National Meeting

1. National Meeting Gary Lynch

2. Background • My Journey • Personal Insights • Reflective Practitioner • Condensed

3. Presentation • Early Childhood Education • Happyfeet and ECE • Research and Trends • Workshop • Questions

4. Early Childhood Education • 0-8 years of age • HappyFeet (2-6) • Productive Citizens • Learner Centered • Accommodate and Respect Diversity • Personally Meaningful • Holistic Development

5. Diversity (HappyFeet) • Happyfeet is Inclusive • Soccer and Non-Soccer (Interests) • “Best of Both Worlds” • Develop at own Pace (Abilities) • Variety of Senses (Learning Styles) • Flexibility (Background/Culture)

6. Ten Thousand Things • Hanson, R. & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddha’s Brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness, love & wisdom. New Harbinger Publications CA • “The Ten Thousand Things” • Pick a situation in which you feel someone has wronged you. Be mindful of your reactions towards this person, especially the deeper ones. Scan yourself for any ill will. • Now reflect on some of the various causes – the ten thousand things – that have led this person to act in the way they have. • Consider biological factors affecting him, like pain, age, innate temperament or intelligence. • Consider the realities of his life: race, gender, class, job, responsibilities and daily stresses. • Consider whatever you know about his childhood (or what he could have been through as a child). Consider major events in his life as an adult.

7. Continued…. • Consider his mental processes, personality, values, fears, hot buttons, hopes and dreams. • Consider his parents in light of whatever you know or can reasonably guess about them: consider, too, the factors that have shaped their lives. • Reflect on this historical events and other upstream forces that have formed the river of causes flowing through his life today. • Look inside again. Do you feel any differently now about him? Do you feel any differently about yourself?

8. Personally Meaningful (HappyFeet) • Interest/Experience = Motivated Learners • Piaget and Constructivism • New Learning Based on Previous Experience • Schema • Individualization • Let Children Contribute to Class • Race Cars/Animals

9. Movement and Learning (ECE) • Child’s Preferred Method • Physically Experience Concepts • Whole Child • Coach Jamie (Literacy) • Pick the Villagers Apples (Math) • Right and Left Brain (‘Right on’ Vs. ‘AOL’) • Crossing the Midline • The Step Over Improves Reading and Writing!

10. Physical Activity Break

11. The Cognitive Domain • “There is substantial evidence that physical activity can help improve academic achievement” (CDC, 2010) • School Based Physical Education • Recess • Classroom-based physical activity - “Short physical activity breaks (5-20 minutes) or ways to introduce physical activity into learning activities”

12. Continued… • Extracurricular physical activity (enrichment) • Academic achievement (grades, test scores) • Academic behavior (on-task behavior, attendance) • Cognitive Skills (aptitude, memory, attention) • Academic attitudes (motivation, mood) • “All of forms of Physical Activity demonstrated multiple positive associations with academic performance” (CDC, 2010) • Neural Connections • Window of Opportunity (0-5)

13. Physical Activity Guidelines for Preschool Children • Guideline 1 • Preschoolers should accumulate at least 60 minutes of structured physical activity each day(NASPE, 2012) • Guideline 2 • Preschoolers should engage in at least 60 minutes -- and up to several hours -- of unstructured physical activity each day, and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time, except when sleeping (NASPE, 2012) • Toddlers (30/60)

14. Young Children Nowhere Close • “Children failed to meet current recommendations for physical activity” (Story, Kaphingst & French, 2006) • “Children engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during less than 3% of the observation intervals” (Pate, O’Neil & Mitchell, 2010) • Happyfeet and MVPA • Elementary Schools • Russell Pate – National Physical Activity Plan

15. Childhood Obesity • In the United States, childhood obesity affects approximately 12.5 million children and teens (17% of that population) (CDC, 2011) • “Over the past four decades, obesity rates among preschool children ages 2 to 5 have nearly quintupled, from 4 to 19 percent (NPLAN, 2010) • “The future American lifespan could potentially be reduced by five years, roughly equivalent to all cancers combined, as a result of the childhood obesity epidemic” (Ludwig & Rostler, 2007)

16. Other Research • Alaska, Delaware, and Massachusetts require minutes of Physical Activity in Pre School (NCCP, 2012) • Whole School Sell • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Good Habits and FUN!

