1. Skill Themes, Movement Concepts, and the National Standards
Chapter 3
Skill Themes, Movement Concepts, and the National Standards

2. Chapter 3 Key Points
Teachers employing the Skill Theme approach focus on helping children become skillful movers so that they can successfully participate in physical activities.
The primary goal is to develop competency in basic motor skills and confident to try and enjoy a variety of sports and physical activities

3. Skill Themes in Physical Education
Locomotor Skills
• Walking • Running
• Hopping • Skipping
• Galloping • Sliding
• Chasing, fleeing,
and dodging
Nonmanipulative Skills
• Turning • Twisting
• Rolling • Balancing
• Transferring weight • Jumping and landing
• Stretching • Curling
Manipulative Skills
• Throwing • Catching and collecting
• Kicking • Punting
• Dribbling • Volleying
• Striking with rackets • Striking with long-handed implements
and paddles

4. Chapter 3 Key Points Skill Themes
Fundamental movements that apply to many different sports and physical activities (how they are used depends on sport or physical activity)
Are the “verbs” or “action words”
Movement Concepts
The “ideas”or “modifiers” that enrich the range and effectiveness of a movement
Relate to the quality of the movement, describing how the skill is to be performed
Are the “adverbs” which modify the “verb”

5. Skill Themes Used in Sports

6. Movement Concepts in Physical Education
Space Awareness (where the body moves) • Location • Directions • Levels • Pathways • Extensions
Effort (how the body moves)  • Time • Force • Flow
Relationships (with whom, or what the body moves)  • Of body parts • With objects and/or people • With people

7. Movement Analysis Framework: The Wheel

8. Chapter 3 Key Points
The “Wheel” shows how the Skill Themes and Movement Concepts can work together and are interrelated
Early elementary focus should be on addressing movement concepts while practicing skill themes
Later elementary years focus should be on the learning and quality of the skill themes themselves

9. Chapter 3 Key Points Progression Spiral graphically represents:
How content progresses from easiest to hardest, less to more complex
Progression from pre-control to proficiency level
How people may vary in their level of performance on a specific skill theme according to the context of the task.

10. Progression Spiral PUNTING Proficiency Level Playing Punt‑Over
Punting while traveling
Receiving and punting against opponents
Utilization Level
Playing rush the circle
Punting within a limited time
Receiving a pass, then punting
Punting to a partner
Punting at angles
Control Level
Punting for height
Punting for accuracy
Using punting zones
Punting for distance
Punting different types of balls
Punting with an approach
Punting over low ropes
Punting for consistency
Precontrol Level
Dropping and punting Dropping, bouncing, and kicking lightweight balls

11. Chapter 3 Key Points
Children Moving attempts to show how NASPE Standards fits into a “Skill-Theme” approach. Provides:
Sample benchmarks from NASPE standards to help teachers develop content to meet sample benchmarks
Assessment examples to help teachers determine pupil progress
National Standards document is not a national curriculum. It is a guide to the important components of a physical education program that will help teachers’ “guide children in the process of becoming physically active for lifetime”

12. The Seven content Standards for Physical Education from the National Standards for Physical Education
A Physically Educated Person:
Demonstrates competency in many movement forms and proficiency in few movement forms
Applies movement concepts and principles to the learning and development of motor skills
Exhibits a physically active lifestyle
Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
Demonstrates understanding and respect for differences among people in physical activity settings
Understands that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyments, challenge, self-expression and social interaction