Primary 2 Physical Education vocabulary, Grade 2 movement words, 2nd grade sports terms, games vocabulary, teamwork language and PE safety words help children understand how bodies move, how games are organised and how people participate safely and fairly. Important words include movement, locomotor, non-locomotor, balance, coordination, agility, speed, reaction, strength, endurance, flexibility, direction, pathway, level, space, boundary, warm-up, cool-down, hydrate, equipment, rule, fair play, team, partner, opponent, cooperation, communication, strategy, practice and sportsmanship.
For parents and teachers searching for Primary 2 PE vocabulary, Grade 2 Physical Education words, fundamental movement skills, sports vocabulary for children, teamwork and fair-play language, fitness words, game strategy terms or movement safety vocabulary, the central principle is purposeful participation. A child should know not only how to run, throw, balance or cooperate but also what the movement is called, what rule organises it, what body signal needs attention and how to seek adult help when safety is uncertain.
This guide is the conceptual owner for Primary 2 Physical Education, movement, sports, games, teamwork and safety vocabulary. It sits beneath the What is Primary 2 Vocabulary apex guide and connects to the Primary 2 Health and Well-Being Vocabulary guide, the Primary 2 Arts Vocabulary guide and the Vocabulary Transfer guide. It is educational, not medical or emergency advice. Children should follow teacher, facility and local safety rules, stop when pain or concerning symptoms occur, and involve a responsible adult rather than diagnose or treat themselves.
The 50-Second Router
- Need the big picture? Read Why Physical Education Has Its Own Vocabulary.
- Need movement foundations? Go to Fundamental Movement Skills.
- Need space and direction? Read Space, Boundaries, Direction, Pathway and Level.
- Need games and teamwork? Go to Games, Rules, Teams and Fair Play.
- Need health and safety words? Read Body Signals, Hydration, Rest and Adult Support.
- Need a programme? Use the 12-Week Physical Education Vocabulary Programme.
Central proposition: Primary 2 Physical Education vocabulary should connect movement to control, space, rules, cooperation, strategy and safety. A learner understands a term when it helps the child move more purposefully, communicate more clearly, participate more fairly and seek responsible adult help when needed.
Physical Education Vocabulary in One Model
| Layer | Question |
|---|---|
| Body | Which body parts move, support, balance or control the action? |
| Space | Where does movement travel, and how is personal or shared space used? |
| Time | How fast, how long and in what sequence does movement occur? |
| Force | How strong, light, controlled or sustained is the action? |
| Game | What rule, goal, boundary, role or strategy organises participation? |
| Safety | What equipment, supervision, body signal or adult action matters? |
1. Why Physical Education Has Its Own Vocabulary
Physical Education uses words to describe movement patterns, body control, game structures, teamwork and safety. A learner may be able to throw a ball but still need words such as target, follow-through, force, accuracy and ready position to understand what changed and how to improve.
Many PE words have everyday meanings. Balance can describe standing control, equal teams or a balanced routine. Position can describe body placement, location on a court or a team role. The activity and sentence select the intended meaning.
Vocabulary supports inclusion because it gives alternatives to imitation. A child who hears move sideways along the curved pathway at a low level receives several precise cues instead of being told only to copy the fastest learner.
Failure mode: PE can become a series of commands without conceptual explanation. Children complete one drill but cannot transfer the skill or communicate in a new game.
Teaching move: name the movement, purpose, spatial relationship, success criterion and safety boundary before practice.
Transfer: PE terms become durable when learners recognise them in unfamiliar equipment, games and movement combinations.
2. Body Awareness
Body awareness is understanding where body parts are, how they relate and how they move. Vocabulary includes head, trunk, arm, elbow, wrist, hand, hip, knee, ankle, foot, left, right, front, back, bend, extend, rotate and support.
Body awareness helps a learner adjust rather than imitate blindly. A throwing cue such as step with the opposite foot depends on knowing throwing arm, opposite side and weight shift.
Children develop body awareness differently. Verbal cues, demonstration, floor markers, mirrors and tactile guidance used with consent can provide varied access.
Teaching move: identify the body part performing the main action and the body parts providing support or balance.
Safety move: movements should stay within comfortable, teacher-approved ranges. Pain is not a cue to stretch farther.
Transfer: body-awareness words support dance, health, handwriting and everyday movement.
3. Fundamental Movement Skills
Fundamental movement skills are basic movement patterns that support later games, sport, dance and active play. They are often organised into locomotor, non-locomotor and object-control categories.
