Promoting Physical Activity throughout the Curriculum: Keeping My Children Moving !!!

I am a special needs teacher at a Pre-K – 8th grade low income school. Over the years I have seen the effects of a limited amount of physical activity on students. For children, physical activity and movement enhances fitness, fosters growth and development, and helps teach them about their world. As a teacher of young children, I know that most children are innately physically active. They learn as they move throughout their environment. In observing a group of young children at recess, we will most likely see them running, jumping, throwing, and kicking in this unstructured environment. It is what they do naturally…they enjoy active play! So why should we be concerned with "promoting" physical activity in children? Here's why. Children today find themselves more often in "sedentary alternatives." For example, children ride in a car or bus to school, have less physical education, watch more television, play more sedentary games such as computer games, and do not have as much freedom to play outside on their own. Consequently, there is mounting evidence that even our young children are becoming less physically active and more overweight and obese. Physical inactivity has contributed to the 100% increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is major concern . Besides reducing the risks associated with childhood obesity, physical activity is important for other reasons. Regular physical activity helps children build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints; builds lean muscle and reduce fat; prevents or delays the development of high blood pressure; reduces feelings of depression and anxiety; and may, through its effect on mental health, increase students' capacity for learning. With these facts in mind, it is imperative that we, as teachers, help reduce the amount of physical inactivity, by increasing the amount of physical activity opportunities that children have during the school day. Being physically active not only provides important health benefits, but also provides children opportunities to learn through movement. I am in need of some materials to help me integrating physical activity throughout the curriculum. Children learn through movement. Music and movement are a natural aspect of a child's life. Children love to move and naturally become involve in activities which encourage movement. In addition to the health benefits of physical activity, movement is an integral part of the young child's life and education, for it is through movement that children develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills. For young children, movement is a critical means of communication, expression, and learning. It is imperative that in the classroom we give children as many opportunities as possible to be physically active and to learn through movement. As a teacher I have many opportunities to provide movement and physical activity within the regular classroom curriculum. Since children are interested in movement, these relationships may spark their interest as they work in math, language arts, science, social studies, health, and other subjects. I am writing this proposal in hopes to get some materials to provide these opportunities for my students. These materials will provide intergration of subject content across the curriculum. And provide the physical activities they need to enhance their education and well-being. Thank you for reading my proposal.