PMP

PMP- Perceptual Motor Program

We are fortunate to run a PMP program at Miners Rest Primary School. These sessions are with the Miner’s Rest community playgroup that connects the school environment to the community. However, I feel that it is not widely known the work that our students put into these sessions. They not only collect the foam mats needed from the Kinder but they also decide as a group the extra equipment they will use from the sports shed and how all of this equipment will be set up to engage and entertain all of the children attending. It is my observation that our students highlight how fun these sessions are without identifying the learning and benefits to them all. There are many benefits from these sessions for both the playgroup children and our 5/6 students. These include but are not limited to… The development of gross motor skills, Coordination, Balance, eye tracking and Fitness.

Other benefits also include:

• Getting along/teamwork
• Multi age interactions (this encourages our 5/6 students to develop an awareness and understanding of the support young children require when in these environments and the responses they have when around older children.
• Grade 5/6 students after each session will say that the children were shy to begin with but by the end of the session they are playing and joining in.
• These sessions also give our students an insight to the responsibilities of parents and the reason behind them feeling tired at the end of each day. As stated by many students…  toddlers and young children never stay still.

But most of all it’s the student’s compassion, excitement, enthusiasm, engagement, understanding and satisfaction in participating in these sessions and interaction with children that are younger than them. It also gives students the opportunity to take on a leadership role together.

These sessions are also designed to give parents/carers time to relax while our students supervise and play with their children.