PE & Health

Physical Education and Health are used to teach students the skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential to live a healthy lifestyle. These genres are important in our students' everyday lives. Often students might not be receiving information about their health at home or anywhere else, so it is important that we present them with the accurate information they need about taking care of themselves. Students' health is a major factor in their academic performance, so incorporating informational texts about PE & Health into our classroom instruction can be very helpful.While both of these genres are more likely to be taught outside of the general education classroom, there are times that educators will need to add these topics to their classroom instruction. We might also be presented with students needing help with a particular issue, and we need to have access to the resources and information that the student will need. When looking for books to cover these topics, information must be accurate and up-to-date, and also should be relevant and appropriate to the age of students in the classroom. The books should include lots of facts, but also needs to be presented in a manner in which the students can easily interpret the text.

Some of my favorite book choices:

Staying Healthy: Let's Exercise (Library of Healthy Living)
By: Alice B. McGuinty


McGuinty, Alice B. (1999). Staying healthy: let's exercise (library of healthy living). London, UK: Franklin Watts.

Interest Level: Ages 5 and up
Grade Level: 3.2
Lexile: 540L
Guided Reading: Q/R

Kids need to learn about eating right, getting enough rest, and exercising regularly. These may seem like basic facts, but in some families these needs are neglected. Not all kids are taught how to take care of their health and their bodies at home, so it is important to provide those students with the resources that they will need to be as healthy as they can be. The Library of Healthy Living put out a small series of books teaching children about various PE & Health related topics. These books are very informative and written well. This text could easily be used for a health unit in an elementary classroom, or as a resource for students who need some extra personal   care instruction. 

MyPlate and You
By: Gillia M. Olson


Olson, Gillia M. (2011). Myplate and you. North Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press.

Interest Level: Ages 4-8
Grade Level: Preschool-1
Lexile: 700L
Guided Reading:  Not Available

MyPlate and You helps makes sense of the basics of the MyPyramid so that students can make better food and activity choices. This book serves as the current nutrition guide. It has simple and clear text, yet is very informative.  The pictures are bright and realistic to maximize student engagement. It is an excellent text to use to introduce nutrition to the lower elementary grades. Another positive is that it has a website that aligns with its information to make the experience more hands-on, or to research information more deeply. 
  
MyPlate website