17. HappyFeet and Life Skills • Sports and Education • Dangers of investing in academics at the expense of physical activity • British Medical Journal in mid 1800’s • Children and teens are “adept in all the ologies” but do not have the “good sense that springs from sound health” • Physical Education, The British Medical Journal, 1 (57): 91-92, 1858

18. Workshops • Preschool teachers and 15 Hours • Child Growth and Development, Professional Development, Curriculum, Program Administration, Health and Safety, Nutrition, Child Guidance, Special Needs • 2.5 Hours • http://www.registryalliance.org/about-the-alliance/registry-map • http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_ID=SCL • Become a certified trainer • Vehicle to market HappyFeet

19. Training and Options • Submit a Proposal • You as the Trainer • Compensation • Parent Workshops • My Workshop • gary@upstatehappyfeet.com

20. Benefits • Incentive for New Schools (Sales) • Exposure to New Schools (DSS/Lifelong Learning etc.) • Solidify Relationship with Current Schools • Teacher Understanding • Become a Part of ECE Community

21. Physical Activity and FUN • Purpose of ECE • Importance of Health • Physical Activity • Positive Association • Good Habits (Daily/Weekly) • Age Appropriate Games • HappyFeet

22. Games • 75% of Workshop • Modified Happyfeet Activities • Fun! • Adaptable • MVPA • Gross Motor Skills • Authentic Assessment (Objectives) • Holistic development • Themes

23. Examples (Objectives) • Traffic Lights • 2 Year Old – “Easily moves from standing to running” (Physical) • Stuck in the Mud • 3 Year Old – “Shows concern for feelings of others” (Social/Emotional) • Superhero Soccer • 4 Year Old – “Demonstrates growing ability to predict possible outcomes based on prior experiences and knowledge” (Cognitive) (Scaffolding)

24. Examples (Diversity/Personally Meaningful) • Traffic Lights – Children Pick Colors and Actions • Stuck in the Mud – Give Invisible Powers • Superhero Soccer – Children Pick Superheroes

25. Garbage Game • Incorporating physical activity into the early childhood classroom • Holistic Assessment • Duration (20 minutes) • Space – Gym or classroom • Outline • “Trashtastic” or “Go get the Garbage” • “OK Friends, we are now going to play an awesome game called “Go get the Garbage”. You have to collect all the trash so we can keep our room clean! • Teacher throws out trash (cones, pieces of paper etc. – can be anything), kids have to pick up and give back to teacher • Communication (listening/following directions), Gross motor skills (stopping/starting, avoiding collisions with other classmates etc.), Moderate/vigorous physical activity • Extension – Teacher throws out fewer pieces of trash than there are children • Social/Emotional (sharing, dealing with adversity), discussing feelings (“How will Johnny feel if he did not get a chance to help clean the room?”)

26. Continued.. • Extension - Teacher specifies child must pick up one piece of trash at a time and return to teacher • Advanced communication, Problem solving • Multiple directions are given (e.g. “Pick up one piece of trash, drop the trash in the basket, and run back to the teacher) • Advanced Communication, Movement (changing direction, spatial awareness) • Fun – Let children put pieces of trash on their heads and do the “Trash Dance” (stand on one leg and sing) • Gross Motor (can child stand on one foot for 5 seconds without losing balance?) • Notes – Let children make their own trash (different colored paper, food wrappers from home etc.) to make activities personally meaningful • “Now friends, we have to move all the trash into the garbage truck so the trash monster doesn’t come and get us! • Teacher gives each child a piece of trash and tells them to run and place the trash in the garbage truck/area. Repeat multiple times depending on number of trash items, children etc. • OR • Teacher puts all pieces of trash at one end of the room. Children have to pick up one piece of trash at a time and leave in garbage truck before going to get another • Vigorous physical activity

