a group of examples provided by the teacher of one way in which they can share space and equipment with others in an activity. Students must be able to accurately identify a characteristic of sharing; and explain the importance of sharing.

CONTENT STANDARD 7

7. Social Development

• The Kindergarten student will understand the relationship between history and culture and games, sports, play, and dance.

Performance Indicators

7.K.1 Describe what is done in physical education

7.K.2 Identify games they have played with family, and friends

7.K.3 Describe time and location for physical activity

Examples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:

• When asked, students share a game or activity they have played with family, relatives, or friends.

Revised January 2001

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