Most studies focusing on the relationship between physical activity and obesity have been conducted in middle class Caucasian adults and children and few such studies are available concerning minority children in physical activity settings (Johnson, Kulinna, Tudor-Locke, Darst, & Pangrazi, 2007; Rowlands et al., 1999; Tudor-Locke, Lee, Morgan,…

Physical educators often struggle to teach individual striking skills to upper level (3-5 grade) elementary students. Finding a developmentally appropriate striking activity with a high participation rate can be a challenge. And sports such as tennis, pickleball, and badminton are often not an option for a variety of reasons (e.g., space or…

Students who are identified as underachieving receive additional academic support through a mechanism called response to intervention (RtI). This model takes a systematic and proactive approach to addressing learning disparities among children. If screening indicates that a child is not meeting grade level expectations, more intensive support is…

NASPE recommends children ages 5-12 accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day of the week. With the growing occurrence of obesity in the United States, it is clear that too many of America's youth are not meeting the recommended amount of daily physical activity. Given that America's youth are having…

A newsletter can be an effective component of a comprehensive plan for sharing information. A newsletter, in contrast to progress reports, surveys, open houses, or conferences, is a regular opportunity that allows for consistent sharing of information about the program. In this article, the authors discuss how to plan and produce newsletters and…

Motivating students to achieve learning goals in physical education is a challenge for physical education teachers. Dance, in particular, has long been considered an instructional unit in which it is difficult to motivate students. This article presents a practicing physical education teacher's reflection of her successful curricular reform and…

Approximately 100 years ago, Clark Hetherington articulated the primary aims of physical education by identifying four separate areas: (1) psychomotor, which refers to motor skills; (2) organic, the fitness factor; (3) intellectual, or the cognitive component; and (4) character which refers to the affective domain. These categories can be used to…

This article intends to inform physical education teachers about the current research describing the relationship between physical education performance outcomes as identified by the national physical education standards (i.e., regular participation in physical activity, physical fitness, motor competence; National Association of Physical…

Holidays present the perfect opportunity for physical educators to utilize creative TAG (Teaching Active Games) games to offer maximum physical activity opportunities for their students. The TAG ideas in this article offer physical education teachers quick, instant activities that involve very little equipment, time management, or instruction. At…

The National Standards for Physical Education (National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2004) and many state physical education standards include a standard that is focused on development of movement patterns, which includes rhythmic skills. The newly adopted Physical Education Model Content Standards for California Public Schools…