School Gymnastics
for Key Stages 3 and 4
Teaching manuals in two volumes

by Val Sabin

This is a fully comprehensive teaching manual that enables school gymnastics to easily and fully be implemented for Key stages 3 & 4 of the National Curriculum. It provides the "what", "how" and "when" to teach gymnastics in a stimulating, practical and detailed manner and follows on naturally from the author's teaching manual for Key Stages 1 & 2.

How Can it Help You?

The manual has been structured to provide a detailed and progressive gymnastics curriculum for Key Stages 3 & 4. It aims to enhance the quality of gymnastics teaching, mainly through the delivery of proven high quality lesson material. The whole programme embodied in the units of work will quickly build the physical and intellectual capabilities of children in an enjoyable way whilst providing achievement satisfaction. Musical warm-ups add to the enjoyment.

How is it Structured?

Lesson structure, principles of teaching gymnastics to this age group, useful techniques for making the most of available apparatus, and a simple meaningful system for assessment and recording are some of the essential areas covered in the teaching guide. The major part of the manual, however, comprises lesson material in the form of eleven very detailed units of work. They have been written to progress students logically through the stages of knowledge, skill and understanding of each theme, and each unit builds on the work developed in the previous units. Units are sub-divided into several phases beginning with phase 1 which contains the most elementary work, through to phases 5, 6 or 7 and the more mature and complex work. In some of the units, the final phase is taken into a class performance or "event". This means material which is appropriate for the experience of the class can be selected and delivered.

In Key Stages 3 & 4 much emphasis is placed upon work in pairs, small groups, and large groups but it is also essential to recognise the importance of individual acquisition of skill. The last section of the manual deals with the teaching of individual gymnastic skills and identifies teaching points, common faults, remedies and supports for floor-work, box-work, and vaulting.

Benefits in Brief

1. It is a fully comprehensive teaching manual.
2. Units of work are constructed in progressive phases allowing the teacher to select the most appropriate phases to match the expertise of a class. In all, there are 68 phases of development providing over 140 lessons and over 110 sequences.
3. There are masters of over 160 original work cards ranging from task and problem solving, through skill extension and safety, to apparatus and sequence cards.
4. There is a detailed section on how to teach specific gymnastic skills. Altogether there are over 300 individual skills and associated agilities in this section.
5. An assessment and recording system is presented for use or adaptation.
6. The units of work provide a ready-made progressive gymnastics curriculum and within the text there are over 650 pair and group skills, agilities, lifts and supports.
7. There is an accompanying CD of original warm-up music.

Save Time on Lesson Planning

Everything a teacher needs for successful delivery of gymnastics in Key Stages 3 & 4 is contained within this manual. Lessons are planned and the teacher is required only to make a considered selection of phases which are appropriate for the experience of the class.