Moving with a Purpose: Developing Programs for Preschoolers of All Abilities

Moving With a Purpose is much more than a wonderful collection of movement games and activities for preschool-age children. It's also an easy-to-use guide to building movement programs in which every child thrives, including those with special needs.

The book's 15 chapters are packed with information that's so well presented, you'll be able to put it to use immediately even if you have no experience teaching movement programs.

Part I explains why movement is essential for preschoolers' optimum development. You'll learn to use the authors' child-centered approach, which emphasizes learning experiences that are child initiated and teacher facilitated. This approach enables each child to achieve specific goals and objectives that benefit them most. You'll learn what to teach and how to teach it as well as how to observe and assess children's movements.

In Part II you'll find 54 field-tested and proven games and activities, developed over more than 15 years of teaching preschoolers. You can use them anywhere, even if space, time and equipment are limited. Each game and activity description includes tips for modification for children with special needs.

Part III deepens your understanding of children's motor development, offers how-tos for developing and promoting your movement program, and provides tips for working with toddlers.

Part IV focuses on children with special needs and the laws and procedures that define the special education process―from handling referrals all the way through writing an Individual Education Program (IEP). Here the authors stress the importance of parent and teacher partnerships in helping preschoolers of all abilities move, develop physically and mentally, and feel good about themselves.

Use this resource to establish a new preschool movement program, enhance an existing one, or educate preschool therapists and teachers about how to provide a quality movement program with sound educational objectives. The authors are experienced adapted physical education teachers who are passionate about including children with special needs in physical education. Benefit from their many years of experience and see how easy it is to build fun and effective movement programs in which every child succeeds.

Renee M. McCall, MSEd, directs the adapted physical education department for the early education program in the North Syracuse (NY) school district. She works daily with children in an inclusive preschool environment. She has taught preschool adapted physical education for more than 15 years, beginning her career with the United Cerebral Palsy Center of Central New York.

McCall is a stimulating lecturer, workshop leader, and enthusiastic expert on how to conduct a quality preschool movement program. She has written articles on preschool movement for the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (JOPERD) and Teaching Elementary Physical Education journal.

McCall holds a bachelor's degree in physical education from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport and a master's degree with a concentration in adapted physical education from SUNY at Cortland. She is a frequent guest lecturer and college adjunct instructor on the topics of preschool movement and adapted physical education.

Diane H. Craft, PhD, is a professor in the department of physical education at State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland. She teaches adapted physical education and supervises practica providing physical education instruction to people with disabilities. She is a frequent lecturer and workshop leader, and a nationally recognized leader in adapted physical education.

Dr. Craft is president of the National Consortium of Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPERID). She devoted 10 years to directing U.S. Department of Education federal training grants in physical education. She also was a visiting professor at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Before joining the faculty of SUNY Cortland in 1985, Dr. Craft directed the master's and doctoral programs in adapted physical education at New York University. An experienced elementary and high school physical education teacher, Dr. Craft is a committed advocate of including children with disabilities in regular physical education classes. She has written articles for professional journals on including children with disabilities in regular physical education, and she edited a feature on the subject for JOPERD. She also has contributed chapters on learning disabilities and sensory impairments to Joseph Winnick's textbook Adapted Physical Education and Sport.