How can we engage young students in PE activities in a minimalist way?
Ultimately, during early years education of until six years old or so, the focus for students is most certainly still for them to get more used to using their bodies. They want to build up their coordination and ability to move in multiple ways.
As for many areas at this age, there should be a focus on play and free exploration. When you have boxes and climbing equipment it is a massive bonus.
However, what if no such equipment is available? What’s more, is there anything we can do as teachers to add a small volume of structure?
At the kindergarten I work at, we have begun doing weekly PE classes to support students with their physical development.
Leading my class’s second one of these today, I followed with a routine I have previously been developing as a warm up, which required no equipment at all.
Striving to support students to move their bodies in multiple ways, we started off with some easy running. This gets the heart pumping. Next, we focused on jumping, and star jumps, building up the spring in the legs. This was followed by squats, and then squats into “big jumps”, building up the strength in our legs. We have often also done single leg balancing and hopping, even taking note of appropriate techniques, for example, putting hands on your waist, and focusing on remaining still. As we come back to these activities, it is beautiful to watch students reminding us and each other of the different parts of the skill we need to remember.
But do you only need to stay on your legs?
We can move our bodies in multiple different ways. Today we did army crawls. Previously, we have done different types of crawls and rolling. These all build up upper body and core strength. As a girl reminded us, “This can make us strong. It can also help us sit on our chair and help with our writing.”
The focus throughout was building control over our bodies. Hence, I did focus on clear objectives for what students should be doing for each activity. There will continue to be new exercises and types of movement we can practice in the future.
But, we can go further than movement.
For the second part of our class today, we continued to practice football skills. Previously we have practiced passing. Here, we practiced the steps, “control”, “aim”, “pass”. In addition to the skill, students were able to practice both English – they are second language speakers – and the idea of following a clear sequence of steps.
Working in pairs to practice, it was intriguing to watch as they naturally adjusted how close they were together, based on level of ease or challenge, and adjusted the power and aim.
To take this further, we then practiced dribbling. Working together, they would take it in turns to dribble the ball from a first cone, to a second, and then back. Here again, they showed independence.
But then what can we take from this?
In the early years, students most certainly should have the opportunity to play and exercise freely. Afterall, in doing this, they will exercise and practice skills. We can guide them in a more play-based way.
However, there is no reason why this can’t be balanced with some more structured activities. In addition to practicing specific physical skills, these can support develop discipline, focus, and instruction following.
The same can be said for practicing the skills from specific sports as students become ready. Here also, perhaps a balance can be given between instruction, and allowing students to then practice the skills freely. Just as it does elsewhere in teaching and learning, this allows students to take autonomy, responsibility and reflection, which can aid their ability to drive self-development.
