This manual is concerned with the teaching of gymnastics in the school situation involving classes of pupils, single or mixed gender, with differing abilities, physiques and attitudes. ';School Gymnastics' is produced in two volumes. It contains a comprehensive Teaching Guide, 11 units of work and an extensive ';teaching specific skills' section at the back of Volume 2. At the beginning of each unit there is a description of the material contained and a medium-term plan detailing Learning Objectives, Unit Framework and expected learning outcomes in line with National Curriculum. Each unit comprises progressive work in ';phases' which could be delivered according to the speed/ability of the class. There are 148 photocopiable cards for development/independent learning/check lists/skill challenges etc, which give ample opportunity for teachers to change the complexity or level of challenge for individuals and make the work fully inclusive. Lesson structure, principles of teaching gymnastics to this age group, useful techniques for making the most of available apparatus and a simple meaningful system for assessment and recording are some of the essential areas covered in the teaching guide. The major part of the manual comprises lesson material in 11 very detailed and progressive units of work organised in a way which enables the teacher to select the most appropriate phases of development of difficulty to match the expertise of a class. There is an accompanying CD of music with instructions for a variety of warm-ups. There are masters of over 160 original work cards to aid extension and differentiation in the class situation and a comprehensive section on how to teach individual gymnastic skills by breaking them down into progressive stages.
