Spain 4º de Primaria School Syllabus - Physical Education (Educación Física or EP)

The Physical Education (Educación Física or EP) curriculum for 4º de Primaria in Spain, under the LOMLOE framework, emphasizes the development of students' physical literacy and overall well-being. The curriculum focuses on several key competencies, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, developing motor skills, fostering social interaction, and encouraging respect for the environment.

Key Competencies

The curriculum aims to develop the following specific competencies:

1. Active and Healthy Lifestyle: Students learn to adopt an active lifestyle through regular participation in physical activities, games, and sports. They develop behaviors that enhance their physical, mental, and social health, and learn about individual and collective responsibility during physical activity. This includes understanding the benefits of active commuting, practicing basic health measures like hygiene and posture, and recognizing the positive values of shared physical activity in inclusive contexts.

2. Motor Skills Development: Students adapt and refine their body awareness, physical capacities, perceptual-motor and coordination skills, as well as motor abilities. They apply perception, decision-making, and execution processes appropriate to various situations, responding effectively to the demands of motor projects and practices with different purposes in everyday life. This involves setting clear goals for individual and collaborative motor projects, making appropriate decisions in motor practice contexts, and progressively improving control and mastery of qualitative and quantitative components of motor skills.

3. Self-Regulation and Social Interaction: Students develop self-regulation and interaction skills within the framework of motor practice. They demonstrate empathy and inclusivity, using social skills and attitudes of cooperation, respect, teamwork, and sportsmanship, regardless of ethnocultural, social, gender, or ability differences. This includes managing emotions during play, respecting agreed-upon rules and fair play, and developing social skills such as welcoming, inclusion, help, and cooperation. Students also begin to develop conflict resolution skills through dialogue and demonstrate active commitment against behaviors contrary to peaceful coexistence.

4. Cultural Motor Expressions: Students recognize and practice various playful, physical-sports, and artistic-expressive manifestations of motor culture. They appreciate their influence and aesthetic and creative contributions to traditional and contemporary culture, integrating them into motor situations used regularly in everyday life. This includes active participation in culturally relevant games and artistic expressions, appreciating the playful and festive component, and recognizing the achievements of diverse sports figures. Students also learn to adapt communicative uses of body language to different rhythms and expressive contexts.

5. Interaction with the Environment: Students appreciate different natural and urban environments as contexts for motor practice. They interact with these environments, understand the importance of their conservation from a sustainable approach, and adopt measures of individual responsibility during the practice of games and physical-sports activities. This involves safe participation in recreational activities in natural and urban settings, understanding different uses of these environments for motor activities, and adopting attitudes of respect, care, and conservation.

Content Areas (Saberes Básicos)

The curriculum content is organized into six interconnected blocks:

• A. Active and Healthy Life: This block covers physical, mental, and social health, emphasizing the benefits of an active lifestyle, healthy eating, hydration, posture, body care, self-concept, self-esteem, and respect for others. It also addresses antisocial behaviors and unhealthy habits in everyday and sports contexts.
• B. Organization and Management of Physical Activity: This block focuses on choosing appropriate physical activities, caring for equipment, preparing for motor practice (including appropriate clothing and hygiene), planning and self-regulating motor projects, and preventing accidents through warm-up and cool-down routines.
• C. Problem-Solving in Motor Situations: This block develops decision-making skills in individual, cooperative, and oppositional motor situations. It covers perceptual-motor skills, physical capacities, basic motor skills (locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative), and motor creativity.
• D. Emotional Self-Regulation and Social Interaction: This block focuses on managing emotions during physical activity, developing social skills, respecting rules, and promoting inclusive behavior and gender equality. It includes strategies for identifying discriminatory or disruptive behaviors.
• E. Manifestations of Motor Culture: This block explores the contributions of motor culture to cultural heritage, including games, dances, and artistic expressions. It also covers communicative uses of body language and examines sports from a gender perspective.
• F. Efficient and Sustainable Interaction with the Environment: This block emphasizes responsible use and conservation of natural and urban environments during physical activities. It covers road safety for pedestrians, safe use of play spaces, responsible use of materials, and care for plants and animals.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation focuses on assessing the development of the specific competencies outlined above. The criteria are linked to the content areas and are applied within learning situations throughout the school year. For the first cycle (1º and 2º de Primaria), which informs the approach for subsequent years, the criteria are detailed at These criteria are adapted and expanded for 4º de Primaria, focusing on more complex motor skills, tactical awareness in games and activities, and a deeper understanding of the relationship between physical activity, health, and well-being. It also includes evaluating the student's ability to analyze and reflect on their own performance and that of others, and to participate constructively in group discussions and debates about physical activity and sports. Furthermore, the evaluation considers the student's respect for the environment and their ability to identify and implement actions for its preservation.