Those who have studied effective elementary physical- education specialists have come away in awe of the manner in which they provide interesting, innovative, and developmentally appropriate experiences for a variety of children some more skilled than others, some more fit than others, some more interested than others.
In its continuing efforts to promote quality physical education for children, the Council on Physical Education for Children, an affiliate of NASPE, recently published its position statement on “Developmentally Appropriate Physical Education Practices for Children.”
COPEC has identified appropriate and inappropriate practices for twenty-six components in an elementary physical-education program. Some components, such as curriculum, cognitive development, and affective development, are broad and are intended to be general guidelines.
Other components, such as fitness as punishment, forming teams, and success rate, are quite specific. In each case, COPEC has provided a statement which identifies appropriate practice and a companion statement that appropriate practice and a companion statement that identifies inappropriate practice.
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School principals, parents, and policy makers can use the COPEC document as they evaluate and plan for elementary physical education. Teaching professionals also find the document beneficial as they attempt to continue to provide quality physical education for children.