Getting kids interested and engaged in physical activity and nutrition at an early age is a fantastic idea. Implementing lessons into their daily routine at home or school can help kids learn how to be healthy in life. What better place to incorporate both into their life than during school. I can remember having recess and gym class, when I was younger, where I would get a lot of physical activity. Even through middle school and high school I still had gym class to get me active, but the physical activity was not every day. Sometimes it was for a few months and then I no longer had it. I briefly remember seeing colorful posters in elementary school about healthy foods for nutrition. However, I don’t really remember having any real nutrition education. I think it’s smart to include both during school.
Fitness for Life does exactly that. The curriculum incorporates physical activity with nutrition to help all ages from elementary school through high school students lead a healthier lifestyle. It also has information from MyPlate included in the lessons. Dolly Lambdin, Charles Corbin, Guy Le Masurier, and Meg Greiner, the authors of the Fitness for Life guides, thought that children should be able to learn about physical activity and nutrition while at school. They created lesson plans and worksheets for teachers to use to help the kids understand the importance of exercise and nutrition.
The authors of Fitness for Life truly did their research. The information they used to make their guides are based on 4 theories and 3 models: social cognitive theory, self-determination theory, theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, health belief model, social ecological model, and the transtheorectical model. The curriculums were created after a field test was completed in 1979. Overtime, the curriculums have changed as teachers have implemented the information and provided necessary feedback to the authors. Three different teaching plans were created that overlap and build on one another: Fitness for Life: Elementary School (K-6), Fitness for Life: Middle School (6-8), and Fitness for Life, Sixth Edition (9-12).
The information provided in the guides are geared towards teachers to use in their classrooms. However, I believe the information can be used in a home setting as well. The worksheets and the slides provided are easy to understand and use even at home. The elementary plan is very child-friendly with tons of pictures and bright colors. The words are chosen careful so that kids can understand them with a little guidance. The middle school guide also has worksheets and lesson plans, but they also have activities where the students will get into groups to help understand the information in the lesson. Lastly, the high school guide has online tests and supplements for the students. Each curriculum is very age appropriate and works with styles that best fit the students abilities.
Regardless of which category of curriculum is used, teachers use the information to help make sure their students are staying physically fit and know how to follow a healthy diet. I really love how the lessons start at an early age and continue on throughout the students’ primary education careers.