The Importance of Physical Education in Homeschooling
You already teach math, history, and language arts. Is it really important to cover physical education in homeschooling? Read on to find out.
What Is Physical Education?
Physical education, or PE, is not the same as physical activity.
Physical education is a structured program that promotes physical fitness and motor skill development.
PE involves educating students on the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Students may learn about anatomy, nutrition, and exercise science in a physical education program.
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The Importance of Physical Education
It is important to include physical education in homeschooling for these reasons.
Promotes Physical Health
Homeschool PE activities can strengthen the body and promote physical health.
Physical education activities can focus on cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and increased flexibility (this helps with injury prevention).
Aids in Mental Health
The mind-body connection is powerful.
Daily exercise can buoy mood, fight depression, and reduce stress.
Helps Focus and Academics
Exercise can help with focus, memory, and increased cognitive function.
Daily exercise before academic work can be a game changer for students with ADHD.
Develops Motor Skills
Children are developing their motor skills across childhood and the teenage years (yes, even in high school!)
Physical education helps develop gross motor skills, which involve large muscle groups.
These skills include running, jumping, skipping, dance, balance, and overall coordination.
Fine motor skills involve the muscles of the hands. PE can also help with fine motor skills development.
Activities like catching and throwing a ball, swinging a racket or bat, dribbling or shooting a basketball, juggling, and clapping games enhance fine motor skills.
Several PE activities work on fine and gross motor skills simultaneously, like jumping rope and climbing.
May Offer Social Interaction Opportunities
If you choose to take part in an organized homeschool PE class (or organize one yourself), PE is a chance for your student to interact with others.
Many PE games are opportunities to learn collaboration, communication, and group problem-solving.
Teaches Healthy Habits
The patterns that we set in childhood and in the teenage years can carry forward into adulthood.
By exercising regularly, your child can form healthy habits that last a lifetime.
If you teach nutrition, anatomy, exercise science, and drug and alcohol prevention, you educate and empower your child to make healthy decisions.
Provides a Brain Break
PE is just one subject on the homeschool docket. Most school subjects are strictly academic in nature.
Sitting still and focusing takes a toll on anyone.
Students (and even homeschool parents) need regular “brain breaks” to recharge themselves mentally and physically.
Physical education is a school subject that functions as a brain break from the core academic subjects.
Can We Do Sports Instead of PE?
Many families choose to homeschool because their children are heavily committed to sports.
Homeschooling provides the necessary flexibility to work around practices and games.
Is it necessary to cover physical education in homeschooling if your child is already exercising daily?
Yes, and here’s why:
Well-Rounded Physical Activity
An individual sport offers one type of activity.
If your child plays soccer, they get a lot of cardiovascular exercise and gross motor skills practice (from kicking, running, and dribbling).
However, soccer does not help with fine motor coordination or strength training.
By incorporating physical education in homeschooling, you can balance the types of physical activity for optimum health and skills development.
Time of Day
Most sports practices are in the afternoon when the academic work of the day is largely completed.
If you want to take advantage of the increased focus and cognition that exercise provides, you need to carve out time in the morning.
This is the perfect slot for a homeschool PE class.
Educational Component
Again, physical education is more than just physical exercise.
It encompasses a larger role: health education.
Health education is not something a sports team can provide.
Trying New Things
Today’s children are often forced to specialize early. They start dance, soccer, and T-ball in elementary school (or even younger).
PE offers kids a chance to try a variety of forms of physical exercise.
Remember, the goal of PE is not simply to help kids be healthy at their present age but also to set the stage for long-term healthy habits.
If your child is a flag football phenom, that’s wonderful. But he also needs to be exposed to the types of exercise that he can play throughout his life.
Not only that, but PE offers a low-stakes way to get moving without the demands and anxiety of competitive sports.
Interacting with Others
If your child participates in individual sports (dance, golf, running, cycling, swimming, etc.), he does not have the opportunity to collaborate and problem-solve as a team.
PE activities provide a chance for kids to work on teamwork. This means more than just doing well as an individual for the good of the team.
PE activities give homeschooled students an opportunity to work toward a goal as a group (which is a job skill, if not a life skill).
Why Physical Education Is Important in Homeschooling
Physical education in homeschooling is an incredible opportunity to improve your child’s life right now and lay the groundwork for a healthy future.
Don’t pass up homeschool PE for a day full of only the core academics.
Round out your child’s education by incorporating PE into your homeschool.
Are you convinced? Check out these 25 homeschool PE ideas right now!