These categories are learning tools rather than rigid boxes. A movement sequence can combine travelling, balancing and controlling an object. A jump begins as locomotion but may require stable landing control.
Skill development includes form, timing, direction, force, accuracy and adaptability. Fast completion is not the only sign of competence.
Teaching move: name the skill, identify its main phases and practise one controllable feature at a time.
Inclusion move: vary distance, equipment size, speed, support and success criteria while preserving the movement purpose.
Transfer: fundamental skills become useful when the learner selects and adapts them in a new game.
4. Locomotor Movement
Locomotor movement travels from one place to another. Common examples include walk, run, hop, jump, leap, skip, gallop, slide and crawl where appropriate and safe.
Each movement has a pattern. Hopping uses repeated take-off and landing on the same foot; jumping usually leaves and returns using two feet; leaping travels from one foot to the other with a flight phase.
Locomotor vocabulary also includes start, stop, accelerate, slow, change direction and travel. Control matters as much as speed.
Teaching move: compare two locomotor patterns and ask what foot action, rhythm and pathway differ.
Safety move: maintain spacing, scan the pathway and use teacher-approved surfaces and footwear.
Transfer: combine one locomotor skill with a direction, level and speed change.
5. Non-Locomotor Movement
Non-locomotor movement occurs around a stable base or within personal space. Examples include bend, stretch, twist, turn, sway, balance, curl, extend, push and pull.
Non-locomotor does not mean motionless. The body can change shape, direction, level and energy without travelling across the area.
Stable-base work supports posture, control and transitions. It also gives learners an accessible way to explore movement from seated or supported positions.
Teaching move: keep the base stable and vary one body part, direction or range.
Safety move: do not force joints or hold painful positions. Use comfortable range and adult guidance.
Transfer: use non-locomotor actions as preparation, balance recovery and expressive movement.
6. Object-Control and Manipulative Skills
Object-control skills involve sending, receiving, carrying or controlling equipment. Examples include roll, throw, catch, kick, strike, bounce, dribble and trap.
Manipulative in PE means handling or controlling objects; it does not carry the negative social meaning found in some other contexts. At Primary 2, object-control is often the clearer classroom term.
Performance depends on object size, weight, speed, distance, surface and partner readiness. A larger soft ball may support early catching; a smaller target may increase challenge.
Teaching move: identify ready position, contact or release point, direction and follow-through where relevant.
Safety move: use approved equipment and never aim hard objects at unprepared people.
Transfer: vary one equipment or distance feature and explain the required adjustment.
7. Balance and Stability
Balance is the ability to control body position over a base of support. Stability describes resistance to losing that controlled position. A wider base, lower centre of mass and suitable support can increase stability.
Static balance holds a position; dynamic balance maintains control while moving. Both can be adapted through support, duration, surface and number of contact points.
Balance is not a fixed personal trait. It changes with task, fatigue, environment, practice and individual needs.
Teaching move: change one factor—base width, level, gaze or arm position—and compare stability.
Safety move: practise near approved support, on clear surfaces and without unsafe height.
Transfer: balance vocabulary supports landing, changing direction and daily movement.
8. Coordination
Coordination is the organised control of body parts and sensory information to perform a task. Hand–eye, foot–eye and bilateral coordination are familiar examples.
A learner catches by tracking the object, positioning the body, preparing the hands and timing closure. The parts form a coordinated sequence.
Coordination can improve through slower practice, larger equipment, predictable paths and reduced task complexity. Struggle is not evidence of laziness.
Teaching move: break the action into perception, preparation, contact and recovery.
Feedback move: name one controllable feature rather than giving many cues at once.
Transfer: coordination vocabulary helps learners explain why a skill changes under pressure.
9. Agility, Speed and Reaction
Speed describes how quickly movement occurs. Agility is the ability to change direction or body position with control. Reaction is the response to a signal or event.
These words overlap but are not synonyms. A learner can run quickly yet turn without control. Another may react accurately without being the fastest.
Reaction activities should use clear safe signals and avoid startle methods that create distress. Decision-making can be more important than raw speed.
Teaching move: separate signal recognition, first movement and controlled stopping.
Safety move: provide sufficient stopping space and avoid collisions.
Transfer: compare a straight sprint, shuttle route and choice-reaction game.
10. Strength, Endurance and Flexibility
Strength is the ability to produce force. Endurance is the ability to continue an activity over time. Flexibility is the available range of movement at a joint or group of joints.
