BODY MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Body management skills are usually large muscle activities (jumping, climbing and balancing) required for
controlling the body in various situations. Body management skills integrate agility, coordination, strength,
balance, and flexibility. This chapter focuses on developing body management skills using large and small
apparatus.

Large apparatus activities enable students to learn body management skills while free of ground support
such as climbing ropes, benches, balance beams, and jumping boxes.

Small apparatus activities help develop body control in space and on the ground such as magic ropes,
individual mats, and gym scooters.

Safe and Effective Use of Apparatus

Many of the body management skills require large apparatus. Have the apparatus in place before a class
arrives, if possible. To ensure a safe environment, tell students they are not to use the equipment until the
teacher gives approval.

Here are some guidelines for using apparatus in the instructional setting.
 Students must carry, not drag, apparatus. Teach students how to lift and carry the apparatus. For
the pieces that require cooperation, designate the number of children and the means of carrying.
 Activity on apparatus occurs only when directed by teachers. Instruct children to stay away from
all apparatus in the area that has been positioned for later use.
 Instruction precedes activity on all apparatus. Improper use of apparatus can result in injury. Signs
emphasizing proper use can be placed on cones near individual pieces of equipment.
 Have students move slowly when working on apparatus. Many of the activities require balance
and agility. Instruct students to aim for controlled and sustained movements.
 Place apparatus on teaching surface. Apparatus such as jump boxes and balance beams should be
placed directly on the teaching surface. Placing them on mats or carpet squares decreases their
stability and increased their chances of moving or sliding.
 Instruction precedes activity on all apparatus. Improper use of apparatus can result in injury. Signs
emphasizing proper use can be placed on cones near individual pieces of equipment.
 Have students move slowly when working on apparatus. Many of the activities require balance
and agility. Instruct students to aim for controlled and sustained movements.
 Place apparatus on teaching surface. Apparatus such as jump boxes and balance beams should be
placed directly on the teaching surface. Placing them on mats or carpet squares decreases their
stability and increased their chances of moving or sliding.
GYMNASTICS-RELATED SKILLS
Gymnastics-related activities contribute significantly to children’s flexibility, agility, balance, strength, and
body control. This chapter is not about the sport of gymnastics and the traditional Olympic events. Rather,
these lead-up activities develop body management skills without the need for equipment and apparatus.
Students learn specialized motor skills such as body rolling, balance skills, inverted balances, and basic
tumbling skills. Various partner and group activities offer opportunities for social interaction and
cooperation. Finding success in gymnastics-related activities, developing a positive attitude, and
overcoming personal limitations are more important than skill technique.

Gymnastic-related activities are an important part of every child’s physical education experience, and they
can contribute significantly to physical education goals. The gymnastics program helps strengthen
children’s dedication and perseverance, for stunts are seldom mastered quickly. Because much of the work
is individual, students face challenges and have the opportunity to develop resourcefulness, self-
confidence, and courage. When children master a challenging stunt, satisfaction, pride in achievement, and
a sense of accomplishment can improve their self-esteem.

Students benefit from social interplay, cooperating in various partner and group stunts. A caring and
accepting environment will nurture the social attributes of tolerance, helpfulness, courtesy, and
appreciation for the ability of others. Important physical values also emerge from a gymnastics program.
Teachers offer body management opportunities for students to enhance coordination, flexibility, and
agility.

PROGRESSION AND DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL PLACEMENT

Progression is important in the gymnastics program. This book presents the activities in progression within
three developmental levels. To avoid safety problems, the order of these activities should be reasonably
maintained. Adhering to a developmental level is secondary to the principle of progression. If children have
little or no experience in these activities, start them on activities specified in a lower developmental level.

Activities in this chapter are in six basic groups:

1. animal movements (e.g. gorilla walk, crab walk)
2. tumbling and inverted balances
3. balance stunts
4. individual stunts
5. partner and group stunts
6. partner support activities

This arrangement allows teachers to pick activities from each group for a well-balanced lesson. Often, too
much time is spent on tumbling activities, and children become bored. Choosing activities from all the
categories will help children who do not like tumbling activities find something they enjoy. Perfect
technique is less important than developing positive approach behaviors. Here is the suggested
progression of basic activities for each developmental level.

The Developmental Level I program relies on simple stunts. Developmental Levels II and III, the activities
place higher demands on strength, control, form, agility, balance, and flexibility.

EFFECTIVE CLASS MANAGEMENT

Here are some guidelines for keeping children engaged during gymnastics-related activities.
1.Whenever possible, all children should be active and performing. Activities not requiring mats can be
done anywhere in the gymnasium.
2.If the number of mats is limited, students can perform sideways on them.
3.Consider station teaching if equipment is limited. Make plans that ensure the experience stresses
progress and diligence.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Safety is a foremost consideration in the gymnastic program. The inherent hazards of an activity must be
emphasized in the instructional procedures.

SPOTTING
The purpose of spotting is twofold. First and foremost is assisting the performer, helping support the body
weight, and preventing a hazardous fall. Second is guiding the performer through the stunt to help develop
proper body awareness.

BASIC GYMNASTIC POSITIONS

Teach your students to recognize and demonstrate the basic positions unique to gymnastics. At the
elementary level, children focus on learning the basic form of the activity rather than pure technique.

TUCK POSITION
Perform the tuck with the legs bent and the chin tucked to the chest. Cue students to “curl up like a ball.”

PIKE POSITION
Perform the pike by bending forward at the hips and keeping the legs straight.

STRADDLE POSITION
Perform the straddle position by bending forward at the hips and spreading the legs to the sides as far as
possible. Keep the legs straight.
COOPERATIVE SKILLS
Cooperative activities teach students to work together for their group's common good.

 Listening
 Discussing
 Thinking as a Group
 Group Decision Making
 sacrificing individual wants for the common good

THE ROLE OF COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES

Terms such as team building, cooperative learning, cooperative, and adventured education are used
interchangeably to describe a variety of activities. Each term has subtle differences, but when applied in
elementary physical education most of them focus primarily on teaching cooperation. This chapter uses
the term cooperative activities to describe such activities. Two primary objectives guide the teaching of
cooperative activities.

 First, cooperative activities allow students to apply a variety of fundamental motor skills in a unique
setting.
 Second, cooperative activities teach children personal and social skills necessary to function in daily
life.

TEACHING COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES

1. Set the stage. During this step, provide only the information needed to get the group going. This
information is best presented in the form of a descriptive and often imaginary story
2. Facilitate. After setting the stage, the teacher must step back and let the students work.
3. Debrief. This may be the most important step in effectively implementing cooperative activities.

GROUP CHALLENGES
Group challenges are designed to place students in a unique situation that requires some form of
cooperation. The activities and rules are created in such a way that students cannot complete the tasks
alone; they must cooperate. Many of these activities are most effective with small groups and can be
taught in one of three ways:
1. The entire class works on the same task or activity
2. Teach through stations, and provide one station per team
3. All groups work independently on the same task

Human Spelling Bee

FORMATION: Groups of 5 to 6 players
SUPPLIES: None
Challenge teams with spelling out words, letter by letter, with their bodies while lying on the floor. All team members
must be in the letter, and the team’s result must differentiate between the top and bottom of the letter.