27. Continued.. • Extension – Teacher specifies children have to get 5 pieces of trash at a time and count them before putting in garbage truck/area • Problem Solving • Extension – Teacher asks children to name 5 different colors of trash they have collected • Problem Solving • Extension – Teacher pretends to be garbage monster and to steal the trash when kids are putting in the garbage truck • Movement/Gross motor skills, FUN! • Notes – Teacher asks each child 3 things they may find in trash (avoid waiting time by letting children drive race cars/garbage trucks etc. after they have given answer) • Advanced Communication • “OK Friends, now we are going to play an awesome game called “trash tag”! The garbage monster is going to try and freeze everyone in the garbage truck so they cannot take any more trash! • Teacher is the garbage monster and has to tag all the trash cleaners (children). If a trash cleaner is tagged they are frozen and another friend has to unfreeze by giving a high five • OR • Teacher nominates a garbage monster/s to freeze the trash cleaners • Advanced Listening/Communication, Cooperation, Helping others, Advanced movement, Dealing with Emotions (reaction when tagged)

28. Continued… • Extension – Give the trash cleaners pieces of trash. If they are tagged by a garbage monster they have to give the trash back to the garbage monster (and garbage monster puts back in his/her area). See how many pieces of trash garbage monster/s can collect. • Advanced dealing with emotions • Extension – Divide half of the class into garbage monsters and half into trash cleaners. See how many trash cleaners are frozen after 45 seconds/1 minute. Emphasize the importance of trash cleaners helping their friends if they are frozen. Switch roles. • Teamwork, Advanced awareness • Other Notes • Extend in gym – more viogorous movement, smaller space more agility, coordination, gross motor control, flexibility • Assessment (all domains) • Active and Non-active teachers • Traits of teacher • Space and Safety • Respecting and accommodating diversity – let children that aren’t as enthusiastic help organize the trash (fine motor skills)

29. Physical Education Objectives • Enjoyment • Healthy Habits • MVPA • Improve Gross Motor Skills (Repetition) • Spatial Awareness • Body Part Identification • Confidence (Success, Success, Success!) • Enhance Free Play

30. HappyFeet and PLAY • PLAY is the word… • PLAY with a soccer ball

31. Proceed with Caution: Issues with training preschool teachers • Listening skills • Motivation for teachers • Walk during recess • “Someone who has been sedentary but who gets up and walks around the room may increase their heart rate into a zone that counts as vigorous” (NPR, 2010) • Make a difference • “There are two lasting bequests we can give our children – one is roots; the other is wings (Hodding Carter)

32. Connections • Research • Benefits of Physical Activity (Health and Learning) • Learner Centered and Individualization • Diversity and Personally Meaningful • PLAY/Semi-Structured • Developmentally Appropriate

33. References • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010). The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Retrieved March 03, 2012 from http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/TWelch/files/Summary%20of%20physical%20movement%20and%20academics1.pdf • Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Overweight and obesity: Contributing factors. Retrieved March 3, 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/contributing_factors.html

34. References • Hanson, R. & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddha’s Brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness, love & wisdom. New Harbinger Publications CA • Ludwig, D. & Rostler, S. (2007). Ending the food fight. Houghton Mifflin: Boston • NASPE (2012). Active Start: A Statement of Physical Activity Guidelines for Children From Birth to Age 5, 2nd Edition. Retrieved February 12th, 2012 from http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/nationalGuidelines/ActiveStart.cfm

35. References • NCCP (National Center for Children in Poverty). (2012). Comprehensive Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood. Retrieved July 8th, 2012 from http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_1058.pdf • NPLAN (National Policy & Legal Analysis Network To Prevent Childhood Obesity). (2010). Model Physical Activity Standards for Childcare Providers. Retrieved March 5th, 2012 from http://www.nplanonline.org/system/files/ChildCarePAStandrds_FINAL_100315.pdf

36. References • NPR. (2010). Stand up, walk around, even just for 20 minutes. Retrieved June 18th, 2012 from http://www.npr.org/2012/05/09/152336802/stand-up-walk-around-even-just-for-20-minutes • Pate, Russell R.; O'Neill, Jennifer R.; Mitchell, Jonathan. (2010) .Measurement of Physical Activity in Preschool Children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p508-512, 5p • Physical Education, The British Medical Journal, 1 (57): 91-92, 1858

37. References • Story, M., Kaphingst, K. & French, S. (2006). The role of childcare setting in obesity prevention. The Future of Children 16 (1) Retrieved March 6th, 2012 from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=36&articleid=99&sectionid=625

38. The End • Questions