Definition

• Children have the opportunity to develop resourcefulness, self-confidence and courage.
• Important physical attributes emerge from a gymnastic program:
  • Develop body management skills
  • No need for apparatus or equipment
  • Flexibility
  • Agility
  • Balance
  • Strength
  • Body control
  • Partner and group activities offer social interaction and cooperation
  • Positive learning dependent on progression

Progression and placement

• Use progression to avoid injury and increase skill learning
• Progression is divided into developmental levels
• Emphasis on enjoyment
• Emphasis on exposure and overcoming fear
• Perfect technique is less important than developing positive approach behaviors

Examples:

• Developmental Level I -- Simple stunts with a gradual introduction to tumbling stunts.
  • Rolling log (page 475)
  • Forward roll (page 475)
• Developmental Level II -- Built on progressions developed in Developmental Level I.
  • Backward roll (488)
  • Frog handstand (489)
  • Cartwheel (491)
• Developmental Level III -- Built on progressions developed in Developmental Level II.
  • Headstand variations (page 505)
  • Cartwheel and round-off (page 505)

Instructional methodology

• Normal introductory and fitness activity provide sufficient warm-up
• Extra flexibility in wrists, ankles, neck
• Effective class management:
  • All children should be active
  • Perform across mats sideways
  • Consider station teaching

Formations for teaching

• Squad
  • Mats placed in a line
  • Squads lined up behind mats
• Semicircular
  • Students are positioned in a semi-circular arrangement
  • Directs attention toward the teacher
• U-shape
  • Mats placed in large U-shape
  • Offers excellent view for teacher and students
• Demonstration Mat
  • One mat in a central position
  • This mat is used exclusively for demonstrations

To enhance student learning, when presenting an activity used the folllowing format:

1. Significance of the name (descriptive)
2. Description of the activity:
   • Position
   • Execution
   • Finishing position
3. Demonstrations of the activity
   • Minimal demonstration
   • Step-by-step demonstration
   • Execution as stunt is normally done

Safety considerations

• Safety is foremost consideration
• Plan to avoid harmful situations
• Spotting -- Purpose is two-fold:
  • Safety and injury prevention
  • Guide performer through stunt
• Help support body weight
• Probably best to avoid activities that require spotting
• Do not force students to participate in inverted balance and tumbling activities

Instructional Procedures

• Use mats
• Partner work (about the same size)
• Respect individual differences
• Relate new activities to previous activities
• Use a standard counting system (one thousand one, one thousand two)
• When appropriate, have children work in pairs
• Shifting of mats should not be necessary during instruction

Developmental Level I Activities

• Consists primarily of imitative walks and movements and selected balance stunts and rolls.
• Examples (pages 469-485) included the following categories:
  1. Animal movements
  2. Tumbling and inverted balances
  3. Balance stunts
  4. Individual stunts
  5. Partner and group stunts

Developmental Level II Activities

• More emphasis is placed on form and quality than at Developmental Level I.
• Examples (pages 485-504) include the following categories:
  1. Animal walks
  2. Tumbling and inverted balances
  3. Balance stunts
  4. Partner support stunts

Developmental Level III Activities

• At this level children should be skillful at both the forward and backward rolls
• Examples (pages 504-520) include the following categories:
  1. Tumbling and inverted balances
  2. Balance stunts
  3. Individual stunts
  4. Partner and group stunts
  5. Developing gymnastic routines
  6. Partner supported routines