Using Parkour to Step Up Your Elementary School Curriculum

Abstract

The goal of parkour is to cross various obstacles in an efficient and creative way by jumping, swinging, climbing, and running. Parkour aligns with the SHAPE America national standards for K-12 physical education and has demonstrated its potential to highly engage both boys and girls in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). In this article, we present a knowledge packet for teaching parkour to elementary children. First, we discuss the knowledge packet by unpacking the content development together with common errors and suggestions on how to correct these. Next, we propose appropriate equipment that can be used during physical education lessons. After which we introduce organizational and pedagogical principles that strengthen the parkour unit, such as focused station work, modifying content and equipment and offering children high practice opportunities and the role of teacher’s content knowledge. We end the paper by providing examples for assessing children in a formative and summative way.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kian Vanluyten

Kian Vanluyten ([email protected]) is a PhD researcher in the Department of Movement Sciences at KU Leuven in Leuven, Belgium, and an FWO (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek) fellow, Belgium.

Shu Cheng

Shu Cheng is a PhD researcher in the Department of Movement Sciences at KU Leuven in Leuven, Belgium.

Rosalie Coolkens

Rosalie Coolkens is a lecturer in the physical education teacher education at University College PXL in Hasselt, Belgium.

Cédric Roure

Cédric Roure is an associate professor in Teaching and Research Unit in Physical Education and Sport at the University of Teacher Education in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Phillip Ward

Phillip Ward is a professor in the Department of Human Sciences at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.

Peter Iserbyt

Peter Iserbyt is an associate professor in Department of Movement Sciences at KU Leuven in Leuven, Belgium.