According to De Groot, all young children naturally enjoy moving. “That is inherent in us as human beings.” His point is therefore: “We should not see movement as something you have to teach children.” De Groot would rather see it the other way around: “Try to connect with young children’s natural ‘urge to play.’ As schools and parents, we have often been too concerned in the recent past. Safety came first, and young children were often discouraged from climbing and jumping off things whenever they wanted. My view is: if we interfere less and guide young children in their natural urge to move, we will also need to provide less stimulation later on. This is something that scientific research supports as well: playing with risks is important for children’s healthy development.”

Does it work, Is it alive, and Does it flow

De Groot explains that in his lessons with young children, he focuses on: Does it work, Is it alive, and Does it flow.

‘Does it work’ concerns the specific skills that children need to learn as part of the curriculum, including basic motor skills such as climbing, rolling and going upside down. However, De Groot sees even more benefits to good physical education: it teaches young children all kinds of things on a personal level and helps them develop a joy of movement.

‘Is it alive’ is about teachers being aware that there are different types of children in a preschool class. “If you connect with what is meaningful to them, you bring them joy in movement.”

‘Does it flow’ concerns the organization of the lesson and the arrangement of the materials. De Groot: “Young children are intuitive and respond to all stimuli. They do not think: I want to do this exercise and this is how I should approach it. They think: hey, I see a climbing setup, I’m going to climb! You do not need to explain that.” He takes it a step further: “If I set up benches for balancing without giving instructions, the children get started on their own. But if I give them instructions—for example, telling them that they have to follow the order from easy to difficult—then problems arise.”

Collaboration with the classroom teacher

Physical education can also play an important role in developing social skills. The classroom teacher is important in this regard as well. De Groot: “The classroom teacher has much more insight into the social-emotional development of young children than specialist physical education teachers do. In practice, I see that the classroom teacher often provides a stable and safe foundation. Especially for children who have just started school or who lack stability at home.”

Collaboration and exchange between the specialist teacher and the classroom teacher are therefore indispensable. It also helps if the school has a shared vision of good physical education. De Groot: “Classroom teachers and specialist teachers look at children in different ways. We lack a shared frame of reference. That is why, at our school in Rotterdam, we work with the ‘nine criteria for a good lesson with young children.’ These criteria give us a shared framework for interpreting and discussing the development and needs of young children. We can then each place our own emphasis within it.”

The nine criteria are:

  • Urge to move
  • Feeling complete
  • Varied activities
  • Action and rest
  • Practice turns and repetition
  • Variety in play impulses
  • Room for relationships
  • Feeling autonomous
  • Structure and overview

The nine criteria help design physical education lessons based on the characteristics of young children and what they need. They also serve as a practical discussion document for better collaboration and coordination between the specialist teacher and the classroom teacher.

Read here the full article on Alles over sport.