Question

Describe which resources need to be available to plan these physical experiences for children 0-8 years. (You are strongly encouraged to give practical examples from your own professional experience.)

Financial resources and time are two critical components of providing quality physical education to students, resources that are often sorely lacking in schools today, as PE gets shifted to the back burner of school resources. If physical education is not required, or if study time and preparation for standardized tests, for example, or even field trips or school assemblies are 'substituted in' for physical education time, this communicates that PE is not a class to be taken seriously, and children will take notice of this fact. If children's nonattendance or lack of participation is not reflected in their grade, and parents demand an 'A' despite a lackadaisical attitude on the part of the student, this will also impact the quality of education, as it is not likely such an attitude would be tolerated in other academic classes.

Having PE classes engage in joint participation efforts with health classes, science classes, and even social studies and English classes can incorporate physical education into the core curriculum and show that movement is...

For example, students can apply their knowledge of nutrition and anatomy from health and science classes to tracking their improvements in physical conditioning, can engage in folk dancing and games that they learn about from other nations in social studies, or engage in role-playing or themed activities and games they learn about in stories from literature. This approach will increase the perception of physical education as an important and serious part of the school curriculum, and enable students to feel better about themselves and more focused when they do enter a conventional classroom, after their bodies and minds have been stretched and strengthened.
Works Cited

Dribblemania Fitness." Lesson Idea Search Results: PE Central.org. Retrieved 25 Jul 2008. http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=8252

Rivkin, M.S. (2006). "Movement is a basic need of children and supports cooperation in the Classroom." Moving and Learning Together! Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 20 (6) 32-36.

Schiesel, Seth. (30 Apr 2007). "P.E. classes turn to video game that works legs." The New York

Times. Retrieved 25 Jul 2008 at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/health/30exer.html?scp=1&sq=physicaleducation&st=cse