Tips: Make Over Your Child's PE Program

By
ANNE PLESHETTE MURPHY and JENNIFER ALLEN
via
October 23, 2006, 9:09 AM ET
3 min read

Oct. 23, 2006 — -- Are you wondering whether your child's physical education program needs a makeover?

Talk to your child about PE, and if possible, visit a class to get a feel for the program.

If you see any of the following, consider taking action.

Kids being picked last for teams

Kids playing on competitive teams

Kids standing in line waiting for a turn

Kids playing overly competitive or aggressive games

Teachers using fitness as punishment, for example, "Drop and give me 20"

Teachers focusing on star athletes

Teachers grouping by gender

Several kids sharing one ball or piece of equipment

Dodge ball or any game that involves big people throwing balls at little people

First, talk to the PE teacher about your concerns. If that doesn't yield results, talk to the principal.

Ask to see the written curriculum based on national and/or state physical education content standards.

Get together with other parents to affect change.

Keep in Mind:

The PE teacher should have a degree in physical education and should ensure that students get at least the minimum amount of PE a week: Elementary students need 150 minutes, and middle and high school students should get 225 minutes a week.

Children should pick their own teams only in extracurricular competitive athletics, not in a PE class that's mandatory for all students.

The space where kids have PE should be safe, both physically and emotionally. Kids should have adequate room to run around and equipment that's safe, but they also need an emotionally positive environment, where the PE teacher or coach supports them and doesn't allow their peers to put them down. Bottom line: PE should be fun for everyone.

Not all schools can afford expensive upgrades, but a program like SPARK is worth the money. SPARK's curriculum is taught to as many teachers in a school as possible so that kids can do some of the program's techniques in the classroom.

The total cost depends on the size of the school and what equipment and other resources are already available, but averages between $5,000 and $10,000. To start, SPARK offers schools a free cost analysis.

For more information, or to get an analysis of your school's needs, visit sparkpe.org.

To calculate your or your child's body mass index or body fat percentage, visit NHLbisupport.com.