#5 - Teaching PE to Preschoolers: What Every PE Teacher Should Know with Sara Whatmore - Distinguished Physical Education Podcast Episodes

For all things Distinguished Physical Education:

My guest today is Sara Whatmore. Sara earned a BA in Child Development from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She taught kindergarten and first grade for 11 years—two of those in Charlotte, North Carolina, and nine in Aurora, Colorado.

She later transitioned into teaching physical education while earning a Master’s in Physical Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Sara now teaches PE at Stephen Knight Center for Early Education in Denver Public Schools, where she combines her experience working with children ages 3–6 with her passion for physical education.

Sara also serves as a regional team specialist, developing and leading professional development for other PE teachers, especially those working with younger grades.

In this episode, we discuss:

The unique needs of Pre-K students in physical education
How to structure developmentally appropriate lessons
Tips for managing transitions and behavior in early childhood PE
Strategies for aligning lessons to physical education standards
The role of play and imagination in supporting motor skill development

Sara brings a thoughtful and joyful approach to teaching early childhood PE—and it was a pleasure to learn from her.

My new book, Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, is available on Amazon.

If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.