What does PE look like at this grade?

Students keep building basic movement skills like running, jumping, skipping, throwing, catching, kicking, and dribbling. They also start using those skills together in small games and simple team activities. Fitness, fair play, and trying hard are all part of the grade.

How can families support PE at home?

Aim for an hour of active play most days. Toss a ball back and forth, ride bikes, jump rope, play tag, or shoot baskets in the driveway. Short bursts of movement during homework breaks also count and help build the habit.

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

Focus on effort and improvement, not winning. Practice one skill at a time, like catching a tennis ball off the wall or dribbling a soccer ball around cones in the yard. Small wins each week build real confidence.

How should the year be sequenced?

A common path is locomotor and non-locomotor skills in the fall, manipulative skills like throwing, catching, and striking in the winter, and small-sided games and fitness units in the spring. Revisit each skill set in short cycles rather than treating units as one and done.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Overhand throwing form, catching with the hands instead of the chest, and striking with a bat or paddle tend to lag. Build in short warm-up stations that revisit these skills across units so practice keeps adding up.

How do students show progress in fitness without testing every week?

Use quick self-checks during activity, like noting how breathing and heart rate change after running. Have students set a personal goal for one skill or fitness area each unit and check in at the end. Growth over time matters more than a single score.

What do cooperation and respect look like at this grade?

Students take turns, include classmates of different skill levels, follow safety rules, and accept calls without arguing. Teachers should name these behaviors out loud during games so students hear what good teamwork sounds like.

How do I know a child is ready for the next grade in PE?

By spring, students should perform basic skills with control, combine two skills in a game such as dribble then pass, follow rules in small-sided games, and talk about why activity matters for their health. Steady effort and fair play are just as important as skill level.

What does a student learn in ?

This is the year movement skills get sharper and more deliberate. Students combine skills like running, jumping, throwing, and catching into real games and activities, and they start to notice how their bodies respond to exercise. Working with classmates becomes a bigger focus, with practice in taking turns, encouraging others, and handling wins and losses. By spring, students can join a group game, follow the rules, and explain one way being active keeps them healthy.

Movement skills
Teamwork
Fitness habits
Game play
Healthy choices

Source: Maine Maine Learning Results

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 well and warming up
Students get back into shape after summer. They practice running, skipping, jumping, and balancing, and learn how to warm up their bodies before harder activity.
2
Throwing, catching, and kicking
Students sharpen the skills that show up in most games. They throw and catch with a partner, kick toward a target, and start to control where the ball goes.
3
Teamwork in games
Students play small-sided games where rules and teammates matter. They practice taking turns, passing to others, following directions, and handling wins and losses without drama.
4
Fitness and healthy habits
Students learn what makes a body stronger and what raises a heart rate. They try activities that build endurance and flexibility, and track how their effort changes over a few weeks.
5
Sports skills and lifelong activity
Students put it all together in sport-style units and outdoor play. They pick activities they enjoy and talk about how to stay active outside of school.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 4.

Physical Education

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

ME-PE.1.4

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and everyday activity.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

ME-PE.2.4

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

ME-PE.3.4

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and solving small disagreements without a fight. The goal is to be a fair, cooperative partner whether playing alone or in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

ME-PE.4.4

Students practice skills like throwing or jumping, recognize how movement makes them feel stronger or less stressed, and start choosing activities they actually want to keep doing.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and everyday activity.	ME-PE.1.4
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form.	ME-PE.2.4
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and solving small disagreements without a fight. The goal is to be a fair, cooperative partner whether playing alone or in a group.	ME-PE.3.4
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice skills like throwing or jumping, recognize how movement makes them feel stronger or less stressed, and start choosing activities they actually want to keep doing.	ME-PE.4.4

Physical Education

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

ME-PE.1.4

Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and everyday activity.
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance

ME-PE.2.4

Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form.
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…

ME-PE.3.4

Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and solving small disagreements without a fight. The goal is to be a fair, cooperative partner whether playing alone or in a group.
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement

ME-PE.4.4

Students practice skills like throwing or jumping, recognize how movement makes them feel stronger or less stressed, and start choosing activities they actually want to keep doing.

Standard	Definition	Code
Develop a variety of motor skills, including locomotor, non-locomotor	Students practice moving in different ways, like running, balancing, and throwing, to build the physical skills they'll use in sports, games, and everyday activity.	ME-PE.1.4
Apply knowledge related to movement, performance	Students use what they know about how the body moves and stays healthy to make better choices during physical activity, like adjusting effort, pacing themselves, or improving form.	ME-PE.2.4
Develop social skills through movement, including respect for self and others…	Students practice working with classmates during physical activities: taking turns, listening, and solving small disagreements without a fight. The goal is to be a fair, cooperative partner whether playing alone or in a group.	ME-PE.3.4
Develop personal skills, identify personal benefits of movement	Students practice skills like throwing or jumping, recognize how movement makes them feel stronger or less stressed, and start choosing activities they actually want to keep doing.	ME-PE.4.4

Common Questions

What does PE look like at this grade?
Students keep building basic movement skills like running, jumping, skipping, throwing, catching, kicking, and dribbling. They also start using those skills together in small games and simple team activities. Fitness, fair play, and trying hard are all part of the grade.
How can families support PE at home?
Aim for an hour of active play most days. Toss a ball back and forth, ride bikes, jump rope, play tag, or shoot baskets in the driveway. Short bursts of movement during homework breaks also count and help build the habit.
My child says they are bad at sports. What should I do?
Focus on effort and improvement, not winning. Practice one skill at a time, like catching a tennis ball off the wall or dribbling a soccer ball around cones in the yard. Small wins each week build real confidence.
How should the year be sequenced?
A common path is locomotor and non-locomotor skills in the fall, manipulative skills like throwing, catching, and striking in the winter, and small-sided games and fitness units in the spring. Revisit each skill set in short cycles rather than treating units as one and done.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Overhand throwing form, catching with the hands instead of the chest, and striking with a bat or paddle tend to lag. Build in short warm-up stations that revisit these skills across units so practice keeps adding up.
How do students show progress in fitness without testing every week?
Use quick self-checks during activity, like noting how breathing and heart rate change after running. Have students set a personal goal for one skill or fitness area each unit and check in at the end. Growth over time matters more than a single score.
What do cooperation and respect look like at this grade?
Students take turns, include classmates of different skill levels, follow safety rules, and accept calls without arguing. Teachers should name these behaviors out loud during games so students hear what good teamwork sounds like.
How do I know a child is ready for the next grade in PE?
By spring, students should perform basic skills with control, combine two skills in a game such as dribble then pass, follow rules in small-sided games, and talk about why activity matters for their health. Steady effort and fair play are just as important as skill level.