TheVirginiaJournal_SpringSummer2024

Rhythmic Movement for Children with Disabilities in PE AnneMarie Trench , Student, Longwood University Matthew D. Lucas , Ed.D., C.A.P.E., Professor Health, Recreation, & Kinesiology, Longwood University

Teaching students in physical education, including students with disabilities, is often done so by using a Sports Education Model. “The model was created because physical education (PE) classes should not be limited to teaching techniques and tactics from multiple sports”. (Tendinha et al., 2021). In which the overall goal is to teach skills that will lead to the ability to participate in sports (Tendinha et al., 2021). The skills that should be taught are locomotor skills, non-locomotor skills, and manipulative skills (Kovar, 2011). The following chart represents each of these types of skills.

• Rhythms A term that denotes an aspect of a movement quality sometimes thought of as dance. When an individual moves in response to a particular rhythm or music we call the movements RM or rhythms. Structured forms which start cre ative RM are called rhythms. • Rhythmic Activities The physical manifestations of the

mental and emotional response of the individual to rhythm. They are activities which a child responds to physically, socially, and men tally to regular patterns of sound. Rhythmic Activities are also a source of enjoyment for people of all ages. Through these activities, skills and the sense of rhythm are acquired and developed, feelings are expressed, basic principles of time, space and force can be experienced. Most people react to music or rhythm in one form or another. A head swaying, a foot tapping, fin gers snapping, shoulders and body moving while a musical piece is played are physical reactions. Dance refers to movement set to music where there emerges organi zation, structure and pattern. It is a composition that implies arrange ment of parts into a form. Dancing is a means of expressing one’s emotions through movement disciplined by rhythm. It is an act of moving rhythmically and ex pressively to an accompaniment. The word “dancing” came from an old German word “danson” which means to “stretch”. Essentially, all dancing is made up of stretching and relaxing.

• Locomotor Skills

• Jumping • Leaping • Hopping • Balancing • Stretching • Bending

• Non-locomotor Skills

• Manipulative Skills

• Catching • Kicking or rolling a ball • Throwing

According to Merrium-Webster, rhythm means “movement, fluctuation, or variation marked by the regular recurrence or natural flow of related elements” Merriam Webster (n.d., p. 1). Most physical activities have an inherent rhythmic movement (RM) (e.g., locomotor movements and games such as basketball). These activities help sharpen kinesthetic awareness of the body in space and the length of time required to perform the individual components of a movement or skill. Helping students develop rhythm is important since every activity has an underlying rhythmical component. As noted, these activities include locomotor, non-locomotor and ball skills. (Hastie et al., 2005) Rhythmic movement teaches students how to coordinate their body and develop specific muscle groups . The following chart defines Rhythms, Rhythmic Activities, Dance, and Dancing. These elements are closely related to each other. (Holy Name University, 2019, p1). Benefits of Rhythmic Movement In the field of dance or RM, there is certain fundamental knowledge and rhythmic skills considered important for proficiency and efficiency in a variety of bodily movements. (Story, n.d.). One can imagine that there are many benefits of RM for children with disabilities.

• Dance

• Dancing

SPRING-SUMMER 2024 • Virginia AHPERD • 5