Fundamental Movement Skills Instruction

Catalog description

Instruction for performing and delivering developmentally appropriate psychomotor skills, movement patterns, and content to preschool and elementary school-aged children. The course is designed for students interested in understanding how to instruct movement concepts, skill themes, and fundamental movement skills to preschool and elementary school aged-children. An understanding of developmentally appropriate skills and physical activities and an understanding of how to effectively instruct fundamental movement skills to this population of children make-up the foundations of the course. Students will apply content knowledge to instructing, coaching, and executing movement concepts, skill themes, and fundamental movement skills. Students will be able to identify and organize appropriate skills and activities based on the developmental level of preschool and elementary students. Students develop knowledge and skill in designing and implementing movement and rhythmical activities for preschool and elementary students. Emphasis is placed on the ability to analyze and instruct the associated movement skills. A primary focus of the course is to create interesting challenges that motivate children to continue to practice tasks and engage in regular physical activity. The first half of the course will provide an introduction to developmentally appropriate fundamental movement skills, physical activity participation rates of children, and special considerations when instructing and coaching. Students will examine how the developmental level of the child relates to their level of skill proficiency and the importance of children learning correct skill execution in order to enjoy participation in regular physical activity. The second half of the course will focus on each specific fundamental motor skill. Students will learn the correct form of execution, common errors of execution, verbal cues associated with correct execution, and application of the fundamental motor skill to a developmentally appropriate activity. In this portion of the course, students will have the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills learned in this course by engaging in peer-to-peer instruction sessions.