I. Children's ability to move their bodies in an organized and coordinated fashion can provide them with the confidence as well as the neurological basis for learning. Movement maturation requires repetitive, challenging and positive movement experiences. An early childhood physical education program should be designed so as to provide movement challenges that all the children can participate in to the best of their abilities toward the following goals:
A. Increased body awareness (how the body moves and identification of body parts)
B. Increased awareness of self in relation to space, others, and objects
C. Increased balance (stationary and mobile) and flexibility
D. Awareness of cooperative behavior and controlled patterned movement (rhythms)
E. Increased control of small objects through manipulation
F. Increased foot-eye, hand-eye coordination
II. Both teacher directed and child directed movement activities can accomplish these goals. Activities may involve learning aids such as:
A. bean bags
B. tootie boards
C. parachute
D. scooter boards
E. balls of all types
F. ribbon activities
G. body part puzzles
H. geometric shapes/obstacle courses
I. hoops
All of these activities can be enhanced through many different types of manipulative materials: blocks, counting cubes, puzzles, geometric shapes, cash registers, games, and more. In addition, math concepts can be incorporated into the daily routine through snack (counting food, etc.), science, playground (hop scotch, shadows), language activities, music (beat), art (bead stringing, collages), games, transition activities (clean-up toy sorting) lining up.
