The Homeschooling Tools physical education/fitness training program is designed for children age 6-17. It is at age 6 that children can play longer and harder and can become involved in organized group or team play. The Homeschool Tools program is based on the core physical education and fitness principles of: strength conditioning, aerobic exercises, and games.
Observation is the most important factor in deciding how long your children should exercise. Watch for labored breathing, decreased coordination, and excessively flushed face. Younger children especially will play hard and "crash", they need rest and then can go again. Strength conditioning must be preceded by a warm-up and stretching. Even for the warm-up exercise (rope jumping, jogging, etc) must be observed and timed. As with any exercise program, consult your physician before starting.
We individualize the physical education activities for each student by allowing him to fill in his own Student Exercise Contract. The contract is based on a commitment to complete specific activities on a weekly basis. As a result, one student may use her ballet classes for some of her school days and running on the other days, while another student may set the same aerobic activity for conditioning every day. Still a third student may take an interest in track and fulfill his aerobic training by running daily. The contract is automatically renewed unless the student or teacher determines that the current contract requires modification. Teacher/parent must initial and informally monitor the contract. Click here for justification of why you should include physical education/fitness training in your school.
Click here for a description of recommended strength conditioning exercises. Strength conditioning has many benefits. It strengthens the muscles around the joints to provide protection from sprain and strain injuries in aerobic and game activities. Click here for a recommended selection of exercise repetitions based on age level. Click here for student's self-planning and records chart. Using this chart the student sets his goals for the number of repetitions for each exercise.
Each student must select the set of aerobic activities that is best for his program. Click here for a recommended aerobic activity table. This table should be used as a starting point for your home school. You should adjust the activity time/duration/interval based your observation of the student's energy exertion, interest level, and performance. Based on climate in your area, you may also adjust the time/duration/interval of an activity up or down accordingly.
Children should learn from an early age that stretching is required before and after timed/measured aerobic activity to insure that injuries are minimized. In addition, daily stretching helps the body to be more flexible eliminating muscle injuries during normal daily activities. Click here for a description of recommended stretching exercises and click here for the recommended stretching exercises relative to aerobic activities. Always begin with gentle stretches and begin fitness training at a comfortable level. If in doubt, check with your family physician before starting an exercise program. Always wear proper footwear.
Games are an important element in physical education programs. Games provide excellent aerobic training as well as build healthy family activity and memories of having fun together. Games are also motivational. We provide two excellent web sites here for you to select games that you can encourage your children to play. Use your own judgment as to the value to be assigned to each game based on duration and aerobic level. You should choose games that can be safely played in your family's environment/setting.
Physical Education Central This site provides a wide variety of health information and Physical Education/Fitness Training information.
University of Pittsburgh Physical Education Web Site This site provides activities/games as well as a list of Internet Links related to physical education.
Student physical education requires the same teacher supervision as other home school curriculum. For this reason, students require personal recognition of their accomplishments. A Physical Education Award is provided which can be signed/awarded monthly in a family setting. Be sure to identify an accomplishment that can be shared and discussed during or after the family gathering.
Additionally, the President's Challenge Physical Fitness Program (PCPFP) can be included in your family's program. A complete description of the President's Challenge is available free. To request your free copy, access the President's Challenge web site and select the "Homeschools" hyperlink. Select the "Information Packet" hyperlink and complete the form. (It is highly recommended that you request the free packet by mail vice downloading -- the packet is a 24 page color brochure.) You should print the President's Challenge for "Homeschools" page. While we have integrated the President's Challenge, student physical education and fitness training to promote healthy live styles is the most important objective. PCPFP public school award testing starts in the 4th grade (9 years old).
The PCPFP can be used, separate from the award program, to track your student's physical fitness progress. A Physical Fitness Tracking Chart is included with instructions. The student(s) chart can be placed on your homeschool bulletin board and/or keep in the student's notebook.
The Homeschool Tools Physical Education program exceeds the requirements set for the President's Challenge. The program design will sufficiently challenge your student(s) to achieve the proven relationships between physical fitness and academic performance.