These qualities differ by task and person. A child may have strong leg endurance for walking but find upper-body support difficult. Fitness words should not become labels of worth.
Age-appropriate PE develops these qualities through varied movement, play and supervised practice rather than maximal testing or adult training plans.
Teaching move: connect each term to a safe observable task and body response.
Health boundary: pain, dizziness, unusual breathlessness or concerning fatigue should be reported immediately to an adult.
Transfer: fitness vocabulary supports planning, reflection and health communication.
11. Personal, General and Shared Space
Personal space is the area immediately around a participant. General space is the larger movement area available to the group. Shared space is used cooperatively under agreed rules.
Spatial awareness means noticing boundaries, equipment, people and open pathways while moving. It helps prevent collisions and supports strategy.
Personal-space needs vary. Consent and teacher guidance matter during partner or contact activities.
Teaching move: explore movement within a spot, then travel while maintaining safe distance.
Communication move: use space please, ready? and stop clearly.
Transfer: space vocabulary supports dance, classroom movement and playground safety.
12. Direction, Pathway and Level
Direction tells where movement travels: forward, backward, sideways, upward, downward or around. A pathway is the route traced through space: straight, curved, zigzag or circular. Level describes height: low, middle or high.
These dimensions can combine. A learner may slide sideways along a curved pathway at a middle level. Precise language makes complex movement teachable.
High level does not require jumping, and low level does not require unsafe floor work. Each dimension can be adapted.
Teaching move: keep the locomotor skill constant and change one spatial dimension.
Map move: draw the pathway after movement and compare representation with performance.
Transfer: direction vocabulary supports maps, geometry and dance.
13. Boundaries and Playing Areas
A boundary marks the limit of a playing area, movement zone or permitted action. Lines, cones, walls and natural features can serve as boundaries.
Inside, outside, on the line, end line, side line, zone and safe area are useful terms. Exact meanings depend on the game.
Boundaries organise fairness and safety. They can also create tactical choices by limiting space or defining scoring areas.
Teaching move: walk the boundary before play and ask learners to explain what happens when an object or player crosses it.
Safety move: leave buffer space near hard walls, obstacles and other groups.
Transfer: modify a boundary and predict how the game changes.
14. Warm-Up
A warm-up is a gradual preparation for the activity that follows. It may raise body temperature, rehearse movement patterns, focus attention and check readiness.
A warm-up should match the lesson. Gentle travelling and throwing preparation may suit a ball game; voice and pathway work may suit a movement performance.
Warm-up is not punishment, exhaustion or proof of toughness. Intensity should build gradually under teacher direction.
Teaching move: identify what later movement each warm-up action prepares.
Safety move: learners report pain, dizziness, breathing difficulty or other concern rather than push through.
Transfer: planning vocabulary helps children understand preparation across activities.
15. Cool-Down and Recovery
A cool-down is a gradual transition from more intense activity toward rest. Recovery is the process of returning toward readiness after effort.
Cool-down can include slower movement, breathing, hydration and reflection under adult guidance. It is not a guaranteed prevention or treatment for every discomfort.
Recovery vocabulary includes slow, lower intensity, rest, hydrate, breathe, notice and report. Body responses differ among learners.
Teaching move: compare pulse, breathing and perceived effort before and after gradual slowing.
Health boundary: symptoms that are severe, unusual or worsening require immediate adult attention.
Transfer: recovery language supports self-awareness without self-diagnosis.
16. Games, Goals and Rules
A game is an organised activity with a goal, rules, participants, space and often equipment or scoring. The goal explains what players try to achieve; rules define permitted actions and procedures.
A rule is not merely an obstacle. It creates the shared structure that makes comparison, challenge and fairness possible.
Different versions of a game may change boundaries, team size, equipment or scoring. Learners should listen for which version is active.
Teaching move: state goal, starting procedure, boundary, scoring method and stop signal before play.
Understanding move: ask learners to paraphrase one rule and explain its purpose.
Transfer: change one rule and predict how behaviour and strategy adapt.
17. Fair Play and Sportsmanship
Fair play means participating according to agreed rules and respecting the rights and safety of others. Sportsmanship concerns conduct before, during and after competition.
Fair play does not require pretending not to care about winning. It means pursuing the goal without cheating, intimidation, unsafe action or disrespect.
Sportsmanship includes honest calls, respectful disagreement, appropriate celebration, accepting results and helping preserve a safe game.
