In Fitness for Children, one of America's best-known elementary fitness educators shares kid-tested strategies for turning children on to health and fitness.
Curt Hinson, veteran elementary physical education specialist and author of the popular Teaching Elementary Physical Education (TEPE) column "Tips From the Trenches," offers more than a collection of isolated games and activities. His innovative classroom methods help you lay the foundation for an effective fitness education program.
You'll find 45 activities and strategies as well as 80 exercises and 40 homework assignments that furnish a variety of practical ideas to keep students moving, thinking, and acquiring the skills needed for active living. All of the activities have been used successfully in a variety of physical education settings and enjoyed by children of all ability levels.
For each activity description, you'll find practical techniques to help you put the activity into practice for various grade levels, including
p making equipment,
p motivating students for each activity,
p presenting the activity,
p sharing safety hints, and
p assigning homework.
Each hands-on activity is designed to teach children about important health-related fitness components: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. You'll also find a brief survey of goals for teaching fitness, basic fitness and training methods as they apply to elementary-age children, and general teaching techniques.
Fitness for Children provides the tools you need to make fitness instruction an integral part of your physical education curriculum.
AUDIENCE
Guide for physical education teachers at the elementary level.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Preface
How to Use This Book
Part I: Getting Ready
Chapter 1. Children and Fitness
An Overview of Children's Fitness p The Goals of Teaching Children Fitness p Health-Related Fitness Components p The Basics of Fitness
Chapter 2. Strategies for Teaching Children Fitness
Class Organization p Children's Behavior and Self-Responsibility p Teaching for Inclusion p Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation
Chapter 3. Exercise Descriptions
Cardiorespiratory Endurance Exercises * Muscular Strength and Endurance Exercises * Flexibility Exercises
Part II: Fitness Activities
Chapter 4. Cardiorespiratory Endurance Activities
Aerobic Dance Circuit p Aerobic Task Card p Around the Block p Cardio Circuit p Circle Drills p Crazy Cones p Crazy Sprints p Distance Running and Walking p Flip-Flop p Four, Three, Two, One p Frizz-B Fren-Z p Grass Drills p Hurdles p In, Out, and Around p Interval Running p Jump and Jog p Line Leader p Map Reading and Run p Mirrors p Motion Pictures p Movin' to the Beat p Pennant Fever p Run-and-Touch Task Card p Shuttle Run p Slide, Hop, and Run Movement Course p Spot Jumping p Step Aerobics
Chapter 5. Muscular Strength and Endurance
Ball Exercises p Beat the Bell p Circuit Training p Color-Coded Exercises p Exercise Task Card p Fitness Bag p Fitnopoly p Group Secret Exercises p Individual Secret Exercises p Parachute Exercises p Partner Circuit Training p Resistance-Training Circuit
Chapter 6. Flexibility
Flexibility Circuit p Flexibility Photo * Flexibility Tag p Flexibility Task Card p Magic Box p Muscle Match p Secret Stretches p Stretch-N-Go
Appendix A: Making the Equipment You Need
Glossary
References
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Curt Hinson is a physical education specialist at Lancashire Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware. He received his MEd from Widener University in 1989.
Hinson uses his more than 10 years of experience in the classroom to write "Tips From
