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

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERDDonate
Now
SUBSCRIPTIONS

Want to view full articles from JOPERD? Become a subscriber, by checking out JOPERD's subscription information.

Already a JOPERD subscriber? View your journals.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
Email this page Email Print this pagePrint

Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance


Issue: April 2010

Educational Gymnastics:  Enhancing Children’s Physical Literacy
  Sam Baumgarten & Karen  Pagnano-Richardson

Abstract: Virtually  all current physical education curriculum guides and textbooks include sections  on learner outcomes based on the national standards for physical education,  which often refer to gymnastics skills. Gymnastics is a perfect venue for  teaching movement concepts, developing and maintaining overall body fitness,  fostering personal and social responsibility, and encouraging self-expression  while enhancing self-esteem in a success-oriented environment. However,  educational gymnastics seems to have lost its rightful place as an essential  contributor to the development of children’s physical literacy. This article  considers the notion, meaning, and importance of “educational gymnastics” in  the hope of decreasing concerns about safety or lack of equipment and providing  teachers with tools for planning, implementing, and assessing such activities.

Article category: Curriculum