Teaching move: compare a close competitive action with an unfair or unsafe action and identify the evidence.
Repair move: stop the behaviour, acknowledge harm and follow teacher guidance rather than argue indefinitely.
Transfer: fair-play language supports classroom and playground conflict resolution.
18. Team, Partner, Opponent and Role
A team is a group working toward a shared game goal. A partner works directly with another participant. An opponent competes within the rules. A role describes a player’s current function.
Opponent does not mean enemy. Respect and safety still apply. Partners and teammates can disagree while continuing to communicate.
Roles may include attacker, defender, receiver, passer, leader, official or observer depending on the activity. Roles can rotate to build understanding.
Teaching move: name each role’s purpose and information needs.
Inclusion move: rotate meaningful roles and avoid assigning one learner permanently by perceived ability.
Transfer: role vocabulary supports group strategy and responsibility.
19. Cooperation and Communication
Cooperation means coordinating actions toward a shared purpose. Communication includes verbal calls, gestures, eye contact, positioning and agreed signals.
Calling for a pass is useful only when timing, volume and space make the message clear. Communication should inform, not blame or dominate.
Cooperation can include taking turns, covering space, sharing equipment, encouraging and adapting to a teammate’s needs.
Teaching move: give teams one communication target such as names before passing or a stop signal.
Reflection move: identify which message changed the play and why.
Transfer: cooperation vocabulary supports project work across subjects.
20. Strategy and Decision-Making
A strategy is a planned approach to achieve a goal. A decision is a choice made from available information. Tactics are shorter actions used within a strategy, though Primary 2 learners may use the broader word strategy.
Strategy depends on space, teammates, opponents, rules, time and score. The fastest movement is not always the best decision.
Young learners can ask: Where is open space? Who is ready? What is the safest useful option? What may happen next?
Teaching move: pause a small-sided game and compare two possible choices without shaming the original player.
Transfer move: change the boundary or team number and revise the strategy.
Mastery: strategic vocabulary helps learners explain decisions, not merely outcomes.
21. Attacking and Defending at a Child-Friendly Level
In many games, attacking means trying to create a scoring opportunity or advance toward a goal. Defending means protecting space, a target or possession within the rules.
These are game roles, not aggressive identities. Safe defending uses position, timing and legal movement rather than collision or intimidation.
Useful words include mark, cover, intercept, support, open space, target, possession and transition, introduced according to the game.
Teaching move: use low-contact or no-contact small games to show spacing and role change.
Safety move: prohibit unsafe contact and follow teacher-defined rules exactly.
Transfer: identify when a team changes from attacking to defending.
22. Score, Result, Performance and Improvement
A score records points or outcomes according to rules. A result states the final outcome. Performance describes how a skill or team functioned. Improvement is positive change from an earlier attempt.
Winning and improvement are not identical. A learner can improve control and still lose; a team can win despite weak cooperation.
Useful evidence includes successful passes, controlled landings, accurate throws, safe spacing and decision quality, not only points.
Teaching move: set one process goal beside the game score.
Reflection move: compare first and later attempts with one observable criterion.
Transfer: result vocabulary supports growth without denying competition.
23. Equipment, Setup and Care
Equipment includes objects used for learning or play: balls, bats, rackets, cones, ropes, mats, markers and protective gear. Setup is how the area and equipment are arranged before activity.
Equipment vocabulary includes size, weight, grip, surface, inflation, stable, secure, damaged and appropriate. Different equipment can adapt the same skill.
Children should inspect visually, use only approved equipment and report damage. They should not repair electrical, sharp or pressurised equipment themselves.
Teaching move: match equipment features to the skill and learner need.
Safety move: carry and place equipment according to teacher instructions; never swing or throw items outside the task.
Transfer: modify equipment and explain how challenge changes.
24. Body Signals, Hydration, Rest and Adult Support
Body signals during activity can include warmth, faster breathing, thirst, tiredness, discomfort, pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness. Signals provide information but do not identify a diagnosis.
Hydration means taking in sufficient fluid for individual needs. Rest reduces activity for recovery. Exact needs vary with health, weather, duration and adult guidance.
Children should know the difference between ordinary effort and a concerning symptom only at the communication level: pain, dizziness, breathing difficulty, confusion, injury or rapidly worsening discomfort should be reported immediately.
Teaching move: practise the sentence I need to stop and tell you because… in fictional scenarios.
