Investing in Daily Physical Activity for Your Child

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Columbus, Ohio, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) February 6, 2012 -- It is clear that along with poor diet, reduced physical inactivity has contributed to a large increase in childhood obesity in the United States in the past 20 years. Research shows that children who develop basic motor skills, such as throwing, catching, kicking, jumping, skipping and balance, are more likely to become healthy adults who participate daily in physical activity. There is also increasing evidence that daily physical activity helps children perform better academically.

Primrose Schools is the nation’s leader in providing consistent early childhood education and child care services with its Balanced Learning Curriculum. Each day at Primrose School at Pinnacle children engage in purposeful play through the school’s Thumbs Up!™ Physical Activity and Outdoor Play Program. The curriculum was developed in consultation with Steve Sanders, Director of the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science University of South Florida, who believes, “Children do not always learn physical skills on their own. They need adults to help them with challenging activities and practice.” It includes daily health-enhancing activities that help children develop a strong foundation of physical skills. These physical skills are vital to a child’s normal growth and development.

The Thumbs Up! curriculum includes traveling skills, such as walking, running, skipping, jumping and galloping; stability or balance skills, such as balance on body parts, walking on beams and rolling; and manipulative or ball skills, such as throwing, catching, dribbling, kicking and striking. The curriculum helps children develop an understanding of space awareness and how to move safely with other children throughout the play environment.

At Primrose, children participate in daily outdoor Thumbs Up! activities with their teachers, weather permitting. Thumbs Up!

promotes the development of health and physical skills that extends children’s knowledge of themselves. The curriculum provides multiple opportunities to explore and make connections that enhance children’s sense of physical control, competence, and well-being. After structured games and skill development activities, children have time for free choice play so they can experience the freedom and joy of outdoor play.

Primrose Schools’ physical activity curriculum follows the highest professional standards and guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice developed by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the Council on Physical Education for Children (COPEC). A developmentally appropriate physical activity program accommodates a variety of individual characteristics, such as developmental status, previous movement experiences, fitness and skill levels, body size and age.

Any program can only be of value when trained teachers bring the curriculum to life inside the classroom and on the playground. Parents of preschool-age children find peace of mind knowing that their early education and child care provider has caring, competent and knowledgeable teachers. The teaching staff at the Primrose School [of/at Name] receives training opportunities about the physical development of children through the Primrose Continual Learning Plan, the school’s annual professional development series for teachers.

“We have the same goals for Primrose children that our parents do. We want our children to have active minds, healthy bodies and happy hearts,” said Natosha Eskander, owner of Primrose School at Pinnacle. “With the right foundation, we know that all children can develop the fundamental physical skills needed to grow to become physically active and healthy adults and we want to be a trusted partner to our parents in building that foundation.”

Investing in your child’s future – playing daily with your child and promoting the development of physical skills – is an important decision for every parent to consider. To learn more about the many benefits of the Thumbs Up! Physical Activity and Outdoor Play Program and enrolling your child at the Primrose School at Pinnacle, please visit www.PrimrosePinnacle.com or call 614-270-1559.

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