Turn Your Adapted PE Class Into an All-Star Show

By Kevin C Brusotti

There are plenty of ways to adapt sports for a special education class in physical education. However, simply changing the game and keeping it as real as possible can be boring in some cases. I would like to offer some tips to allow students shine by showing off skills that may not be encouraged in a day-to-day physical education.

Basketball is a very popular sport that most students know. The easiest adaption for a lesson in basketball would be to simply place hoola-hoops in the bleachers. However, working on shooting skills on a lower hoop can get old rather quickly. Why not spice things up and host a slam dunk competition? With the hoop lowered, all students will have the ability to dunk safely without needing to jump. Encourage the students to replicate their favorite basketball players and be as fancy as they like. It is very simple to have peers and teachers be the judges, rating each dunk just like in the NBA. Along with rating student's dunks, it is important to create an exciting atmosphere. Cheering and applause after each performance is crucial, let the students know what they did was amazing. Add some fun commentary, "Holy cow! Did you see that slam?! We have a regular Michael Jordan in class!" Students will feed off of this energy and really get into the game.

With a sport like basketball, there is much more that can be done to allow students show off their talents. The game of "Horse" is always a fun game that promotes creativity. Students can show off their ability to do trick shots that people may have never know could be done. Try hook shots or shooting backwards from various distances, some students may even have their own shot to show off.

Dribbling in basketball and soccer allows for a lot of fancy foot or hand work. We have all seen professionals achieve incredible things when handling a soccer ball or basketball. Granted these students are not professional athletes, we need to encourage them to try these fancy skills. Challenge students to juggle the soccer ball as many times as possible. To make this simple, use a beach ball or a balloon so students will be able to juggle for longer. After students have challenged themselves, you can turn it into a team effort. In groups, they can work together to keep the ball up for as long as possible using only their feet. Teach the students how to use their head in a game of soccer (still using a balloon or beach ball) and add that to the juggling contest. The games will be much more fun adding a little flavor with these skill challenges.

These skills may not be conventional or recommended for a class, but adapted physical education is about allowing the students to have fun with their physical activity. Showing off skills is often frowned upon in these sports, but we have to remember this is physical education. We need to promote the showmanship so students can feel like a real superstar in class, something many children dream of all their lives.

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