The Strengths and Weaknesses of Physical Education Programs in Selected Preschools in Central North Carolina

The purpose of this research was to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of selected preschool physical education programs in Central North Carolina and to analyze the available teaching resources for preschool physical education teachers who teach children who are developmental delayed. Data were gathered by using a revised version of the Evaluation of K-12 Physical Education Programs: A Self-Study Approach. The Likert-type scale questionnaire survey was administered to elementary physical education teachers and the preschool staff. The results of the study revealed the areas in preschool physical education programs that needed improvement and noted the areas of priority. The research findings concluded that the selected preschool physical education programs lacked the necessary resources for effective physical education activities and found that these resources are needed for children with disabilities to develop appropriately throughout their lifespan. Introduction In recent years there has been an increase of children diagnosed with disabilities in preschool programs (Watson & McCathren, 2009). Preschool children who enter school with disabilities arrive with a unique combination of strengths, weaknesses, and developmental needs that teachers must address (Hautala, 1995). These children require more time, practice, opportunities, and unique instructional strategies from their teachers (Rimmer & Kelly, 1989). According to federal law, resources must be provided for teachers who teach students who are developmental delayed. In particular, as it relates to this study, curriculum for pre-kindergarten programs must be appropriately designed to accommodate all children between the ages of three and five who have one or more of the disabilities defined in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), (Education Law Center, 2010). According to Education Law Center (2010) states have discretion to provide free appropriate public education (FAPE) to pre-k-age children with “developmental delays” who, as a result thereof, need special education and related services. Only delays in the areas of physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development, and adaptive development are covered under IDEA (pg. 3). The physical education curriculum for pre-kindergarten students incorporates movement as a primary factor for students to acquire the necessary skills to function at an appropriate level. Early childhood educators are now recognizing the importance of physical movement in the development of preschoolers (Council of Physical Education for Children, 2000). Early PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS Journal of Research Initiatives 2 childhood educators can assist with the progress of children moving from immature patterns toward mature patterns of basic motor skills by implementing developmentally appropriate physical education as a part of the curriculum (Pica, 2011). The preschool years is the developmental period during which most children acquire the basic repertoire of skills, movement concepts, and skill themes such as those found in locomotor, object control, and nonlocomotor skills (Clark, 1994). It is a critical time period in which preschoolers with developmental delays develop their basic motor skills. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recommend physical education at the preschool level (Pica 2011). The purpose of this research was to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of selected preschool physical education programs in Central North Carolina and to analyze the available teaching resources for preschool physical education teachers who teach children who are developmental delayed. The aim is to determine programming needs for preschool children with disabilities. Background According to Murata and Tan (2009), preschoolers with developmental delays possess a combination of impairments (limitations) impeding their abilities to learn and demonstrate ageappropriate behaviors. Developmental delays include motor, psycho-socio, speech language, emotional, and cognitive delays (IDEA, 2004). The motor domain serves as a major focus for most preschool physical education programs (Murata & Tan, 2009). With the establishment of preschool programs for children with developmental delays, IDEA developed guidelines for students from birth to 5 years to participate in physical activities (Wrightslaw, 2014; National Association for Sports and Physical Education, 2009). The guidelines for physical activity in preschool children (NASPE, 2009) states: “(1) preschoolers should accumulate at least 60 minutes daily of structured physical activity every day, (2) preschoolers should engage in at least 60 minutes and up to several hours of daily unstructured physical activity and should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at a time except when sleeping, (3) preschoolers should develop competence in movement skills that are building blocks for more complex movement tasks, (4) preschoolers should have indoor and outdoor areas that meet or exceed recommended safety standards for performing large muscle activities, and (5) individuals responsible for the well-being of preschoolers should be aware of the importance of physical activity and facilitate the child’s movement skills” (pg. 511). Adapted physical education (APE) teachers are in a prime position to facilitate, consult, and assist in the development of preschool physical education activities. The APE program is designed to allow students with a wide range of disabilities and needs to address the goals and standards of the regular physical education (RPE) program (Ryan & Petruzzelli, 2005). The first priority of an effective elementary school RPE program is to provide children with the simple motor skills needed to be enthusiastic participants in the physical play with children (Rink & Hall, 2000). A regular physical education program is a required component of the educational curriculum for all children who receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA. Physical education is designed to be provided in the least restrictive environment (IDEA, 300.19, 2004). The least restrictive environment (LRE) according to IDEA (2004) requires that pre-K children with disabilities receive their education alongside children without disabilities (Education Law Center (2010). As stated previously, the motor domain is the major component for preschool physical education programs (Murata & Tan, 2009). PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS Journal of Research Initiatives 3 The national standards for physical education begin at the primary levels. However, preschool students who are developmentally delayed who advance into the primary grades will be significantly behind the general population of students without a structured curriculum-based, physical activity, early intervention program in the preschool grades. It is imperative for preschool programs that service children with developmental delays, hire physical education specialist and participate in the NASPE guidelines for physical activity. The physical education specialist has specific training in disability and assessment of motor performance of individuals with disabilities and is a certified professional who can implement physical education and activity programming for preschoolers with developmental delays (Kelly, 2011). Benefits of Preschool Physical Education The preschool period is a critical development phase for preschool children, especially, preschool children who are developmental delay (Murata & Maeda, 2002; Murata & Maeda, 2007; Sylva, Taggart, Siraj-Blatchford, Totsika, Ereky-Stevens, Gilden, & Bell, 2007; Ignico, 1994; Avery, 1994). Preschool children with developmental delays should receive appropriate physical education to assist with their motor development. Stork and Sanders (2008) described the benefits of physical activities and how those outcomes relate to the demands of a growing public health problem by studying two preschools. Children in one preschool received physical education instruction (50 minutes, twice a week for 12 weeks) in six basic skills; underhand ball roll, two-handed catch, instep kick, overhand, horizontal jump, and sidearm strike. Children at the other preschool received daily recess (activity without instruction), but no physical education. According to Stork and Sanders the children who received physical education improved in all skills, whereas the recess group showed no changes. Although instruction is important, it must be developmentally appropriate and provided by trained personnel. Physical activity is crucial to overall development during early childhood. It promotes mastery of skills and attitudes that lead to healthy behaviors later in life and also facilities cognitive and social development (Stork & Sanders, 2008). Goodway and Branta (2003) indicated that with at least 12-weeks of motor skill intervention, disadvantaged preschoolers could increase their locomotive and object control skills by 80%, which would allow their physical education or preschool teachers to engage them in the type activities necessary to facilitate positive motor skill development. Pate, McIver, Dowda, Brown and Addy (2008) conducted a study to determine the correlation between physical activity levels, demographics, and school-related physical activities among children attending preschool. Results suggested that children who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were inactive during more than 80% of the 25-second observation intervals. Boys were more likely than girls to engage in MVPA (p=.01), and 3-year-old boys were more active than four and five year old boys (p=.01). This study indicated that the majority of young children were physically inactive during most of their time in preschool. The results f