What should students be able to do in PE by the end of the year?

Students should run, skip, hop, gallop, and jump with control. They should also throw, catch, kick, and bounce a ball with reasonable aim. Most students can follow game rules, take turns, and play cooperatively with a partner or small group.

How can families help build physical skills at home?

Play catch in the yard, ride bikes, or kick a ball back and forth for ten minutes a day. Jumping rope, hopscotch, and tag all build the same skills practiced at school. The goal is regular movement, not perfect form.

What movement skills usually need the most practice?

Catching, striking with a paddle or bat, and skipping tend to lag behind running and throwing. Galloping on the non-dominant side often needs extra reps. Build short skill stations into warm-ups so these get touched every week instead of taught in one unit.

How much physical activity should students get each day?

Aim for at least 60 minutes of active play a day, broken into chunks if needed. Recess and PE help, but most of it happens at home. Walking to the park, playing outside after dinner, or dancing in the living room all count.

How do I sequence motor skills across the year?

Start with locomotor skills like running, skipping, and jumping in the fall while the weather allows big space. Move into manipulative skills like throwing, catching, and kicking through winter. Spring is a good time for combining skills into small-sided games.

My child says they are bad at sports. What should I do?

Focus on effort and fun, not winning. Pick activities where students can feel successful quickly, like riding a scooter, swimming, or hiking. Confidence at this age comes from repeated tries in a low-pressure setting, not from being the fastest on the field.

How do I teach cooperation and fair play in a busy gym?

Build clear routines for sharing equipment, choosing partners, and handling disagreements. Short partner activities give more chances to practice taking turns than full-class games. Name the behavior when it happens so students hear what good teamwork sounds like.

How will I know students are ready for next year?

By spring, students should move through a basic obstacle course, throw and catch with a partner, and follow the rules of a simple game without constant reminders. They should also name one or two reasons movement is good for the body.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement starts to feel like a skill, not just play. Students practice running, skipping, jumping, throwing, catching, and kicking with more control, and they learn simple rules for sharing space safely. They also start noticing how their body feels when it works hard, like a faster heartbeat or warmer skin. By spring, students can take turns in a game, follow directions from a coach, and name a few activities they enjoy outside of school.

Running and jumping
Throwing and catching
Following game rules
Teamwork
Healthy habits

Source: Rhode Island Rhode Island 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 with others
Students start the year learning how to share space in the gym. They practice walking, running, and skipping without bumping into classmates, and they learn the routines that keep everyone safe.
2
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students work on handling balls and beanbags. They practice tossing to a partner, catching with two hands, and kicking toward a target, building the basics behind most playground games.
3
Teamwork and fair play
Students start playing simple group games with rules. They take turns, cheer on classmates, and work out small disagreements without an adult stepping in every time.
4
Fitness and healthy habits
Students learn why their heart beats faster when they run and why stretching helps. They try short fitness activities and talk about how moving every day keeps the body strong.
5
Choosing to stay active
Students put it all together in games and movement challenges. They pick activities they enjoy and start to see exercise as something fun they want to keep doing outside of school.

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

RI-PE.1.2

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the foundation to stay active in sports, play, and everyday movement.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

RI-PE.2.2

Students learn why warming up, practicing, and moving their bodies regularly helps them get better at physical activities and stay healthy.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

RI-PE.3.2

Students practice working with classmates during games and activities. They take turns, follow shared rules, and treat others the way they want to be treated.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

RI-PE.4.2

Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes their body feel. They begin choosing activities they enjoy as a way to build a habit of staying active.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the foundation to stay active in sports, play, and everyday movement.	RI-PE.1.2
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students learn why warming up, practicing, and moving their bodies regularly helps them get better at physical activities and stay healthy.	RI-PE.2.2
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during games and activities. They take turns, follow shared rules, and treat others the way they want to be treated.	RI-PE.3.2
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes their body feel. They begin choosing activities they enjoy as a way to build a habit of staying active.	RI-PE.4.2

Physical Education

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

RI-PE.1.2

Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the foundation to stay active in sports, play, and everyday movement.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

RI-PE.2.2

Students learn why warming up, practicing, and moving their bodies regularly helps them get better at physical activities and stay healthy.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

RI-PE.3.2

Students practice working with classmates during games and activities. They take turns, follow shared rules, and treat others the way they want to be treated.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

RI-PE.4.2

Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes their body feel. They begin choosing activities they enjoy as a way to build a habit of staying active.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving their bodies in different ways: running, jumping, balancing, throwing, and catching. Building these skills gives students the foundation to stay active in sports, play, and everyday movement.	RI-PE.1.2
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students learn why warming up, practicing, and moving their bodies regularly helps them get better at physical activities and stay healthy.	RI-PE.2.2
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during games and activities. They take turns, follow shared rules, and treat others the way they want to be treated.	RI-PE.3.2
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice basic movement skills and start to notice how being active makes their body feel. They begin choosing activities they enjoy as a way to build a habit of staying active.	RI-PE.4.2

Common Questions

What should students be able to do in PE by the end of the year?
Students should run, skip, hop, gallop, and jump with control. They should also throw, catch, kick, and bounce a ball with reasonable aim. Most students can follow game rules, take turns, and play cooperatively with a partner or small group.
How can families help build physical skills at home?
Play catch in the yard, ride bikes, or kick a ball back and forth for ten minutes a day. Jumping rope, hopscotch, and tag all build the same skills practiced at school. The goal is regular movement, not perfect form.
What movement skills usually need the most practice?
Catching, striking with a paddle or bat, and skipping tend to lag behind running and throwing. Galloping on the non-dominant side often needs extra reps. Build short skill stations into warm-ups so these get touched every week instead of taught in one unit.
How much physical activity should students get each day?
Aim for at least 60 minutes of active play a day, broken into chunks if needed. Recess and PE help, but most of it happens at home. Walking to the park, playing outside after dinner, or dancing in the living room all count.
How do I sequence motor skills across the year?
Start with locomotor skills like running, skipping, and jumping in the fall while the weather allows big space. Move into manipulative skills like throwing, catching, and kicking through winter. Spring is a good time for combining skills into small-sided games.
My child says they are bad at sports. What should I do?
Focus on effort and fun, not winning. Pick activities where students can feel successful quickly, like riding a scooter, swimming, or hiking. Confidence at this age comes from repeated tries in a low-pressure setting, not from being the fastest on the field.
How do I teach cooperation and fair play in a busy gym?
Build clear routines for sharing equipment, choosing partners, and handling disagreements. Short partner activities give more chances to practice taking turns than full-class games. Name the behavior when it happens so students hear what good teamwork sounds like.
How will I know students are ready for next year?
By spring, students should move through a basic obstacle course, throw and catch with a partner, and follow the rules of a simple game without constant reminders. They should also name one or two reasons movement is good for the body.