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Chapter 5

Educational Gymnastics

Traditional Gymnastics

• "A series of stunts that are presented to students in a more formal, and developmentally appropriate manner.“

–Gymnastics stunts

• "Stunt gymnastics that is judged in some manner by official judges, audiences or teachers."

• "Focus is placed on skills and sequences performed on the major, traditional pieces of equipment (e.g. beam, bars, floor, etc.). All students, regardless of body type or skill level, are judged and held to the same standards."

• "Olympic gymnastics” Women and Men

Developmental Gymnastics

• "A sequential list of skills having common

neuromuscular elements and representing an

ever more complex form of the same general type

of movement. "

• "Gymnastics aimed at developing reasonable and

modest skills of a gymnastic nature suitable for

the kind of body one has."

• "Traditional skills, mainly on the floor, taught in a

sequence based in part upon skill difficulty and

lead-ups to more difficult skills."

• "Body management and body awareness abilities

that are gymnastic in nature."

Educational Gymnastics

• “Activities that allow the child to self-test

or create movements that defy gravity to

enhance components such as flexibility,

balance coordination, and strength.”

• "Taught in a non-competitive manner,

with emphasis placed upon the success

and skills achievable by each individual

student."

Educational Gymnastics

3 Key Principles of Motor Development

1. Motor skill development is

sequential and not age related and

they develop in a continuous or

connected series.

2. Children progress through similar

sequences.

3. The rate at which children progress

through the sequences varies.

Creative Gymnastics

• "Creative gymnastics are basically activities

which ask students to combine skills or stunts

into a new creative sequence."

• "It is creative in that children have many choices

to create movement at their own level. "

• "Use of gymnastics-related skills in a non-

traditional manner; many times involve non-

traditional equipment."

• "Mainly for students who have some success and

some experience, they are allowed to make up

creative sequences that complement and enhance

the gymnastics skills they have used. "

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Why is Educational Gymnastics

Important?

• Gymnastics should be an integral part of the

school physical education curriculum, offered

from primary school levels through secondary

school levels.

• the values from participation are abundant:

strength, flexibility, balance, endurance,

kinesthetic, agility, self-discipline, coordination,

self-confidence, and perseverance.

• All skill competencies will serve as self testing

activities for students to monitor their abilities

and progressions.

• In gymnastics, students compete against

themselves, allowing for the development of

competitiveness before, during, and after class.

Why is Educational Gymnastics

Important?

Gymnastics should aim

• To increase and maintain total fitness for American youth, applying to moral, mental, and physical fitness.

• To increase the degree of student mastery in the basic locomotor, manipulative, and non manipulative movements related to gymnastic activity.

• To serve as a foundation for the wide variety of skills needed for more advanced levels of physical activity.

• To aid in the development of students social and affective efficiency by establishing an atmosphere, where students can participate and cooperate with each other, without resolving conflicts by verbal or physical conflict.

Why is Educational Gymnastics

Important?

• Gymnastics provides the basis for which the parameters of movement can be implemented, explored, and enhanced.

• The value of gymnastics lies not so much on the proficiency of learning many skills as in the competency of the fundamental skills, which serve as vital in preparation for the learning of progression movements.

• Involvement in gymnastics allows for participation in many fundamental skills including running, jumping, twisting, turning, hanging, swinging, balancing, rolling, and vaulting.

• Through the combination of these skills, students will learn how to combined movements for routine purposes.

Psychomotor Domain1. Place a variety of body parts into low, medium, and

high levels.

2. Jump and land using a combination of one and two foot takeoffs and landings.

3. Roll smoothly in a forward and backward direction without stopping or hesitating.

4. Transfer weight from feet to hands, at various speeds using large extensions.

5. Designs gymnastics sequences that combine traveling, rolling, balancing, jumping, with flowing sequences that change in direction, speed, and flow.

6. Move each joint through a full range of motion.

7. Support, lift, and control body weight in a variety of activities.

8. Correctly demonstrate activities designed to improve and maintain muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and cardio respiratory functioning.

Cognitive Domain

1. Children learn the movement concepts

and principles that underlie the

movement.

2. State guidelines and behaviors for the

safe use of equipment and apparatus.

3. Identify ways movement concepts can be

used to refine motor skills.

4. Analyze potential risks associated with

physical activities.

5. Detect, analyze, and correct errors in

personal movement patterns.

Affective/Social Domain

1. Accept the feelings that result from

challenges, successes, and failures in

physical activity.

• Develops self-concept

2. Participates with and shows respect for

persons of similar and different skill

levels.

