Step by Step: A Complete Movement Education Curriculum

- Presents concepts and activities sequentially so that you can build the knowledge and confidence to implement a successful, rewarding movement education program
- Outlines three behavior management techniques that you can use to control the energy released by a good movement program
- Includes visual catalogs of movements so that you can see at a glance what tools you have to work with
- Contains more than 200 engaging, easy-to-understand drawings to help you visualize some of the more complex movements, floor patterns, and directional studies
- Brings together class management structures, movement concepts, and skill activities into 45 realistic, adaptable lesson plans
- Offers activities that teach and reinforce numerous academic skills in language arts, math, and English language development

Students benefit much more when you, the teacher, fully understand what you are teaching. That's why author and veteran teacher Sheila Kogan is so passionate about Step by Step: A Complete Movement Education Curriculum, Second Edition. In this indispensable guide, Kogan draws on her 30-plus years of experience to help elementary classroom teachers of all backgrounds and experience levels understand basic movement concepts so that they can create their own successful movement programs.

The material is presented sequentially, step by step, to help you integrate important concepts and build toward goals. With encouragement, warmth, and wit, Kogan explains the underlying principles at each step using practical terms, not theoretical jargon.

The first section of the book lays the groundwork, giving you a solid foundation in class management structures and basic movement concepts. It presents three behavior management techniques that you can use to control the energy released by a good movement program so that you can feel comfortable and keep children safe. Next, it presents the fundamental components that underlie all movement activities. You'll learn about locomotor and nonlocomotor movements, level changes, directions, and floor patterns.

These components create a basic movement vocabulary that you can use as a foundation to teach any movement skill, from dance and gymnastics to sports and games. To make your job even easier, the book includes visual catalogs of movements so that you can see at a glance what tools you have to work with. (The catalogs also provide an easy reference that you can return to when you begin putting the movements into practice.)

Next, the book builds on these basic concepts by introducing partner activities, obstacle courses and stations, props, miscellaneous tricks of the trade that fit specific needs, activities that reinforce classroom work, and advanced skills. These activities are not a random collection; rather, they grow out of the physical, cognitive, and social concepts already introduced.

The final section of the book weaves together the class management structures, movement concepts, and skill activities into a realistic, adaptable curriculum for each of the three grade ranges: preschool to first grade, second and third grades, and fourth to sixth grades. Each curriculum starts with an easy-to-use chart that lists the 15 lesson plans for that grade range, with a brief explanation of each of the plan's goals and how each fits into the curriculum as a whole. The plans contain enough basic information to help beginning movement educators conceptualize their programs; the plans also include enough advanced information to help experienced movement educators take their programs to the next level.

In each lesson plan, you'll find the following:

- Teacher-to-teacher tips that give realistic insights into handling potential situations
- Student objectives that clarify what your students will accomplish
- A list of materials you will need
- Teaching instructions that clearly explain the exact progression of the lesson
- Adaptations that you can use to make the lesson easier or more difficult or to promote English language development via visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modes
- Assessment suggestions that you can use with individual children or the class as a whole

Although the book will be most valuable if you follow it sequentially, many of the activities can stand alone. Step by Step: A Complete Movement Education Curriculum, Second Edition, includes many teacher-friendly features:

- An activity finder helps you select the activities that address particular skills or goals. It tells you where in the book each activity is first introduced, and it lists the lesson plans that contain each activity so that you can quickly find the essential details to put an activity to use.
- Sidebars identify specific safety and troubleshooting tips with easily recognizable icons.
- Real-life anecdotes show how others have dealt with situations you may face.
- More than 200 engaging, easy-to-understand drawings help you visualize some of the more complex movements, floor patterns, and directional studies.

No matter what your background or experience level is, you'll find the curriculum useful and extremely adaptable. Discover the joy and power that come from moving as you begin Step by Step: A Complete Movement Education Curriculum, Second Edition.