REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
Dee’s Message Dear Parents and Caregivers,
25TH MARCH 2022 accomplishment but also of challenge.
Although the wet weather this term has hampered some of the opportunities for the children to get outside and be active, it has also been a reminder of just important it is for children to have such time to express themselves – and to have fun playing with their friends. The benefits of physical play are many, from the opportunity to release energy, to learning new skills, to aiding with gross motor development, to body awareness. Many of these skills are gained naturally, as children explore the world around them or play with siblings or friends. However, there is also a critical role for structured activities, such as those which the children enjoy every week during their Sports lessons. These lessons deliberately focus on broadbased skill acquisition, from simple motor skills such as balancing, rolling, moving through space and understanding how that space is impacted by others – to more complex tasks such as throwing, catching, passing, kicking, and so on. As the children gain confidence, so each task becomes more advanced, which gives them a sense of
While part of what takes place in the Sports lessons might be aimed at preparing the children for the more formal sports programme in primary and high school, we also know that for many children sports might not be the avenue which sparks their enthusiasm. There will certainly be those who become enthused by the sports on offer, but we also know that there is just as much joy to be gained from watching children chase each other around a park or as they make up their own games. The range of sports on offer across the globe is constantly expanding – we only need to look at how international events such as the Olympics have adapted to include new sports which only a few decades ago didn’t exist or were played only by a few people. As such, our focus is on helping the children to become confident in their own bodies and to learn transferable skills which will benefit them no matter what activities they take part in, or what interests are sparked in the coming years.
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
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