Bridging the Gap
The PE Teacher’s Pre-Sport Skill Lessons, Activities & Games, targeted for Grades 4 and spiralling upwards, has been methodically and progressively developed to provide a ‘flow-on’ and extension of fundamental motor skills development to building competence and confidence in the performing of sport specific skills for a variety of sports. The Resource was created in conjunction with the Motor Skills Series Resources: Fundamental Motor Skills & Movement Activities for Young Children and Motor Skills & Movement Station Lesson Plans for Young Children.
Cooperative and concentration activities and games, self-esteem builders, along with activities and games that integrate other subject areas are often incorporated into the lesson plan. A wellness approach, with a fitness enhancement focus, permeates each lesson. Health-related fitness builders, activities and games and station play have been incorporated throughout.
An Appendix section provides further reinforcement and development of the lesson plan focus and includes Homework Ideas, health-related Fit Think Ideas, and In-Class Ideas.
The Resource is comprised of five Sections as follows:
Section 1 - To the Teacher: Provides easy-to-follow guidelines for teaching movement and pre-sport skills using skill-builder stations and related, lead-up and modified games. Included is a list of ‘Twenty Exercise Recommendations’ for students at this level.
Section 2 - Foundation Movement: Consists of 11 ready-to-use lessons for revising and extending basic locomotion and body management skills, developing fitness builders, and incorporating the concept of ‘Signals’ to develop good listening and response skills. Lessons include Aerobic Fitness-Builder Stations, Rhythm Jump Roping and Group Signals for Small Group Play.
Section 3 – Object Control Skills Using Innovative & Manipulative Equipment: Provides 14 detailed lessons and scores of related games and activities to extend previously learned motor skills. Activities include Frisbee ™ Golf, Foxtail ™ Play, Deck Ring Play, Badminton, and Volleyball.
Section 4 – Pre-Sport Skill Lessons: Offers 75 comprehensive lesson plans for developing sport skill builders, station work and game play for a variety of sports, including Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Softball, Floor Hockey, Cricket, Netball, Racquet Ball, Flag Football, as well as Rhythm and Dance. Some examples follow.
- Basketball – Ball handling, Chest and Bounce Pass; Pivot Flash Fingers, Hop Pepper Passes
- Floor Hockey – Stick-handling, Zigzag Relay, Hockey Pirates, Obstacle Dribble
- Softball – Grounders, Fly Ball Gotcha, Pop-Ups, Sky Ball
- Grand Prix Circuit Warm-Up
- Dance – Square Dancing
Section 5 – Appendix: Provides Sport Skill Teaching Pointers, Rules of the Game, Court/Field Diagrams for each of the sports (refer to Section 4), and Tournament Draws. Also included are reproducible Fitness and Nutrition Worksheets, Fit Think Ideas, In-Class and Homework Ideas.
Lesson Format
- Skill Builders – provide specific learning areas
- Key Outcomes – provide 3 to 4 achievement goals for the learning experiences in the lesson
- Teaching Points – provide specific technique cues or pointers
- Focus Word(s) –give key words or phrases, ‘the movement jargon’ that enhances the cognitive aspects of the lesson
- Warming-Up Activities & Games – includes warming of large muscle groups, fitness builders, and strategies for developing listening skills, spatial awareness, and interaction an inclusiveness
- Skill Practice & Progressions – centre on individual, partner, and small group practice tasks and activities developed through small-steps progressions
- Related Games(s)/Lead-Up Games/Modified Games – provide further practice to reinforce skills in a game-like application
- Cooling-Down Activities and Games – provide a ‘calming-down’ effect, focussing on concentration, cooperation, and reflection
- Skill Builder Stations – provide further practice, reinforcement and extension of taught skills through station play; are cooperative, inclusive and interactive
- Extension: Fit Think Ideas, Fitness and Nutrition Worksheets, In-Class and Homework Ideas