Sport of the Month: Gymnastics

MAvatar image for Mim + Telfer
Mim Telfer
Gymnastics in Primary School PE
25 March 2016

This month’s featured sport is gymnastics. I was never very good at gymnastics at school, and during teacher training, I dreaded the day I would have to teach it. However, one week and an excellent gymnastics training course later, I love to teach gym to children of all ages.

My lecturer was Barry Benn. He and his wife, Tansin, have written some of the most useful gymnastics teaching books I highly recommend checking them out.

So why, traditionally, has there been so much emphasis placed on gymnastics across the key stages?

Develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance

This heading has been taken directly from the national curriculum.  Consequently, it can be implied that these areas are important for a child’s general development and physical literacy.  Children need to be able to control their bodies in time and space, develop their natural flexibility and gain strength to apply to various sports and general life tasks.  Furthermore, children can acquire many of these aspects of fitness and skill through gymnastics.

Develop self-control

Gymnastics is primarily judged on its aesthetics and to achieve a beautiful performance there must be self-control.  Pupils must follow, copy and repeat gymnastics actions, work within the confines of small areas, often in collaboration with others.  These things help children develop self-control and apply it to produce a better performance.

Learning to be safe

As with all physical activity, gymnastics has an inherent element of risk.  For children to progress and learn they must be trusted to carry equipment, perform at different levels, roll, climb, hang, jump and take weight on their head and hands.

When teachers are confident enough to teach gymnastics correctly, it can be extremely safe. Teaching children how to reduce risk and keep themselves safe is an essential and transferable life skill. Find out more about managing risk in AfPE’s ‘Safe Practice in Physical Education and Sport’

Year 4 Gymnastics Unit 1 Lesson 4

Click here to download a free gymnastics lesson plan

What are your experiences of teaching gymnastics?  Please share them with us on Twitter @thepehub or on our Facebook page.

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