PHYSICAL EDUCATION & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Both PHYSICAL EDUCATION and opportunities for PHYSICAL ACTIVITY are important for the physical, cognitive and social emotional growth of all students. Research has proven Physical Education and physical activity breaks during the school day enhance student concentration, focus and successful learning while reducing behavior problems. Physical Education and physical activity promote student health and do not compromise academic learning. Click the image to the right for a helpful infographic from the CDC on the benefits of physical activities of all kinds in school!
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Benefits include:
- REDUCES risk for obesity, diabetes and chronic diseases
- ASSISTS in improved academic performance
- HELPS children feel better about themselves
- REDUCES risk for depression and the effects of stress
- HELPS children prepare to be productive, healthy adults
- IMPROVES overall quality of life
PHYSICAL EDUCATION is…..
- instruction for all children, teaching them the skills and knowledge needed to sustain an active lifestyle
- taught by a highly qualified physical education teacher through a well-defined curriculum with planned sequential instruction, which promotes lifelong physical activity
- required in grades 1 – 12 by RI law and RI Department of Education regulation with an average of 100 minutes per week (combination of health & physical education)
- aligned with the standards and performance indicators in The Rhode Island Physical Education Framework
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is…..
- bodily movement of any type
- any recreational, fitness and sport activities such as jumping rope, playing soccer and lifting weights
- any daily activities such as walking to the store, taking the stairs or raking the leaves
- strongly recommended and encouraged to be provided in schools, with physical activity opportunities such as recess, intramurals, interscholastic sports, classroom activity breaks and walk/run/bike programs offered before, during and after school to enhance the PE curriculum
- SHAPE (website) Society of Health and Physical Educators has developed helpful tools for school administrators, principals and teachers to assist in the development of a quality Physical Education Program and the evaluation of a physical education program or class:
- RIAHPERD (website) RI Association of Health, PE, Recreation & Dance
- Active Kids (website) Includes on-line assessment & planning tools for school Physical Education and physical activity
- Rhode Island Physical Education Framework Framework for standards-based PE curriculum.
- Strengthen Physical Education in Schools (Springboard to Active Schools brief)
- Physical Activity Guide for Parents (INFOGRAPHIC) (US Dept. of Health & Human Services)
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (US Dept. of Health & Human Services)
- CSPAP (Shape America) Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program is a multi-component approach by which schools use all opportunities for students to be:
- physically active before, during, and after school
- meet the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day
- and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime.
- NFL Play 60 NFL PLAY 60 initiative has been the League’s national Youth Health and Wellness platform to empower youth to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
- Involve School Staff in Promoting Physical Activity (Springboard to Active Schools brief)
- RI Recess Law
- Recess Rocks in RI – a Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island/Playworks/RIHSC recess training initiative
- Keep Recess in Schools (Springboard to Active Schools brief)
- Playworks website
- Peaceful Playgrounds website
- SHAPE America and CDC Strategies for Recess in Schools
- Alternatives to Withholding Recess
- Recess Aide Job Description (Westerly)
- Recess Aide Training (Westerly)
- The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance (US Dept. of Health and Human Services)
- Active Education: Growing Evidence on Physical Activity and Academic Performance Active Living Research
- Increasing Physical Activity Through Recess Active Living Research