Understanding the Difference

IS IT PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY?

RESTON, VA, July 27, 2005 - Does your child participate in a physical education or physical activity program at your school? Hopefully, the answer is both. According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), with heightened attention on childhood obesity prevention efforts, there seems to be some confusion between the terms "physical education" and "physical activity." Often the words are used interchangeably but they differ in important ways. Understanding the difference between the two is critical to understanding why both contribute to the development of healthy, active children.

"Every child in the United States deserves both a quality physical education and physical activity program," says NASPE President Thomas J. Templin, Ph.D. of Purdue University. "Physical education must be considered a bona fide subject within the school curriculum that promotes physical activity and well-being throughout one's life."

School physical education, taught through a well-defined curriculum by highly qualified physical education teachers, offers the best opportunity to provide physical activity to all children and to teach them the skills and knowledge needed to establish and sustain an active lifestyle. Physical education teachers assess student knowledge, motor and social skills, and provide instruction in a safe, supportive environment. NASPE recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of instructional physical education for elementary school children, and 225 minutes for middle and high school students per week for the entire school year. Based on sequence of learning, physical education should not be compared to or confused with other physical activity experiences such as recess, intramurals, or recreational endeavors.

A quality physical education program must provide learning opportunities, appropriate instruction, meaningful and challenging content for all children, and have:

Opportunity to Learn:

· Instructional periods totaling 150 minutes per week (elementary) and 225 minutes per week (middle and high school)

· Qualified physical education teachers providing a developmentally appropriate program

· Teacher/student ratio in physical education no greater than 1:25 (elementary) and (1:30 middle/high) for optimal instruction (similar to other classroom settings)

· Adequate equipment and facilities for all students to be active at the same time

Appropriate Instruction:

· Full inclusion of all students

· Maximum participation and ample practice opportunities for class activities

· Well-designed lessons that facilitate student learning

· Out of school assignments that support learning and practice of learned skills

· Appropriate discipline and class management (physical activity should never be used as punishment)

· Use of regular assessment to monitor and reinforce student learning

Meaningful Content:

· Instruction in a variety of motor skills that are designed to enhance the physical, mental, and social/emotional development of every child

· Fitness education and assessment to help children understand, improve and/or maintain their physical well-being

· Development of cognitive concepts about motor skill and fitness

· Opportunities to improve emerging social and cooperative skills through physical activity and gain a multi-cultural perspective

· Promotion of recommended amounts of physical activity now and throughout life

Physical activity is bodily movement of any type and may include recreational, fitness and sport activities such as jumping rope, playing soccer, lifting weights, as well as daily activities such as walking to the store, taking the stairs or raking the leaves. Similar health benefits to those received during a physical education class are possible during physical activity bouts when the participant is active at an intensity that increases heart rate and produces heavier than normal breathing. NASPE recommends school-age children accumulate at least 60 minutes and up to several hours of physical activity per day while avoiding prolonged periods of inactivity.

Opportunities to accumulate physical activity during the school day include time spent in physical education class, classroom-based movement, recess, walking or biking to school, and recreational sport and play that occurs before, during, and after school. The benefits of regular physical activity include:

· Reduces the risk for overweight, diabetes and other chronic diseases

· Assists in improved academic performance

· Helps children feel better about themselves

· Reduces the risk for depression and the effects of stress

· Helps children prepare to be productive, healthy members of society and

· Improves overall quality of life.

This school year NASPE Executive Director Charlene Burgeson encourages everyone to visit a physical education class, the cornerstone of an active lifestyle for all students. "You will see children participating in developmentally appropriate activities that help increase their physical competence, self-esteem, and enjoyment of physical activity no matter what their physical abilities may be. We want every child to embrace physical activity!"

Information about the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) can be found on the Internet at www.naspeinfo.org. NASPE, which has been setting the standard for the profession for over 31 years, is the largest of the five national associations of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). A nonprofit membership organization of over 17,000 physical education and sport professionals, NASPE is the only national association dedicated to strengthening basic knowledge about sport and physical education among professionals and the general public. Putting that knowledge into action in schools and communities across the nation is critical to improved academic performance, social reform and the health of individuals. To assess whether your child is receiving a quality physical education program, visit http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/template.cfm?template=observePE/main.html for an observation assessment tool.

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