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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement gets sharper and more purposeful. Students refine how they run, jump, throw, catch, and kick, and start linking those skills to real games and activities. They learn to cooperate with teammates, follow rules, and notice how exercise makes their bodies feel. By spring, students can play a structured game with peers, take turns, and explain one reason staying active is good for them.

  • Throwing and catching
  • Running and jumping
  • Teamwork
  • Following rules
  • Healthy habits
  • Active games
Source: New Hampshire New Hampshire College and Career Ready 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. 1

    Moving with control

    Students sharpen the basics of running, skipping, jumping, and changing direction. They learn to start and stop with control and move safely around classmates in a busy gym.

  2. 2

    Throwing, catching, and kicking

    Students practice sending and receiving balls with hands and feet. They work on aiming at a target, catching a tossed ball, and dribbling without losing it.

  3. 3

    Playing fair with others

    Students learn how to share equipment, take turns, and encourage teammates. Parents may hear about working with a partner, following game rules, and handling wins and losses.

  4. 4

    Fitness and healthy habits

    Students learn what it feels like when the heart beats faster and muscles get tired. They try short fitness activities and talk about why moving every day keeps the body healthy.

  5. 5

    Games and lifelong activity

    Students put their skills together in small-sided games and active challenges. They pick activities they enjoy and start to see movement as something they can choose outside of school.

Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 3.
Physical Education

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

    NH-PE.1.3

    Students practice moving skills like running, jumping, throwing, and balancing. Building these basics helps them join in sports and active play with more confidence and control.

  • Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

    NH-PE.2.3

    Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to take part in games, exercises, and activities. Understanding why a skill works helps them do it better.

  • Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

    NH-PE.3.3

    Students practice working with classmates during games and activities. They take turns, follow rules, communicate clearly, and treat everyone on the floor with respect.

  • Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

    NH-PE.4.3

    Students learn to recognize what kinds of movement feel good for their body and practice choosing activities they enjoy. The goal is building a habit of staying active that carries past gym class and into everyday life.

Common Questions
  • What does physical education look like at this age?

    Students practice running, skipping, jumping, throwing, catching, kicking, and balancing in games and activities. They start putting skills together, like running and then catching a ball. They also learn how to warm up, cool down, and follow rules during group play.

  • How can families support physical activity at home?

    Aim for about an hour of active play each day. Toss a ball back and forth, ride bikes, jump rope, or play tag at the park. The goal is steady practice with basic skills, not formal training or drills.

  • My child says they are bad at sports. What helps?

    At this age, skills are still developing and improve a lot with low-pressure practice. Pick one skill a week, like catching or dribbling, and practice for five minutes a few times. Praise effort and small improvements rather than winning.

  • How should skills be sequenced across the year?

    Start the year revisiting basic locomotor and non-locomotor skills, then move into manipulative skills like throwing, catching, and striking. Build toward small-sided games in the second half of the year, where students apply skills under light pressure.

  • What fitness concepts should be introduced?

    Students should learn the difference between warm-up, activity, and cool-down, and recognize when their heart is beating faster or they are breathing harder. Keep the vocabulary simple and tie it to what they feel during class.

  • How is cooperation taught alongside movement?

    Build in partner and small-group tasks where students take turns, share equipment, and give simple feedback. Set clear expectations for safety and kind words, and reset quickly when a group struggles. Social skills grow through repeated practice, not a one-time lesson.

  • Does physical education affect classroom learning?

    Regular movement helps with focus, mood, and sleep, which all support classroom learning. Active recess and walks to and from school count too. A short movement break at home before homework can help students settle in.

  • How do I know a student is ready for next year?

    By the end of the year, students should move confidently in basic ways, throw and catch with a partner, and follow rules in small group games. They should also name one or two activities they enjoy and choose to do outside of class.