Quality Physical Education

Physical education schools play a critical role in increasing physical activity by offering quality, daily physical education and other opportunities to recreate. Physical education is the only program that provides students with opportunities to learn motor skills, develop fitness, and gain understanding about the importance of physical activity. Physical education teaches children the skills they need to be active through out their lifetime. Physical education can also enhance academic learning. Regular aerobic exercise produces an increased number of capillaries servicing the brain, which allows for a greater exchange of nutrients and waste products. Additionally, physical education incorporates concepts of math, reading/English language arts, and science into the physical education realm. Technology has integrated into the curriculum with heart rate monitors, pedometers, and computer-based fitness stations. Another way physical education helps academic learning by children receiving additional physical education show an acceleration of their psychomotor development, and this could provide a mechanism for accelerated learning of academic skills. “Other potential mechanisms include increased cerebral blood flow, greater arousal, changes in hormone levels, enhanced nutrient intake, changes in body build, and increased self esteem,” as mention in the Pediatric Exercise Science (Shepard, 1997, p. 113). In other words, exercise boost oxygen and glucose delivery to the brain, which can help, improve brain function. Physical Education plays a critical role in educating the whole student. Like other academic courses of study, physical education is upon rigorous national standards that define what students should know and be able to do because of participation. Physical education improves children’s relationships with children in their classroom. Children learn how to play as a team player. Physical education includes all children, which helps the

References: Shepard, Roy J. (1997). Pediatric Exercise Science: Curricular Physical Activity and Academic Performance