In a research study, fourth-grade, fifth-grade, and college females performed the Bachman Free-Standing Ladder-Balance task after watching four, eight, and twelve, or no videotaped demonstrations of the task. The videotape modeling seemed to affect form (or strategy) of their performances more than their final scores. (PP)

A four-part taxonomy was used to analyze first-, third-, and fifth-grade children's ability to throw and to anticipate the position of a target. The children's performances were assessed under conditions in which both the thrower and the target were stationary, both were moving, and one was moving and the other stationary. (Authors/PP)

If teachers of elementary physical education are to operate within the child-orientation of the elementary school, they must have a sound understanding of the development of elementary school-age children. A description is given of a teacher education program that prepares students to teach physical education and elementary education. (JN)

A study analyzed an elementary school physical educator's interactions with students, using the Academic Learning Time-Physical Education instrument. Data were collected to show differences in learning opportunities: (1) for girls and boys; (2) for high, medium, and low ability students; and (3) in different instructional units. (Author/PP)

To help give elementary school physical education students a greater appreciation of their own progress and to increase their motivation to achieve, a club-oriented incentive program was established. Students were tested in skills taught at each grade level and those meeting the requirements were awarded club membership certificates. (PP)

A physical education teacher has created a recordkeeping system which maintains a continuous record of each student's progress in fitness tests, basic motor skills, specific play skills, and interpersonal behavior. The system helps with student motivation, administration, decision making, and building parental support. (PP)

Elementary school physical education students plan and design their own games. Working in small groups, they write rules, measure playing areas, draw diagrams, and compile a game design book. Art, language arts, and mathematics teachers assist at various stages in the game design process. (PP)

Interactions between 10 elementary students with moderate/severe mental retardation and their peers and instructors were observed during physical education classes. Subjects generally interacted equally with peers with and without disabilities; when significant differences existed, the structure of the class was found to be the cause. Homogeneous…

Explored a teacher's perspective of the implementation of cooperative learning in elementary physical education and students' responses to the implementation into their physical education classes. Data from interviews, observations, field notes, and a teacher journal indicated that the teacher and students held similar perceptions of cooperative…

Discusses issues and challenges related to the assessment of K-12 students' cognitive and affective progress in physical education. The paper recommends that when assessing the cognitive domain, assessment should directly reflect what was taught and should be infused throughout the unit of instruction. It also recommends that should educators…

Agility ladders can be effective fitness tools for elementary and middle school physical education students. Agility ladder activities have students perform various locomotor movements over ladders placed flat on the ground. The paper describes how to conduct agility ladder activities, acquire an agility ladder, and adapt activities to specific…

This study assessed the validity of the Children's Physical Activity Form, an observational instrument which measures the intensity of children's physical activity, by comparing observer judgments of subjects' (N=40) activity intensity level with min-by-min heart rate values. Results document the validity of the instrument for observing physical…

The study compared the effectiveness of sensory integrative therapy with a parallel physical education program or a no-treatment condition with 55 5- to 10-year-old learning or perceptually motor disabled children. Results indicated no significant differences among groups except that reading progress of children already able to read was improved…

Learning to teach is difficult and depends upon the ability of teacher educators to help preservice teachers move from generality to real world specificity. The article describes a model of reflective thinking that was used in a field-based elementary physical education methods course. It discusses the structure of the model, conditions necessary…

Examined the extent to which fifth- and seventh-grade girls participated in physical activity and why, and identified their knowledge about its benefits. Found that girls participated primarily for fun; parents who participated in regular physical activity were more likely to have daughters who also participated. Nonparticipating girls had much…