For this Performance Task, you will create a three-part newsletter to share with families offering insights about the importance of fostering physical fitness for young children, information on developmentally appropriate physical activities, and ideas for activities that families can do together.
Before submitting your Assessment, carefully review the rubric. This is the same rubric the assessor will use to evaluate your submission and it provides detailed criteria describing how to achieve or master the Competency. Many students find that understanding the requirements of the Assessment and the rubric criteria help them direct their focus and use their time most productively.
The Children’s Clinic at your community health center is expanding its outreach to parents and families. They are committed to communicating the importance of physical activity for young children and sharing what families can do to promote developmentally appropriate movement and exercise. As part of this initiative, you have been asked to create a newsletter that will provide information, motivation, and practical tools to involve families and help children achieve the critical benefits gained by physical fitness.
In developing the newsletter, keep in mind that your goal is not only to help families understand the benefits of developmentally appropriate physical activity for young children, but also to encourage families to engage in activities with their children. With this in mind, consider the roadblocks that busy families often face in terms of time and opportunity. The information you provide needs to be engaging, supported by evidence and research, constructive, and relevant to all ages/stages of early childhood.
In a newsletter format, address the following:
- Explain the importance of fostering physical fitness for young children.
- Suggest at least two developmentally appropriate physical activities for each stage—infant, toddler, preschooler, and school age (K-3). Describe how the physical environment should be arranged to support these activities. Include a description of materials and/or equipment needed.
- Suggest at least two indoor and two outdoor activities families can do together to promote physical fitness and positive attitudes toward physical activity. Include at least three insights about how children’s attitudes about physical activity are influenced.
Submission Length: Approximately 3-4 pages in newsletter format.