Background/Purpose
The role of physical activity in early childhood education is affected by two societal concerns—that young children be academically prepared to enter elementary school and that they not become obese. Due to the structure and financing of early childhood education, any efforts there to promote the learning and health of children through physical activity will need to be implemented and sustained by classroom teachers. We aimed to understand the views of Head Start teachers about 1) how physical activity influences children's learning; 2) what types of physical activity are most beneficial for children; 3) what settings best support children's physical activity, and 4) challenges related to children's physical activity.
Method
We conducted six focus groups with a total of 37 teachers from a Head Start program in Allentown, PA that served low-income, preschool-aged children. To identify common themes, three readers analyzed the transcripts of the focus groups using the constant comparative method.
Analysis/Results
Four major themes emerged: 1) Teachers should respond to their students' innate need to move—including using movement to prepare children for learning and to teach them academic concepts, 2) movement prepares children not only for school, but also for life, 3) children learn when they feel close to their teachers, and 4) the outdoors is a classroom.
Conclusions
Teachers' comments suggest that 1) teacher training should focus on using movement to teach academic concepts, 2) teachers should teach spatial awareness skills, and 3) to promote physical activity and learning, outdoor play areas should include natural elements.