What should students be able to do in PE by the end of the year?

Students should run, skip, jump, hop, and gallop with control, and throw, catch, kick, and dribble with steady form. They should also play fair, follow rules, and work with a partner or small group without needing constant reminders.

How can families support PE at home?

Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. Toss a ball back and forth, jump rope, ride bikes, or play tag at the park. The goal is steady practice with simple skills like throwing, catching, kicking, and balancing, not drills.

What does fitness mean at this age?

Students learn that moving makes the heart beat faster, the lungs work harder, and the muscles feel stronger. They start to notice when they are warmed up, tired, or thirsty, and connect those feelings to healthy habits like sleep, water, and active play.

How should units be sequenced across the year?

Start with locomotor skills and personal space, then move into throwing and catching, then dribbling with hands and feet, then striking with hands and short implements. Build cooperative games and small-sided play on top of those skills in the second half of the year.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Opposite-foot stepping when throwing, tracking a moving ball with the eyes, and dribbling while looking up are the common sticking points. Plan short skill stations and quick cues rather than long demonstrations, and revisit each skill across several units.

My child says they are bad at sports. What helps?

Practice one skill at a time in the backyard or driveway, with no score and no audience. Five minutes of catching a soft ball or kicking against a wall builds confidence quickly. Praise effort and small wins, not winning.

How are social skills taught in PE?

Students learn to take turns, share equipment, encourage teammates, and solve small disagreements during games. Partner and small-group activities give them daily practice with cooperation and communication, with the teacher coaching expectations in the moment.

How do I know students are ready for next year?

By spring, students should combine skills in a game, like dribbling and then passing, or running and then catching. They should also explain why warming up matters, name an activity they enjoy, and play cooperatively in groups of four to six.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement gets sharper and more purposeful. Students throw, catch, kick, jump, and balance with better control, and they start to understand why warming up, breathing hard, and resting matter. Working with classmates becomes a bigger part of gym class, with real practice in taking turns and playing fair. By spring, students can keep a steady throw and catch going with a partner and explain how exercise helps their body.

Throwing and catching
Locomotor skills
Fitness basics
Teamwork
Healthy habits

Source: Illinois Illinois Learning Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Moving and warming up
Students get back into the habit of safe, active play. They practice running, skipping, hopping, and jumping with control, and learn the routines for sharing space and equipment in the gym.
2
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students work on the building blocks of most playground games. They send and receive balls with hands and feet, aim at targets, and start to track a moving object well enough to catch it.
3
Teamwork and fair play
Students play small group games where the focus is on cooperation, not winning. They practice taking turns, encouraging classmates, following rules, and handling wins and losses without drama.
4
Fitness and healthy habits
Students learn what their bodies do during exercise. They notice a faster heartbeat, warmer skin, and harder breathing, and they try activities that build strength, stamina, and flexibility.
5
Dance, rhythm, and balance
Students move to music and counts, follow simple patterns, and try balance challenges. This is where coordination gets a real workout, and shy movers often find something they enjoy.
6
Active choices for life
Students try a range of activities and start to name which ones they like and why. They talk about how to stay active outside of school and set small goals for movement at home.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

IL-PE.1.3

Students practice moving skills like running, jumping, throwing, and balancing. Building these basics makes it easier to stay active in sports and games now and later.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

IL-PE.2.3

Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to take part in physical activities. That might mean understanding why stretching matters, how to pace a run, or how to move safely with others.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

IL-PE.3.3

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, sharing space, and supporting each other during games or group movement tasks.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

IL-PE.4.3

Students practice skills like jumping, throwing, or balancing, then talk about why moving regularly feels good and matters for staying healthy. The goal is building habits they'll actually want to keep.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving skills like running, jumping, throwing, and balancing. Building these basics makes it easier to stay active in sports and games now and later.	IL-PE.1.3
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to take part in physical activities. That might mean understanding why stretching matters, how to pace a run, or how to move safely with others.	IL-PE.2.3
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, sharing space, and supporting each other during games or group movement tasks.	IL-PE.3.3
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice skills like jumping, throwing, or balancing, then talk about why moving regularly feels good and matters for staying healthy. The goal is building habits they'll actually want to keep.	IL-PE.4.3

Physical Education

Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor

IL-PE.1.3

Students practice moving skills like running, jumping, throwing, and balancing. Building these basics makes it easier to stay active in sports and games now and later.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

IL-PE.2.3

Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to take part in physical activities. That might mean understanding why stretching matters, how to pace a run, or how to move safely with others.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

IL-PE.3.3

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, sharing space, and supporting each other during games or group movement tasks.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

IL-PE.4.3

Students practice skills like jumping, throwing, or balancing, then talk about why moving regularly feels good and matters for staying healthy. The goal is building habits they'll actually want to keep.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving skills like running, jumping, throwing, and balancing. Building these basics makes it easier to stay active in sports and games now and later.	IL-PE.1.3
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how their body moves and stays healthy to take part in physical activities. That might mean understanding why stretching matters, how to pace a run, or how to move safely with others.	IL-PE.2.3
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, sharing space, and supporting each other during games or group movement tasks.	IL-PE.3.3
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice skills like jumping, throwing, or balancing, then talk about why moving regularly feels good and matters for staying healthy. The goal is building habits they'll actually want to keep.	IL-PE.4.3

Common Questions

What should students be able to do in PE by the end of the year?
Students should run, skip, jump, hop, and gallop with control, and throw, catch, kick, and dribble with steady form. They should also play fair, follow rules, and work with a partner or small group without needing constant reminders.
How can families support PE at home?
Aim for 60 minutes of active play most days. Toss a ball back and forth, jump rope, ride bikes, or play tag at the park. The goal is steady practice with simple skills like throwing, catching, kicking, and balancing, not drills.
What does fitness mean at this age?
Students learn that moving makes the heart beat faster, the lungs work harder, and the muscles feel stronger. They start to notice when they are warmed up, tired, or thirsty, and connect those feelings to healthy habits like sleep, water, and active play.
How should units be sequenced across the year?
Start with locomotor skills and personal space, then move into throwing and catching, then dribbling with hands and feet, then striking with hands and short implements. Build cooperative games and small-sided play on top of those skills in the second half of the year.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Opposite-foot stepping when throwing, tracking a moving ball with the eyes, and dribbling while looking up are the common sticking points. Plan short skill stations and quick cues rather than long demonstrations, and revisit each skill across several units.
My child says they are bad at sports. What helps?
Practice one skill at a time in the backyard or driveway, with no score and no audience. Five minutes of catching a soft ball or kicking against a wall builds confidence quickly. Praise effort and small wins, not winning.
How are social skills taught in PE?
Students learn to take turns, share equipment, encourage teammates, and solve small disagreements during games. Partner and small-group activities give them daily practice with cooperation and communication, with the teacher coaching expectations in the moment.
How do I know students are ready for next year?
By spring, students should combine skills in a game, like dribbling and then passing, or running and then catching. They should also explain why warming up matters, name an activity they enjoy, and play cooperatively in groups of four to six.