What should students be able to do in PE this year?

Students build on basic movement skills like running, jumping, throwing, catching, and dribbling, and start using them in real games and activities. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to work well with teammates.

How can families support physical activity at home?

Aim for about an hour of active time most days. Walks after dinner, bike rides, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a quick game of catch all count. Letting students pick the activity makes it more likely to stick.

My child says they are bad at sports. How should families respond?

At this age students compare themselves to peers and often give up early. Focus on effort and small wins, like making three passes in a row or improving a personal time. Try activities outside team sports, such as hiking, swimming, or dance, so students find something they enjoy.

How should the year be sequenced across units?

A common pattern is fitness concepts and personal goals early in the fall, invasion and net games in the winter, and striking, fielding, and outdoor pursuits in the spring. Revisit cooperation and communication skills inside each unit rather than teaching them once and moving on.

What usually needs the most reteaching at this grade?

Tracking and striking a moving object, off-ball positioning in games, and pacing during sustained activity. Many students also need practice giving and receiving feedback without it turning personal, which shows up most in small-sided games.

How much does fitness testing matter at this age?

Fitness data is more useful as a personal baseline than as a grade. Have students track their own results across the year and set one or two goals they can actually influence, like push-ups or a timed walk-run. Compare students to their own earlier scores, not to each other.

What does a strong end of year look like?

By spring, students can join a new game, follow the rules, use the right skills under pressure, and stay active without constant prompting. They can also explain why warm-ups, sleep, and hydration matter, and name one activity they want to keep doing outside of school.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year physical education shifts from playing games to understanding how the body works during them. Students refine the basic skills of running, jumping, throwing, and catching, then apply them in team sports and fitness activities. They also learn to cooperate with classmates, follow rules, and take responsibility for their own effort. By spring, students can explain why warming up matters and pick activities they enjoy enough to do on their own.

Motor skills
Team sports
Fitness basics
Cooperation
Healthy habits

Source: Massachusetts Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks

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 with skill and control
Students sharpen the basics of running, jumping, throwing, catching, and balancing in games and warm-ups. Parents may notice steadier coordination and more confidence trying new activities.
2
Playing as a team
Students practice working with classmates through cooperative games and small-sided sports. The focus is on listening, taking turns, encouraging others, and handling wins and losses without drama.
3
Understanding fitness
Students learn how the body responds to exercise, including heart rate, breathing, strength, and flexibility. They start to recognize which activities build endurance and why warm-ups and cool-downs matter.
4
Choosing an active life
Students set personal activity goals and reflect on what they enjoy outside of class, from biking to dancing to pickup games. The aim is to connect daily movement with feeling well year-round.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 6.

Physical Education

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

MA-PE.1.6

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching a ball. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active now and later in life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MA-PE.2.6

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during activity. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the exercise actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MA-PE.3.6

Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how they treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they move.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MA-PE.4.6

Students practice setting personal fitness goals, name the real benefits they get from moving (better sleep, less stress, more energy), and start building habits they can carry into adult life.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching a ball. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active now and later in life.	MA-PE.1.6
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during activity. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the exercise actually demands.	MA-PE.2.6
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how they treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they move.	MA-PE.3.6
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals, name the real benefits they get from moving (better sleep, less stress, more energy), and start building habits they can carry into adult life.	MA-PE.4.6

Physical Education

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

MA-PE.1.6

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching a ball. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active now and later in life.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MA-PE.2.6

Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during activity. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the exercise actually demands.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MA-PE.3.6

Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how they treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they move.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MA-PE.4.6

Students practice setting personal fitness goals, name the real benefits they get from moving (better sleep, less stress, more energy), and start building habits they can carry into adult life.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing or catching a ball. Building these skills gives students more ways to stay active now and later in life.	MA-PE.1.6
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays fit to make smarter choices during activity. That means adjusting effort, form, or pacing based on what the exercise actually demands.	MA-PE.2.6
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with others during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and handling wins or losses with respect. The focus is on how they treat teammates and opponents, not just how well they move.	MA-PE.3.6
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice setting personal fitness goals, name the real benefits they get from moving (better sleep, less stress, more energy), and start building habits they can carry into adult life.	MA-PE.4.6

Common Questions

What should students be able to do in PE this year?
Students build on basic movement skills like running, jumping, throwing, catching, and dribbling, and start using them in real games and activities. They also learn how exercise affects the body and how to work well with teammates.
How can families support physical activity at home?
Aim for about an hour of active time most days. Walks after dinner, bike rides, shooting hoops in the driveway, or a quick game of catch all count. Letting students pick the activity makes it more likely to stick.
My child says they are bad at sports. How should families respond?
At this age students compare themselves to peers and often give up early. Focus on effort and small wins, like making three passes in a row or improving a personal time. Try activities outside team sports, such as hiking, swimming, or dance, so students find something they enjoy.
How should the year be sequenced across units?
A common pattern is fitness concepts and personal goals early in the fall, invasion and net games in the winter, and striking, fielding, and outdoor pursuits in the spring. Revisit cooperation and communication skills inside each unit rather than teaching them once and moving on.
What usually needs the most reteaching at this grade?
Tracking and striking a moving object, off-ball positioning in games, and pacing during sustained activity. Many students also need practice giving and receiving feedback without it turning personal, which shows up most in small-sided games.
How much does fitness testing matter at this age?
Fitness data is more useful as a personal baseline than as a grade. Have students track their own results across the year and set one or two goals they can actually influence, like push-ups or a timed walk-run. Compare students to their own earlier scores, not to each other.
What does a strong end of year look like?
By spring, students can join a new game, follow the rules, use the right skills under pressure, and stay active without constant prompting. They can also explain why warm-ups, sleep, and hydration matter, and name one activity they want to keep doing outside of school.