There are six characteristics emphasized in this curriculum that are components of an effective physical education program. Student learning is supported by a program that:

• focuses on achieving physical literacy;
• provides meaningful contexts, key ideas, and questions for students to explore;
• teaches students how to use critical, creative, and powerful learning strategies;
• sees teachers planning to meet the needs of all students;
• is well-planned based on the curriculum; and,
• is defined by the grade specific outcomes.

Physical literacy can be described as the ability and motivation to capitalize on our movement potential to make a significant contribution to our quality of life. As humans, we all exhibit this potential; however, its specific expression will be particular to the culture in which we live and the movement capacities with which we are endowed. An individual who is physically literate:

• Moves with poise, economy, and confidence in a wide variety of physically challenging situations.
• Is perceptive in 'reading' all aspects of the physical environment, anticipating movement needs or possibilities and responding appropriately to these, with intelligence and imagination.
• Has a well-established sense of self as embodied in the world. This, together with an articulate interaction with the environment, engenders positive self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Develops fluency in self-expression through non-verbal communication and perceptive and empathetic interaction with others.
• Can identify and articulate the essential qualities that influence the effectiveness of own movement performance, and has an understanding of the principles of embodied health, with respect to basic aspects such as exercise, sleep and nutrition.

(Whitehead, 2006)

The vision of physical education and the physically literate individual presented in this curriculum counteracts common myths:

Myth: Physical education is not an integral part of a student's learning experience. It is an extra.

Fact: Physical education is a Required Area of Study in Saskatchewan. It is interconnected with all other subject areas in the pursuit of educating the whole person. It involves students directly in thinking, creating meaning, and learning how to learn.

Myth: Committing time to physical education programs may be detrimental to student achievement in other subject areas. It is important to focus on the "academic" subjects because those are the ones that will determine a student's success in life.

Fact: Daily participation in physical education can improve students' success in all areas of study. "Adding to the growing body of research extolling the cognitive benefits of physical exercise, a recent study concludes that mental focus and concentration levels in young children improve significantly after engaging in structured physical (movement activities)" (Caterino & Polak [1999], in Blaydes, n.d., p. 2).

Myth: The main purpose of physical education is to help students achieve excellence in games and sports.

Fact: Physical education is a multifaceted process that teaches a wide range of concepts, tactics, strategies, skills, and deeper understandings with the aim of the students becoming physically educated, physically fit, able to enjoy a variety of movement activities, able to interact positively in a variety of situations, and committed to lifelong well-being. It is a continuing process of articulated, sequential development of skills, talents, attitudes, and behaviours.

Myth: Physical education only addresses the physical components of the individual.

Fact: Although physicality is of primary focus within physical education classes, it cannot stand alone. As holistic beings, we must recognize the spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects of human nature as well. These dimensions of our being must all work together as we strive for balance, harmony, and wellness.

Myth: Physical education focuses on the more athletically gifted.

Fact: All students have the potential to become physically literate, and an effective physical education program will benefit all young people regardless of their interests, skills, or abilities.

Myth: Physical education should be similar to training - highly "skill and drill" oriented. It should be mainly a mechanical process with drill and practice instructional methods being the most effective.

Fact: In physical education, emphasis must be placed on a broad spectrum of learning and personal development. Learning involves thinking and feeling, being active and processing information, thinking critically and making decisions, not just using skills. Teachers need to provide students with a diversity of learning experiences that provide students with multiple ways of showing what they know.

Myth: Students should carry out a variety of physical fitness activities but do not need to understand why they are doing so.

Fact: Learning cognitively is as important to physical education as learning specific movement skills. Students need to know why they are learning what they learn in physical education and how they are benefiting personally. Then, they will be more likely to accept responsibility for their own learning and commit to active living to enjoy the benefits of physical education over the long term.

Myth: Physical education programs that provide students with a diversity of movement experiences may be detrimental to doing one's best in a particular activity. It is important to focus on a specific activity (or sport) in order to do really well.

Fact: A well-planned, comprehensive physical education program helps children and youth develop all their abilities and talents rather than focusing exclusively on a narrow range. Because youth change and grow over time, they should be encouraged to become well- rounded. They should be encouraged to become proficient in and appreciate a wide variety of movement activities from which to choose wisely. As the educator, you may need to go outside of your comfort zone to provide activities you may not feel comfortable teaching to students.This may require collaboration with colleagues, community members, and provincial organizations to ensure that activities are properly introduced.

Myth: The best approach to organizing a physical education program is to focus on a particular sport for a period of time, teaching the skills, rules, and strategies of that sport.

Fact: Planning the learning experiences for students around the hows and, as importantly, the whys of movement is teaching for deeper understanding. Instead of looking at each movement activity as a separate entity, movements, skills, concepts, tactics, and strategies should be introduced in ways which stress the commonalities. This serves to enhance the students' understanding of movement and its underlying principles. Students come to understand the workings of their bodies and the transferability of these understandings throughout movement opportunities as well as many other aspects of life.

(Adapted by permission from the California Department of Education, CDE Press, 1430 N Street, Suite 3207, Sacramento, CA 95814).