Safety boundary: do not tell children to push through pain or independently decide treatment.
Transfer: body-signal vocabulary supports safe participation and health literacy.
25. Pain, Injury, Discomfort and First-Aid Boundaries
Pain is an unpleasant body experience; discomfort is a broader word for something that feels wrong or difficult. An injury is harm to the body. Children should describe and report rather than diagnose.
Useful report details include what happened, where it hurts, when it began, whether it is worsening and whether another hazard remains.
First aid is initial assistance by trained or responsible people. Children should not force movement, perform untrained procedures or copy treatments.
Teaching move: sort fictional statements into observation, adult report and unsupported diagnosis.
Emergency move: keep away from danger, alert the authorised adult and follow local instructions.
Transfer: injury vocabulary improves communication while preserving adult responsibility.
26. Inclusion, Adaptation and Accessibility
Inclusion means designing participation so learners belong and contribute. Adaptation changes equipment, rules, space, timing, support or communication while preserving a meaningful goal.
Accessibility reduces barriers. Examples include larger targets, lighter balls, seated movement, visual signals, additional processing time, peer guides and alternative scoring.
Adaptation is not cheating or lowering dignity. It can make the intended skill observable and allow fair participation.
Teaching move: identify the barrier, preserve the learning purpose and choose the smallest useful change.
Respect move: ask the learner and responsible adults about useful support rather than assume.
Transfer: accessibility vocabulary supports inclusive school life beyond PE.
27. Practice, Feedback and Reflection
Practice is repeated purposeful work toward greater control, understanding or adaptability. Feedback is information about what happened and what adjustment may help. Reflection examines choices and results.
Practice should not mean mindless repetition. A useful cycle is goal, attempt, feedback, adjustment, retest and delayed transfer.
Feedback should be specific and controllable: face the target before release is more useful than be better. One cue at a time often supports learning.
Teaching move: select one success criterion and compare two attempts.
Peer move: use respectful observation and avoid comments about body shape or worth.
Transfer: practice vocabulary supports learning across every subject.
28. Assessing Primary 2 Physical Education Vocabulary
Assessment should distinguish word recognition, movement understanding, execution, adaptation, game reasoning, communication and safety. A learner may define balance but lose control when the base changes.
Useful checks include demonstrating locomotor and non-locomotor movement, describing object control, following spatial instructions, paraphrasing rules, explaining strategy and responding to fictional safety situations.
Performance should not be judged only by speed, strength or winning. Control, improvement, decision-making, cooperation and safe participation matter.
Diagnostic move: identify whether the bottleneck is vocabulary, perception, movement pattern, confidence, access or rule understanding.
Delayed move: revisit the term in a different game or equipment setup.
Mastery: flexible safe use across movement, games and communication is the goal.
A 12-Week Primary 2 Physical Education Vocabulary Programme
| Week | Focus | Evidence of learning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Body awareness and movement categories | Learner identifies body parts and movement purpose. |
| 2 | Locomotor and non-locomotor skills | Learner demonstrates and contrasts movement patterns. |
| 3 | Balance and coordination | Learner changes one factor and explains control. |
| 4 | Object-control skills | Learner sends and receives equipment safely. |
| 5 | Space, direction, pathway and level | Learner follows and creates spatial instructions. |
| 6 | Boundaries, rules and fair play | Learner explains purpose and consequence. |
| 7 | Teams, roles and communication | Learner cooperates using agreed signals. |
| 8 | Strategy and decision-making | Learner explains one choice using game evidence. |
| 9 | Fitness, warm-up and cool-down | Learner connects preparation and recovery words to actions. |
| 10 | Body signals, hydration and adult support | Learner reports a fictional concern appropriately. |
| 11 | Inclusion, adaptation and sportsmanship | Learner preserves purpose while reducing a barrier. |
| 12 | Integrated game and delayed transfer | Learner performs, communicates, reflects and applies safety vocabulary. |
Keep the programme cumulative. Space, stop signal, ready, safe, communicate and report should recur across every week. Safety should not be a separate final lesson.
For stronger learners, add acceleration, transition, possession, interception and officiating. For learners who struggle, use demonstrations, floor markers, lighter equipment, visual cues and oral rehearsal while preserving precise vocabulary.
Primary 2 Physical Education Vocabulary Teaching Library
The thirty entries below are compact teaching systems rather than a list to memorise. Each term is connected to a child-friendly meaning, a useful contrast, a movement or game example, a retrieval task and a safety boundary. Learners should hear the word, experience it, explain it and apply it under changed conditions.
