In Your Child's Classroom A happy and healthy heart Your first-grader increases his skill and agility by engaging in physical activities. He becomes aware of his heart beating faster when he is active and learns how to increase his endurance. An important goal in first grade is to recognize and celebrate a good workout. Amy Kaiser, physical education specialist, explains: "Young children often have short bursts of activity, and then stop and wonder why their chests are thumping. Sometimes there is a fear that something is wrong. It is wonderful to share the celebration of muscles and heart and lungs working together. A 'happy heart workout' is a lesson learned for a lifetime."

Students are generally eager to learn and practice movement skills and ball-handling skills. Kaiser explains: "P.E. is fun in first grade. The fun is added only with children's imaginations. When teaching new skills, teachers may associate the new skill with things that are familiar to the children. For example, the ball becomes a puppy that has to stay, heel and go for a walk with its owner."

Moving and grooving First-graders build on skills they developed in kindergarten. Your child practices walking, running, hopping, jumping, leaping, galloping, sliding, skipping, dodging, landing, turning and side-stepping. In group activities, your child learns to move and change direction quickly. The teacher may call out directions for the group to walk backward and then give a signal to switch to skipping forward. Your child becomes aware of her own "personal space" and that of the people around her.

Your first-grader practices jumping rope at a fast pace, slow pace and while in forward motion. "Jumping rope is a universal game that has skills rooted in many sports activities," Kaiser says. "It is also fun, inexpensive and has generational appeal." Your child may navigate obstacle courses that integrate a variety of equipment, skills and concepts she has learned. She also engages in group activities such as parachute play, dance and simple games of tag.

Your child works to improve his throwing, catching and kicking skills. He learns the proper techniques to throw with one or both hands, overhand and underhand. He learns the correct catching technique. He practices bouncing balls with one and both hands, volleying balls, hitting a ball with a bat off a tee, and kicking a ball that is moving or stationary.

First-graders do activities that require your child to balance, sit, kneel, squat, stand, bend, sway, rock, swing, turn, twist, push and pull. She practices balancing on one foot and may balance on a beam. She learns to stop an activity immediately at the teacher's signal. She's taught how to safely use and care for sports equipment and how to prevent injuries by stretching.

Kaiser suggests making an adventure out of a trip to the playground: "Children love to show off their skill and strength on playground equipment. Some supervision and help may be necessary, but that provides a good way to interact with your child. As a parent, look around at the different equipment and realize all that apparatus is developed for your child to grow in strength and coordination. Swinging, climbing, hand-over-hand bars are great examples of equipment designed for your child's development."

Rules of engagement and relationships A first-grader learns the importance of teamwork by cooperating one-on-one with a partner, and by playing in small and large groups. Your child learns to follow the rules of various games and activities, such as sharing, taking turns and assisting other teammates. He learns to stop an activity immediately at the teacher's signal.