What does physical education look like this year?

Students practice running, jumping, skipping, balancing, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking. They also start connecting these skills to games and fitness, and learn how to work with a partner or small group without falling apart.

How can I help my child stay active at home?

Aim for at least an hour of active play most days. Tossing a ball back and forth, jumping rope, riding a bike, or playing tag in the yard all count. Short bursts add up, so a ten-minute game after dinner is worth doing.

My child is clumsy with throwing and catching. Should I worry?

Not yet. Catching and throwing improve with reps, not lectures. Stand about five feet apart with a soft ball and toss back and forth for a few minutes a day. Move farther apart as it gets easier.

How do I sequence skills across the year?

Start with locomotor and balance work in the fall while routines are still forming. Layer in manipulative skills like throwing, catching, dribbling, and striking through winter. Save cooperative games and small-sided play for spring, once skills and social habits are steadier.

What does mastery look like by the end of the year?

Students should move through space safely, change direction under control, and throw and catch with a partner at a short distance. They should also follow game rules, take turns, and recover from losing without shutting down.

Why does my child come home talking about teamwork instead of sports?

Sharing equipment, taking turns, and handling a missed shot are real skills at this age, and they often matter more than the sport itself. Ask what went well with a partner today, not just who won.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Catching with hands instead of trapping against the chest, striking with a steady eye on the ball, and resolving small conflicts during games. Build short skill stations into warm-ups so reps keep happening without stopping the lesson.

How do I know my child is ready for next year?

By spring, students should be able to play a simple game with rules, follow directions in a group, and keep going when something is hard. If gym class is something they look forward to, that is a good sign too.

How can I support fitness habits without making it feel like a chore?

Make movement part of the routine, not a punishment or a reward. Walk to school when you can, dance while cleaning up, or pick a weekend hike. Students this age copy what the adults around them do.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement skills start to come together into real games and routines. Students practice skills like skipping, jumping, throwing, catching, and dribbling, and begin using them in simple games and group activities. They learn to cooperate with classmates, follow rules, and notice how their bodies feel during exercise. By spring, students can join a group game, take turns, and explain why staying active is good for them.

Movement skills
Throwing and catching
Fitness basics
Teamwork
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 and warming up
Students start the year practicing how to run, skip, jump, and stop safely while sharing space with classmates. Parents may hear about warm-ups, cool-downs, and following directions in the gym.
2
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students work on sending and receiving a ball with hands and feet. Expect practice tossing to a target, catching a bounce, and dribbling with control.
3
Teamwork and fair play
Students play small group games that need talking, sharing, and taking turns. Parents may notice their child describing the rules of a game and how the team got along.
4
Fitness and healthy habits
Students learn what their body feels like during exercise, from a faster heartbeat to deeper breathing. They try activities that build strength and stamina and talk about why daily movement matters.
5
Movement for life
Students put skills together in dances, fitness routines, and games they can play outside of school. The focus shifts to finding activities each student enjoys enough to keep doing on their own.

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

MA-PE.1.3

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 as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MA-PE.2.3

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during games, exercises, and active play.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MA-PE.3.3

Students practice working with classmates during movement activities, taking turns, listening, and treating others fairly. These habits show up in games, partner work, and group activities throughout the year.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MA-PE.4.3

Students practice movement skills and start to recognize why staying active feels good. The goal is building habits they'll want to keep, not just skills they use in gym class.

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 as they grow.	MA-PE.1.3
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during games, exercises, and active play.	MA-PE.2.3
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during movement activities, taking turns, listening, and treating others fairly. These habits show up in games, partner work, and group activities throughout the year.	MA-PE.3.3
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice movement skills and start to recognize why staying active feels good. The goal is building habits they'll want to keep, not just skills they use in gym class.	MA-PE.4.3

Physical Education

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

MA-PE.1.3

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 as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

MA-PE.2.3

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during games, exercises, and active play.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

MA-PE.3.3

Students practice working with classmates during movement activities, taking turns, listening, and treating others fairly. These habits show up in games, partner work, and group activities throughout the year.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

MA-PE.4.3

Students practice movement skills and start to recognize why staying active feels good. The goal is building habits they'll want to keep, not just skills they use in gym class.

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 as they grow.	MA-PE.1.3
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during games, exercises, and active play.	MA-PE.2.3
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during movement activities, taking turns, listening, and treating others fairly. These habits show up in games, partner work, and group activities throughout the year.	MA-PE.3.3
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice movement skills and start to recognize why staying active feels good. The goal is building habits they'll want to keep, not just skills they use in gym class.	MA-PE.4.3

Common Questions

What does physical education look like this year?
Students practice running, jumping, skipping, balancing, throwing, catching, kicking, and striking. They also start connecting these skills to games and fitness, and learn how to work with a partner or small group without falling apart.
How can I help my child stay active at home?
Aim for at least an hour of active play most days. Tossing a ball back and forth, jumping rope, riding a bike, or playing tag in the yard all count. Short bursts add up, so a ten-minute game after dinner is worth doing.
My child is clumsy with throwing and catching. Should I worry?
Not yet. Catching and throwing improve with reps, not lectures. Stand about five feet apart with a soft ball and toss back and forth for a few minutes a day. Move farther apart as it gets easier.
How do I sequence skills across the year?
Start with locomotor and balance work in the fall while routines are still forming. Layer in manipulative skills like throwing, catching, dribbling, and striking through winter. Save cooperative games and small-sided play for spring, once skills and social habits are steadier.
What does mastery look like by the end of the year?
Students should move through space safely, change direction under control, and throw and catch with a partner at a short distance. They should also follow game rules, take turns, and recover from losing without shutting down.
Why does my child come home talking about teamwork instead of sports?
Sharing equipment, taking turns, and handling a missed shot are real skills at this age, and they often matter more than the sport itself. Ask what went well with a partner today, not just who won.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Catching with hands instead of trapping against the chest, striking with a steady eye on the ball, and resolving small conflicts during games. Build short skill stations into warm-ups so reps keep happening without stopping the lesson.
How do I know my child is ready for next year?
By spring, students should be able to play a simple game with rules, follow directions in a group, and keep going when something is hard. If gym class is something they look forward to, that is a good sign too.
How can I support fitness habits without making it feel like a chore?
Make movement part of the routine, not a punishment or a reward. Walk to school when you can, dance while cleaning up, or pick a weekend hike. Students this age copy what the adults around them do.