Movement is the basis for everything we do in our daily lives. We start to learn to control our movements in the womb and by seven years of age we have in place our primary gross movement repertoire. We can walk, run, hop, skip, jump and catch. We then go onto refine and increase in complexity depending on what we choose and practice to do.
P.E. at school
A large number of skills are needed to successfully engage in P.E at school. As P.E. activities become harder the skills required will involve increasingly complex combinations. For example football at any one time could involve travelling at speed, anticipating the projected trajectory of the ball in time and through space, receiving and controlling the ball and kicking (while possibly still moving) the ball based on the position of another (also possibly moving) player.
Movement planning
This is efficient and effective execution of our actions and is based upon our learning and experiences. We select appropriate ways of acting without thinking it about it until we have to learn something new and difficult such as a musical instrument or drive a car. Once mastered, these activities can be carried out without thinking about it.
Balance
Balance is central to all our movements, it is the ability to make adjustments to posture to ensure we stay upright as our body, or parts of our body, change position in space.
Ball skills
Ball skills are extremely complex skills to develop. Almost all of our senses are involved in ball skills, which is why it is such an area of difficulty for many children.
Postural control exercises
The aim of these activities is to improve postural control. This will help a child achieve a stable base of support that is needed to facilitate balance and hand function. The following activities are recommended to facilitate improvements in flexion/extension of the body against gravity and pelvic/shoulder control.