Physically Active Learning in the Early Years
The foundations of our physical activity behaviours start in the earliest of years.
Physical activity helps young children meet key physical development milestones, improve body control and strengthen bones and muscles.
And it’s not just physical development, there’s a growing body of research linking physical activity to cognition and future academic performance.
Time, cost, and access are all barriers to children’s physical activity outside of a learning environment.
And so, it is crucial that children have an abundance of opportunity to be physically active within the learning environment.
Physically active learning not only boosts activity levels and reduces sedentary time, it’s also proven to facilitate learning and understanding.
Free mini-course:
Unit 1: Introduction and Course aims
Unit 2: Movement Matters
Meet course leader Helen Battelley, early childhood physical activity, movement play and PE specialist.
You’ll be taken through the course outcomes and aims, and what you need to complete this course.
Moving on to unit 2, you’ll dive into why moving matters. You’ll look at why the Early Years is so important and why a moving child is a learning child. You’ll think about what constitutes a healthy childhood and learn about containerisation.
You’ll consider statutory and non-statutory guidance, looking at the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, the Early Inspection Framework and the Reading Framework. You’ll consider what impediments are impacting on early childhood physical inactivity and obesity.
Taking the full course:
• Develop an understanding of how best to support children physically in nursery/reception and foundation stage/phase and continuous provision into KS1
• Gain a depth of understanding to create inspiring physical learning opportunities within a range of contexts
• Learn how to support children within a range of subject areas using a movement philosophy
• Develop skills to adapt an environment to best support physical learning and movement play
• Gain an understanding of brain/body connectivity
• Obtain the tools to create lesson plans that elicit excellent responses from learners
• Develop a wider understanding of the physical and social challenges facing the Early Years and KS1 (under 7’s) sector.
• Gain confidence in the areas of movement play and physical activity
• Develop an understanding of the principles of Early Childhood Physical Development
Module 1: Start from the beginning
Unit 1: Introduction/course aims
Unit 2: Movement Matters
Unit 3: What does physically active learning look like?
In Module 1, you’ll meet course leader Helen Battelley who will take you through the course outcomes and aims, and what you need to complete this course.
You’ll look at why the Early Years are so important and why a moving child is a learning child. You’ll think about what constitutes a healthy childhood and learn about containerisation. You’ll consider statutory and non-statutory guidance, looking at the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, the Early Inspection Framework and the Reading Framework. You’ll consider what impediments are impacting on early childhood physical inactivity and obesity.
You’ll explore what physically active learning looks like in the Early Years. Using the provocations, you’ll examine your own perceptions. You’ll learn about sustainability, salutogenisis, early influences, movement theories, outdoor and indoor play, whether learning has changed, and stages of development.
Module 2: Movement is our first language
Unit 4: Physical Development, Physical Activity, Physical Education and Physical Literacy, what is the difference?
Unit 5: Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Unit 6: Teaching strategies to improve engagement
Unit 7: Midline development and Somatic learning approaches
Unit 8: Hand dominance, laterality and writing implications
In Module 2, you’ll start by exploring the difference between physical activity (PA), physical literacy (PL), physical development (PD) and physical education (PE), and understand the importance of physical play. You’ll consider how relevant PD, PA, PE and PL are to your practice, and whether they all encompass physical play. You’ll learn how best to support inclusive practice in Early Years physical activity.
You’ll then move on to exploring developmentally appropriate practice and look at teaching strategies to improve engagement.
You’ll explore midline development and Somatic learning approaches, and finish the module by thinking about hand dominance, laterality and writing implications.
Module 3: Areas of learning and development
Unit 9: Using innovative approaches to teach
Unit 10: The power of music
Unit 11: Exploring the 8 senses
Unit 12: Physical well-being
Unit 13: The best way forward – a canopy movement experience
Unit 14: Planning, preparation and delivery
In this final module, you’ll delve into areas of learning and development. You’ll look at different examples of innovative teaching approaches, discover the power of music, and explore the eight senses.
You’ll learn about educators’, children’s physical well-being, as well as what healthy and unhealthy childhoods include.
You’ll learn why children need to be exposed to a canopy movement experience and what this looks like.
For the final unit in this module and course, you’ll dive into planning, preparation and delivery.
Early Years Courses Bundle Special Offer
The Helen Battelley courses: Physically Active Learning in the Early Years (this course) and the Inspiring Early Years PE, Physical Activity and Physical Development course normally cost £590 when purchased separately!