3. Develops cooperation skills

4. Provides opportunities for enjoyment as

children climb, swing, hang, roll, jump, or

twirl.

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What About Safety and Equipment?

1. Read and respond to article:

• Should Gymnastics Be Excluded from K-12

Physical Education Curriculum

• http://www.usa-

gymnastics.org/publications/technique/19

96/6/joperd.html

2. Safety Guidelines

• Table 5.1 page 104

More Safety Precautions

1. Provide adequate room for students to move safely; small areas such as classrooms, stages, and hallways should have enough space necessary for all floor and apparatus routines.

2. Surface area is critical: mats should be placed under and beside any large apparatus for suitable padding; spring boards should be tested prior to instruction; loose nuts or bolts should be tightened; any and all foreign objects should be removed.

3. Students will follow all class rules related to safety precautions-no running, horse play, or any other inappropriate behavior.

4. Students will be asked to remove all jewelry, including watches, necklaces, and rings.

More Safety Precautions5. Students will be taught all proper spotting

techniques.

6. Stunts should be taught in a definite progression from beginning to intermediate to advanced levels.

7. Students should possess the necessary physical requirements before attempting skills requiring more strength, flexibility, power, or critical balance.

8. Spotting skills should be introduced at the junior high level.

9. It is recommended to review previously learned skills each lesson and to properly warm up the students before beginning the tumbling lesson.

Gymnastics Safety Quiz

• http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Stadium/7261/GQ/gymsafe.htm

How Do You Teach Gymnastics?

• Traveling, balancing and rolling are the

skill them areas that are typically used in

educational gymnastic programs.

• Traveling refers to the use of fundamental

traveling skills as a means of changing

location of the body. Traveling also

includes transferring weight.

• Rolling is a form of transferring weight that

has many dimensions or combinations.

• Balance includes the child’s center of

gravity that is over the base of support

without extraneous movements.

How Do You Teach Gymnastics?

• http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Stadi

um/7261/devgym6a.htm

Scope and Sequence

• Floor Exercises

Beginning Intermediate Advanced

Forward Roll

Backward Roll

Shoulder Roll

Tripod

Diving Forward Roll

Cartwheel

Modified Tripod

Head Stand

Backbend

Somersault

Handstand

Headstand

Back Extension

Press Head Stand

Elbow Balance

Walkover

Front & Back

Limbers

Modified Splits

Back Extension

Kip

Hand Spring

Roundoff

Back Limber

Back Handspring

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Scope and

Sequence

• Balance Beam

Beginner Intermediate Advanced

Walk on Beam

Knee Scale

Ballet Point

Side Straddle

Mount

Squat On Mount

Straddle

Front Scale

Attitude

Needle Scale

Forward Lunge

Dip Steps

Skip

Chasse

Forward Roll

Backward Roll

Jump Change

Tuck Jump

Step Hop

Running Leap

Full Turn

Straddle Seat

English

Handstand

Side Handstand

Cartwheel

Dismounts

Rhythmic GymnasticsRhythmic gymnastics is a sport which combines dance and

gymnastics with the use of balls, hoops, ribbons, ropes,

and clubs.

Rhythmic Gymnastics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Viu7U8_Ih

D4&feature=related

Integrating Gymnastics and Academic

Content

• Movement examples are an excellent way to help children visualize complex laws or science properties.

• Refer to Tables 5.12-5.15 pages 111-114

• Use flash cards and have students come up with their own movements to illustrate the terms.

Center of Gravity Fulcrum

Force of gravity Lever

Potential energy Kinetic energy

Vertical axis Horizontal axis

Accelerate Decelerate

Inertia Radius of Movement

Action Reaction

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Assessment1. Each stunt will be graded with a check if successfully

accomplished.

2. No more than 3 trials may be taken to successfully complete the stunt.

3. Each stunt may be executed with a spotter.

4. Each score is added to the final total: the grade the each of the three units.

Tumbling Unit YES NO

1. Forward Roll

2. Backward Roll

3. Shoulder Roll

4. Dive Roll

5. Pike Roll

6. Straddle Roll

7. Tripod Head Stand (5 seconds)

8. Handstand (5 seconds)

9. Cartwheel

10. Roundoff

Total:

Review

• Educational Gymnastics Quiz

• http://www.geocities.com/Colosseu

m/Stadium/7261/GQ/gymquiz2.htm

References

• Non Traditional Gymnastics

– http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/stadiu

m/7261/

• Educational Gymnastics/Balancing/Stunts

– http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/ViewLe

sson.asp?ID=6263