Health and Physical Education

1. Health and Physical Education Getting its fair share of the curriculum pie

2. Just a few generations ago, physical activity was an integral part of daily life. Physical Education is shifting from simply games and movement to a holistic approach. We need to expose and teach the multifaceted nature of health, PE and Sport. Robust evidence and scientific backing ends the debate. Decreasing the significance and time allotments of health and physical education within school curriculums are detrimental to the social, emotional, intellectual and physical development and well-being of students. The Lakes currently provides more time allotment than other schools in the area. We believe we are taking the right steps towards bringing positive changes to the attitudes, beliefs and the importance of physical activity and education in the lives of young people. Why would we want to take a step back? http://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=jgskdrv4t0g

3. Successful HPE programs provide

4. Decreases in: Absenteeism Type 2 Diabetes Mortality CVD Teen pregnancy Smoking Drug use Suicide Risky sex Stress Depression Anxiety The sheer number of absentees during the school year gives weight to the need to decrease absenteeism, and the significance of a successful Health and Physical Education in reducing this. Some children take most satisfaction at school through Sport and PE initiatives. PE and Sport can be the catalyst for many students deciding to come to school on a given day.

5. Increases in: Intellectual School engagement Memory Academic performance Concentration/attention/impulse control ADHD management Physical General motor skills Immune system function Nutrition/diet Joint and bone health Emotional Fun, enjoyment, satisfaction Feeling good Self esteem & Self efficacy Intrinsic motivation for physical activity Social Positive relationships/networks Social inclusion & Civic participation Bridging differences (socio economic status, racial, ethnic, disability, religious, sexual) Individual Values Social skills/Life skills/ Sportsmanship Time management Initiative/Leadership Honesty/Integrity/Respect/ Commitment/Self discipline/ Self control/Persistence

6. Facts Studies has found aerobic fitness levels have a direct correlation with literacy and numeracy test results. ''There's a clear relationship, the fittest schools are the ones which got the best results.'‘ Dr Telford “improved perceptual motor development positively affects a child’s academic performance.”

7. Studies found… The effect of physical activity and specialist physical education in primary school - “Found there was positive statistical significance in NAPLAN scores between the two groups.” Physical activity was a significant, positive predictor of academic achievement. Body mass index (BMI), diet and physical activity explained up to 24% of the variance in academic achievement after controlling for gender, parental education, family structure and absenteeism. Sigfusdottir (2006)

8. Studies found… In addition to these findings, three studies highlighted that children can spend less time in academic learning sessions and more time being physically active, without affecting academic success or progress. Dollman(2006). Sallis(1999 ) Dwyer T (1979) Within the Whittlesea community 16% (4% higher than the state average) do not get enough physical activity daily. - we are only talking a minimum of 60 minutes a day! - that means daily 145 children are not getting enough exercise everyday. - we already give them 75 minutes a day in recess/lunch and yet they still are unable to reach a daily quota (a brisk walk is all they need to reach the quota!) Health begins where we live, learn, work and play. All Australians should have the opportunity to make the choices that allow them to live a long, healthy life, regardless of their income, education or ethnic background.

9. Department Facts (DEECD) The Department states that all government schools must meet compulsory time requirements for physical and sport education for students from years Prep to 10. Schools are required to timetable: • 20 - 30 minutes of physical education a day for years Prep to 3 • three hours of physical and sport education a week with a minimum provision of 50 per cent for physical education for years 4 to 6 • one hundred minutes per week each for physical education and sport for years 7 to 10. Current research indicates that the current level of FMS development in a child’s early years is inadequate. (DECCD, 1997, p. 4) Without competence in a range of skills such as running, skipping and balancing, students are less likely to access the range of options available to establish an active lifestyle. (DECCD, 1997)

10. A critical window A CRITICAL WINDOW The First Ten Years of Life “Children who move often from a young age have better developed motor skills, which positively impact the physical activity experiences they’ll have as they get older. As they head into adolescence, kids draw the blueprints for their adult lives.”

11. Why is early intervention the key? Children who are 5/6/7 years of age have the neurological & anatomical ability to develop skills in ALL fundamental motor skills. By Grade 4 children have established their belief in physical activity & sport.

12. Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) PMPcan be a preventative and curative program involving all students in their early years of schooling. Why have PMP and specialist PE programs? It influences non-impaired children (Learning Readiness) as well as influences children requiring remedial programs for skills (Remediation)

13. Problems arising without adequate FMS and PMP training • have problems with all manual skills such as managing buttons, pencil grip, avoiding colouring activities, dislikes jigsaws and trouble managing scissors. • display a difficulty in expressing themselves properly (poor speech, stuttering) • demonstrate difficulty with spatial awareness and poor visual perception. • mixed laterality e.g. children who may write with their left hand but prefer to hop on their right leg. • cannot filter out irrelevant sounds and stimuli, easily distracted, talk loudly to drown out background noise. • poor eye contact

14. Problems arising without adequate FMS and PMP training • poor visual memory • poor auditory memory (one instruction at a time) • Reversals with letters and numbers • Children with poor concentration and learning ability leads to poor comprehension e.g can read well but demonstrates little comprehension. • Children who demonstrate poor time concepts e.g unaware of lunch time and dinner time, yesterday and tomorrow. • Children who display midline problems. Children who have not integrated both sides of their body e.g may be ambidextrous, writing hand may change, when writing across one side of the page then moves the paper so they do not cross the midline. • ANSUA. (1991). Movement for learning. Motor sensory therapy. Victoria:

15. Context “Before he can learn that “p” is down and “b” is up, he must learn when he is down and when he is up. Directionality must become a part of the body scheme before any child can have a real appreciation of the directionality of letters, numbers and words.” (Capon, 1975)

16. Percentage of children developmentally vulnerable (5 domains) Is the better than average scores in the State, National and Whittlesea region scores in Physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communication skills and general knowledge linked to The Lakes dedicating extra time and commitment to the wellbeing of students through the Health and Physical Education Domains?

17. Whittlesea Community continued… These results indicate a higher rate of exposure to lifestyle and health concerns in the area. They highlight the importance of teaching these topics, given the demographic state of the City of Whittlesea. These fall under the HPE domain.

18. Solutions • ''The way to do it is to have a specialist PE teacher, accessible to the generalist primary school teachers, to continually motivate them and professionally develop them… that's a real workable option.'‘ • Dr. Telford (Sports Scientist at the Australian Institute of Sport and now an elite running coach and adjunct associate professor at the Australian National University medical school.

19. Solutions • Offer individual classes for at risk children eg. “PMP Squad” a specialised class for children to enhance their gross and fine motor skills, tracking skills, and other areas found lacking. • Particular focus to address issues surrounding students with poor spatial awareness, poor visual perception, inability to filter out irrelevant sounds and stimuli, easily distracted, poor eye contact, poor visual memory, poor auditory memory (one instruction at a time) and students who reverse letters and numbers

20. Solutions • Expanding elective options to cover target HPE domains as well as integrating other curriculums. • “kill two birds with one stone!” • Inquiry/PATHS units to be taught by specialist PE staff. • e.g. Term 1 Inquiry (Prep – Looking after myself)

21. Did you know? What needs to be covered in the teaching of Health and PE? Do you know how many other domains and areas we cover by using integrated learning? Science Forces affect the behaviour of objects; and that energy can be transferred and transformed from one form to another. Physical Education can highlight the understanding of how an object’s motion (direction, speed and acceleration) is influenced by a range of contact and non-contact forces. Inquiry skills Questioning and predicting: e.g. How high can a variety of sport balls bounce, how does this effect how we use them in sport. Planning and conducting: e.g. use a variety of balls and measure the height/number of their bounces. Processing and analysing data and information: e.g. represent patterns in eating habits of children within the school, represent and measure different fitness levels of students in your class. Evaluating and communicating: conveying the message and evaluating the significance of eating habits.

22. Did you know? What needs to be covered in the teaching of Health and PE? Do you know how many other domains and areas we cover by using integrated learning? Maths Measurements, probability and statistics surrounding sporting events, nutritional information, world records, counting, scoring etc. Humanities Codes, laws and ethics within society and then within sport context. History History through sport, changes in equipment, evolution of technology in sport Interpersonal Development Social relationships within community and school, cooperatively working within teams

23. Areas currently covered by other domains that is under the PE curriculum • PATHS • Prep Health (nutrition) • Interpersonal development *these programs are reported on by PE staff but is taught in other areas.

24. Summary • If PE time is cut, how will you as a teacher ensure that the gains we have made are not lost? • Given the suggestion of one 75 minute class per week (EY), how will the additional 75 minutes of HPE be delivered in line with the DEECD mandate?