What does PE look like at this age?

Students practice running, skipping, hopping, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and balancing. They play simple games that mix moving safely with others and following directions. Most lessons focus on building basic body control and learning to share space.

How can families support active habits at home?

Plan 30 to 60 minutes of active play most days. Tossing a ball in the yard, riding a bike, jumping rope, or chasing games at the park all count. Active time with a parent matters more than any drill or program.

What skills usually need the most reteaching?

Catching with hands instead of trapping against the body, skipping with alternating feet, and overhand throwing with opposite foot forward tend to lag. Plan short, frequent practice across the year rather than one long unit. Use small groups so every student gets many tries.

How do I help if students struggle with throwing or catching?

Start with a soft, slow ball and stand close. Roll first, then bounce, then toss underhand. Once catching is steady, back up a step at a time. Five minutes a day beats a long session once a week.

How should I sequence motor skills across the year?

Build locomotor skills like running, skipping, and galloping early in the fall. Add throwing, catching, and kicking through winter, then layer those into simple partner games and small-sided activities in spring. Revisit balance and body control throughout, since other skills depend on it.

What does cooperation look like in second grade PE?

Students take turns, share equipment, use kind words, and follow safety rules during partner and small-group activities. They are learning to lose a round without quitting and to include a classmate who is left out. Teachers name and praise these behaviors as they happen.

How do I know a student is ready for the next grade?

By spring, students can run, skip, and gallop with control, throw and catch a playground ball with a partner, and kick a rolling ball. They can name one or two reasons exercise is good for the body and play a simple group game without constant reminders about rules.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement gets more deliberate. Students sharpen the basics like skipping, hopping, throwing, catching, and kicking, and start paying attention to how their body moves and why warming up matters. They also practice taking turns, sharing space safely, and working with a partner during games. By spring, students can play a simple group game while following the rules and using steady, controlled movements.

Motor skills
Throwing and catching
Fitness basics
Teamwork
Active play

Source: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Core Standards

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 safely together
Students learn how to move around the gym without bumping into others. They practice walking, jogging, and skipping in different directions and stopping on a signal.
2
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students work on sending and receiving balls with hands and feet. Expect more confidence tossing to a partner, catching a bounce, and kicking toward a target.
3
Playing fair with classmates
Students practice taking turns, sharing equipment, and using kind words during games. They learn what good sportsmanship looks like when a team wins and when it loses.
4
Fitness and healthy habits
Students notice how their bodies feel during exercise, from a faster heartbeat to deeper breathing. They learn why moving every day helps them feel strong and ready to learn.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 2.

Physical Education

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

PA-PE.1.2

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as jumping, balancing, and throwing. These skills build the foundation for sports, play, and staying active as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

PA-PE.2.2

Students connect 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…

PA-PE.3.2

Students practice working with classmates during movement activities. They take turns, follow rules, listen to others, and behave responsibly whether working alone or in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

PA-PE.4.2

Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes them feel. The goal is to build habits they will want to keep for life.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as jumping, balancing, and throwing. These skills build the foundation for sports, play, and staying active as they grow.	PA-PE.1.2
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during games, exercises, and active play.	PA-PE.2.2
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during movement activities. They take turns, follow rules, listen to others, and behave responsibly whether working alone or in a group.	PA-PE.3.2
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes them feel. The goal is to build habits they will want to keep for life.	PA-PE.4.2

Physical Education

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

PA-PE.1.2

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as jumping, balancing, and throwing. These skills build the foundation for sports, play, and staying active as they grow.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

PA-PE.2.2

Students connect 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…

PA-PE.3.2

Students practice working with classmates during movement activities. They take turns, follow rules, listen to others, and behave responsibly whether working alone or in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

PA-PE.4.2

Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes them feel. The goal is to build habits they will want to keep for life.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways, such as jumping, balancing, and throwing. These skills build the foundation for sports, play, and staying active as they grow.	PA-PE.1.2
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students connect what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during games, exercises, and active play.	PA-PE.2.2
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during movement activities. They take turns, follow rules, listen to others, and behave responsibly whether working alone or in a group.	PA-PE.3.2
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes them feel. The goal is to build habits they will want to keep for life.	PA-PE.4.2

Common Questions

What does PE look like at this age?
Students practice running, skipping, hopping, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and balancing. They play simple games that mix moving safely with others and following directions. Most lessons focus on building basic body control and learning to share space.
How can families support active habits at home?
Plan 30 to 60 minutes of active play most days. Tossing a ball in the yard, riding a bike, jumping rope, or chasing games at the park all count. Active time with a parent matters more than any drill or program.
What skills usually need the most reteaching?
Catching with hands instead of trapping against the body, skipping with alternating feet, and overhand throwing with opposite foot forward tend to lag. Plan short, frequent practice across the year rather than one long unit. Use small groups so every student gets many tries.
How do I help if students struggle with throwing or catching?
Start with a soft, slow ball and stand close. Roll first, then bounce, then toss underhand. Once catching is steady, back up a step at a time. Five minutes a day beats a long session once a week.
How should I sequence motor skills across the year?
Build locomotor skills like running, skipping, and galloping early in the fall. Add throwing, catching, and kicking through winter, then layer those into simple partner games and small-sided activities in spring. Revisit balance and body control throughout, since other skills depend on it.
What does cooperation look like in second grade PE?
Students take turns, share equipment, use kind words, and follow safety rules during partner and small-group activities. They are learning to lose a round without quitting and to include a classmate who is left out. Teachers name and praise these behaviors as they happen.
How do I know a student is ready for the next grade?
By spring, students can run, skip, and gallop with control, throw and catch a playground ball with a partner, and kick a rolling ball. They can name one or two reasons exercise is good for the body and play a simple group game without constant reminders about rules.