American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

 Issue: May/June 2007

On the Problem of Motor Skill Development
Jane E. Clark

Abstract:
As a way to address the serious obesity epidemic in the United States, many physical education classes have become fitness centers designed to raise heart rates and burn calories. An unintended consequence of this emphasis on fitness, however, is the lack of attention to motor skill development. Motor skills do not develop miraculously from one day to the next or through maturation; they must be nurtured, promoted, and practiced. Physical education must promote both physical activity and motor skill development. If we want students to become physically active for life, we need to help them acquire the motor skills that will allow them to participate in a wide range of physical activities.

Article category: 2007 Alliance Scholar Lecture