The Importance of Physical Activity

1547 Words4 Pages

The teaching profession plays a fundamental role in educating children. Some of which include physical activity Teachers engage in many roles in student’s learning, some of which are more challenging and important than others and all which contribute to a child’s development. The process of childhood development is dynamic, recognised by various fields including the influential society, inherited characteristics through genetics, and the psychological behaviour of the child. These fields all play their own roles in directly affecting the process of child development. “A child’s developmental journey is guided by three factors which include nature, nurture and the child’s own activity” McDevitt & Ormrod (2010, p. 4). Physical, cognitive and social-emotional development, also inter-relate to the overall developmental process of a child, adding that children in middle childhood (6-10 years), must be introduced to the importance of physical development. Understanding appropriate developmental physical activity during middle childhood begins with examining the tasks and challenges of this age group. “Physical activity is a broad term meaning any physical movement that uses up energy” (What Is Physical Activity,” 2009). An exceptionally central challenge relating directly to middle childhood is the focus of physical activity in relation to childhood obesity and the lack of physical activity by children in middle childhood. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009), around 17% of Australian children are either overweight or obese. It is for this reason alone, that solutions to this problem need to be discovered and put into action quickly, however, there is a continuous debate of what techniques to use to tackle this iss... ... middle of paper ... ...ved from http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/health_risks_for_overweight_children/index.html - Elliott, E., Sanders, S. (2002). Children and Physical Activity: The Importance of Movement and Physical Activity. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood/articles/physical.html - Ginsburg, K, R. (2007). The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-2697 - Winter, S. M., (2009) Childhood Education: Childhood obesity in the testing era: What teachers and schools can do. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com - Drummond, C. E., (2010) Journal of Student Wellbeing,. 4(2), 43–54: Using nutrition education and cooking classes in primary schools to encourage healthy eating. Retrieved from http://www.ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php.JSW/article/viewFile/724/549

Open Document