Another problem that occurs frequently in physical education is the inability to provide equitable learning experiences for less skilled children and youth. Evidence suggests that less skilled students typically get fewer opportunities to respond and have less success than do their more skilled peers.
When games are played, the less killed students sometimes get few real opportunities to take part in meaningful play.
It is also clear that peers value competence in physical activity and sport; that is, one way children and youth can achieve better status among their peers is to be perceived as physically competent.
Physical educators have the responsibility to provide equitable learning experiences for all children, regardless of skill level.
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Indeed, it is obvious that helping a less skilled student to improve in ways that are recognized by peers not only is important in the physical domain but also produces benefits in the social and emotional domains.
Less skilled students are often the most likely to become alienated from physical activity as a result of their negative experience in physical education. When this happens, the only fair way to describe it is physical mis-education.
Procedures for modifying activities to make them developmentally appropriate are available in our professional literature.
Physical educators must renew their commitments to helping less skilled students experience success and improve in ways that contribute to the development of life-span activity habits.