Adopting Physical Activities and Physical Skills of Japanese Early Childhood Model

Abstract

Routine and systematic physical activities which are focusing on development of physical skills have not been wellconsidered yet in our partner, Early Child care and Education (ECE) in Klaten, Central Java Indonesia. Instructors are mostly do not have sufficient knowledge on the importance of child physical activities and its relation to brain development. The Centre for Japanese Studies of Sebelas Maret University have tried to introduce a Japanese model of physical activities at ECEs since 2014, through annual workshop. After two years of practices, the perspective of instructors on physical activities are changed significantly, and trained instructors have challenged to develop animal mimic activities, which were adopted from Saito Kimiko's model, and put these as a regular morning program for children. In 2016, the theme of the workshop is practicing and assessing physical skills of children. 36 types of physicals exercises and 7 physical skills of Japanese model are introduced to 75 instructors from 21 ECE institutions in Klaten. Participants further learned and formulated cooperatively the adopted model. Questionnaire on perspective changes indicates that all participants stated the significant change before and after the training. Ten participants are selected to be interviewed on their perspective changes and action research about physical activities and physical skills of children.