Project Description:
CHAMPPS is a preschool motor program, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, that provides a pathway to school readiness for all children while supporting the individual needs of children who have disabilities and/or are considered at-risk for developmental delays. The class-wide program is designed for use 2-3 days a week in inclusive preschool classes, addressing the seven fundamental motor skills with universal design for learning strategies embedded in fun motor activities, music videos, a family component, and teacher training.
CHAMPPS is based on the philosophy that every child has the right to be fully engaged in their world, including the right to daily opportunities for motor play and physical activity. This philosophy is consistent with the tenets of UNICEFs Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (2006), the National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (2010) and the Right to Play (2000), all of which emphasize the need to support children in the context of play.
The preschool years are the ideal time to address motor skill development and hone those skills through engagement in physical activities. During this time, preschoolers use their bodies in a variety of ways, which require motor abilities such as locomotion, motor planning and coordination, balance, and object manipulation. And while motor development is important in and of itself, it also impacts other areas of development. Motor skills are viewed as building blocks for many areas of development related to school readiness. School readiness represents a combination of inter-related skills: physical wellbeing and motor development, social-emotional development, language development, cognitive skills (pre-math, pre-reading), approaches to learning (curiosity, sustained attention). While, motor development is important for all children it is especially important for children with developmental delays or disabilities and children who live in poverty. And, given that preschoolers are not sufficiently physically active nor do they regularly participate in programs to support motor development, programs like CHAMPPS are not a luxury but a necessity for overall development.
Children have multiple opportunities to improve their motor skills, increase their physical activity levels and hone school readiness skills.
Teachers and paraprofessionals receive training about motor development, UDL strategies and gain knowledge about integrating school readiness skills into motor play. Teachers and their paraprofessionals also receive a stipend for attending the CHAMPPS training and for providing feedback to us about the program.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Urban
