The IBSS Faculty
Physical Education and Fitness have been our prime focus and area of expertise, and we strongly affirm that integrating Physical Education (PE) in the formative years is crucial for promoting holistic development and instilling lifelong healthy habits. This holistic approach to physical education nurtures children's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development along with fostering a lifelong appreciation for active and healthy lifestyles.
Some of the ways that IB Smart Start effectively integrates Physical Education into the early years learning are:
Incorporating structured physical activities into the daily routine, such as morning exercises, stretching, and simple calisthenics which help our young learners to develop gross motor skills, coordination and physical fitness.
Allocating ample time for outdoor play in a safe and supervised environment to encourage the development of physical skills such as running, jumping, climbing and balancing along with exploration and social interaction.
Short movement breaks are incorporated throughout the time spent at school. These movement breaks include dancing, age-appropriate Yog asanas; and simple games that get children moving. They not only energise the little ones and keep them interested but also form lifelong habits, essential for today’s obesity-ridden world.
Fundamental movement skills such as throwing, catching, kicking, balancing and hopping through age-appropriate games and activities are included in the young learner’s school routine. These facilitate improvement in motor coordination, spatial awareness, and body control.
IBSS curriculum also incorporates creative movement activities such as dance, rhythm exercises and imaginative play with movement. Young learners are encouraged to express themselves physically and creatively through music and movement exploration.
Outdoor physical activities amid nature such as nature rambles, scavenger hunts or outdoor games that promote environmental awareness, sensory exploration and appreciation of the natural world are an inherent part of the Foundational Phase curriculum.
Young learners are introduced to the basic sports concepts and cooperative games that accentuate teamwork, fair play, and sportsmanship, at IBSS. Games are modified to match the developmental level of young students to encourage participation and enjoyment rather than competition
At IBSS, the trained faculty ensures that physical education activities are inclusive and accessible to all children, regardless of their abilities or limitations. The activities are modified to accommodate diverse needs and abilities of the young learners.
The physical education concepts and skills are integrated with other areas of the curriculum. Elementary math concepts are taught through movement games; storytelling and movement activities are combined, and science topics related to the human body and physical fitness are integrated with fun physical activities.
The young learners are exposed to age-appropriate concepts related to health, nutrition, hygiene, and safety. Topics such as the importance of staying active, eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and good personal hygiene habits are woven into interactivities and games through which children learn without even being conscious that they are inculcating good lifelong habits.
At IBSS, we believe that no efforts can yield concrete results without parent and community involvement. Hence, parents and guardians become our partners; we share information about the importance of physical activity and healthy habits and expect parents to reinforce the same at home. This eliminates confusion in the young minds and they form good habits right from the very young age.
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