When we think about the health or physical education classes of elementary school, we rarely put them in a category of importance compared to math and reading. Yet the value of gym classes should not be understated. A child’s development is affected by their interaction with fellow students and friends to a greater degree than the influence of any of their teachers. Being able to cooperate and work in a team is an undervalued but extremely important life skill that cannot be developed with the social studies or science lessons that fill up the remainder of the day. How can PE class help kids develop social skills? There are a few key ways.
The biochemistry of the brain in growing children is still somewhat of a mystery to most psychologists and behavior analysts, but all agree that children of a school-going age learn far more from imitation of one another than they do from verbal or written communication. The hard-wiring of a child’s brain is suited to an environment in which it is necessary to imitate successful performances in order to survive (in the primal wilderness, this meant collecting food and evading predators), especially physical feats.
Gym class will obviously emphasize physical strength: children who perform well are imitated by those who wish to make up the difference, meaning that kids in PE classes learn how to follow successful models of performance. Likewise, it gives leadership skills to those children who are better at physical activity. Active sports in gym class go a step further by teaching kids the value of mutual exertion. Large team sports, like soccer or dodgeball, require every child to work together in order to succeed. This imitates the teamwork and group assignments they handle in classes, emphasizing the importance of working together in order to achieve a common goal.