Released in 2014, the third edition of the National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education introduced a new goal for elementary school children defined as physical literacy — “the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.”
Sixty-eight years before physical literacy was formalized in the American educational lexicon, Dr. Maria Montessori drew a similar link between physical activity and healthy development in a lecture she called “Movement and Change.”
“We see the child who is freely active change in character. Movement is correlated with character — just with intelligence, but also with character.”
As a Montessori school, WMS has been encouraging free activity in children for over six decades, and graduating students not only meet the criteria for physical literacy but exceed it in myriad ways. Here’s a closer look at how our holistic approach to physical education benefits children at every age and plane of development.
Physical literacy in the Montessori classroom
At WMS, we define physical literacy as three interrelated goals:
- Fundamental Movement Skills — Mastering the building blocks of movement: running, jumping, throwing, balancing, and coordination.
- Physical Confidence and Fitness — Cultivating a positive relationship with the body through skills, teamwork, and self-awareness.
- Active Lifestyle Choices — Inspiring children to view movement as joyful and to develop habits that last a lifetime.
Starting in Lower School, children attend physical education (PE) classes and have the option to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities (more on that in a moment). Purposeful movement is never separate from learning, it’s integrated into every aspect of school life. All of our prepared environments — whether it be the playground, the theatre, or the hallways — are designed to encourage intentional movement.
Empowering children to move appropriately in the classroom is especially important. For our youngest students, Practical Life work — such as sweeping the floor or polishing a cup — can necessitate strength and dexterity that are initially challenging and must be acquired through repetition. Even the Montessori practice of sitting cross-legged on the circle is designed to build core strength.
“In our schools we see that all children have a natural urge to perfect their movements, such as achieving equilibrium, with exercises of practical work. From this we have seen that all development of movement must be related to some intelligent purpose.”
When Montessori materials are introduced, it is the student, not the teacher, who carries the material from the shelf to a table, often requiring them to navigate between workspaces. The expectation is that they move through their shared space thoughtfully and without causing disruption; if this proves to be challenging for a student, they are invited to participate in mindful movement breaks or other self-regulation techniques.
Physical education beyond the classroom
Outside of the classroom environment, WMS students have ample opportunities to explore a wide range of physical activities. We are fortunate to have many areas for intentional movement to take place on campus, including an indoor gymnasium with a regulation basketball court and a rock climbing wall, two soccer fields, four tennis courts, three playgrounds, a quarter-mile campus running track, and 48 acres of woods, trails, rivers, and wetlands.
The WMS Physical Education Philosophy
The WMS educational philosophy espouses the importance of the development of the body as well as the mind. Athletic activities play an important role in preparing our students physically, morally, psychologically, and socially. The school provides opportunities through sports and other physical activities to prepare and inspire our students in preparation for lifelong physical activity and for continuing sports experiences as they move from WMS to secondary school environments.
Students of all skill levels are encouraged to participate in WMS sports and outdoor activities. Physical education classes for younger students aim to develop skills as part of preparation. We believe that the adolescent brain, in particular, is strengthened by opportunities to try new things, take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them in the athletic arena as well as the academic and social.
Physical education
Physical education (PE) classes are instructed by a member of the WMS Athletic Department and take place outside or in the gymnasium. As a regular part of the school day, the goal of PE is to progressively build fitness skills, self-confidence, and healthy habits. Participation, teamwork, and individual improvement are always the priority, while competition is encouraged as long as it is accompanied by grace and courtesy.
In addition to PE class, full-day Lower School students attend a play-based outdoor program on Wednesday afternoons. At this impressionable age (3-6), the ability to freely explore nature and learn outside fosters curiosity, creativity, and a lasting appreciation for the natural world.
Recess
Recess is another time when children are invited to be freely active. Each class level has access to outdoor play areas with age-appropriate equipment, obstacles, materials, and games. Our youngest learners enjoy natural playgrounds with embankment slides, climbing rocks, tunnel crawls, and a sand area with a working water pump. Elementary students tend to prefer scampering aboard the wooden ship, playing four square, or building forts in the woods adjoining the playground. The middle schoolers are most often found shooting hoops, playing tetherball, and engaging in lively games of Gaga Ball.
Extracurricular activities
WMS also offers many opportunities for students to engage in physical activity before and after school.
Our before-school Running Club gives students the chance to start their day with energy and focus, cultivating endurance while fostering a sense of community.
After school, a wide range of physical activities is available to children of all ages, including:
- Enrichments like yoga, dance, fencing, biking, and sports clinics that encourage children to discover movement they love.
- Outdoor Club, where Middle School students explore hiking, camping, and nature-based challenges.
- Competitive sports, including soccer, cross-country, basketball, ski racing, track & field, and tennis.
The lasting gift of physical literacy
“Each individual must perfect his own instrument for a purpose in the external world. Everyone must work with a purpose: one cuts wood, another dances, another is an artist. In order that each individual may do what he wants to do, he must first construct his own body to be an instrument that will enable him to have his own special behavior in the environment.”
Early experiences with physical movement prepare children for a lifetime of active, balanced living — physically, mentally, and emotionally. By embedding physical literacy into everything we do, WMS equips students with the confidence, competence, and curiosity to move through the world with purpose, overcoming any challenges they face with tenacity, resilience, and a positive attitude.
All WMS students derive immense personal benefit from their early understanding that the body and mind are inexorably linked, but for some, these introductory experiences with physical education and athletics are the beginning of lifelong passions. WMS routinely matriculates successful student athletes, many of whom are recruited to play team and individual collegiate sports. Some even pursue professional careers in athletics — like Daniela Lendl (‘07), who played golf for the University of Alabama and went on to make history as the first full-time female PGA Rules Official, and Cian Bergin (‘23), who recently earned two bronze medals in whitewater kayaking at the 2025 Junior Olympics in North Carolina.
To learn more about the benefits of physical activity in childhood development, please reach out to our Director of Education, Melissa Hay. If you have questions about physical education and athletic offerings at WMS, please contact our Athletic Director, Greg DeRosa.