1. Movement
Movement is a change in body position, shape or location over time. It may travel through space or occur around a stable base.
Contrast movement with speed. Movement can be slow, fast or still transitioning. Retrieval: describe one action through body part, direction, speed and purpose.
2. Locomotor
Locomotor movement travels from one place to another. Walking, running, hopping, jumping, leaping, skipping, galloping and sliding are common examples.
Contrast locomotor with non-locomotor. One travels through general space; the other changes body position mainly within personal space. Retrieval: choose a locomotor skill for a pathway and explain why.
3. Non-Locomotor
Non-locomotor movement changes body shape, direction or level around a stable base. Bending, twisting, stretching and swaying are examples.
Contrast non-locomotor with motionless. The body may move strongly without travelling. Retrieval: create three non-locomotor actions while maintaining safe personal space.
4. Balance
Balance is controlled body position over a base of support. It can be static during a hold or dynamic during movement.
Contrast balance with stillness. A moving learner can remain balanced. Retrieval: change base width or arm position and explain the effect on stability.
5. Coordination
Coordination is the organised control of body parts and sensory information to complete a task. It includes timing, tracking and sequencing.
Contrast coordination with speed. A slow accurate catch may be well coordinated. Retrieval: identify perception, preparation, contact and recovery in one skill.
6. Agility
Agility is the ability to change direction or body position quickly while maintaining control. It combines perception, decision and movement.
Contrast agility with straight-line speed. Retrieval: complete a safe direction-change task and explain how stopping control matters.
7. Speed
Speed describes how quickly movement occurs or distance is covered. Faster is not always more successful or safer.
Contrast speed with reaction. Reaction begins after a signal; speed describes movement after initiation. Retrieval: compare two tempos while preserving control.
8. Reaction
Reaction is a response to a signal, object or changing event. Accurate recognition and safe first movement are part of reaction.
Contrast reaction with prediction. A learner may anticipate a signal but must still respond to what actually occurs. Retrieval: identify signal, decision and response.
9. Strength
Strength is the ability to produce force for a task. It is specific to body part, movement and conditions.
Contrast strength with aggression. Controlled force supports movement; unsafe force harms. Retrieval: identify how much force a safe task requires.
10. Endurance
Endurance is the ability to continue an activity or repeat effort over time. It can relate to muscles, movement or overall activity.
Contrast endurance with refusing rest. Appropriate breaks and adult guidance support safe participation. Retrieval: describe how pace affects duration.
11. Flexibility
Flexibility is the available range of movement around a joint or body area. It differs among people and tasks.
Contrast flexibility with forcing a stretch. Pain is not evidence of success. Retrieval: identify a comfortable range and report any concern.
12. Direction
Direction describes where movement travels or faces: forward, backward, sideways, upward, downward or around.
Contrast direction with pathway. Direction is orientation; pathway is the route over time. Retrieval: follow and then create a multi-direction instruction.
13. Pathway
A pathway is the route movement traces through space, such as straight, curved, circular or zigzag.
Contrast pathway with destination. The destination is where movement ends; the pathway describes how it travels. Retrieval: move and draw the same pathway.
14. Level
Level describes movement height—low, middle or high relative to the performer and task.
Contrast level with jumping. High movement can use reaching from a stable position. Retrieval: vary level while preserving the same pathway.
15. Space
Space is the area within, around and between participants, equipment and boundaries. Personal and general space require different awareness.
Contrast open space with empty space. Open space is a useful game opportunity relative to positions. Retrieval: identify safe open space before moving.
16. Boundary
A boundary marks the permitted playing or movement area. It may use lines, cones, walls or agreed zones.
Contrast boundary with barrier. A boundary may be symbolic; a barrier physically blocks movement. Retrieval: explain what happens when an object crosses the boundary in a named game.
17. Warm-Up
A warm-up is gradual preparation for the activity ahead. It can rehearse movement, focus attention and raise intensity progressively.
Contrast warm-up with exhaustion. Preparation should not leave learners depleted. Retrieval: match a warm-up action to the later skill it supports.
18. Cool-Down
A cool-down is a gradual transition from higher activity toward rest. It can include slower movement, breathing and reflection.
Contrast cool-down with treatment. It does not diagnose or cure injury. Retrieval: identify how intensity changes from activity to rest.
19. Hydrate
To hydrate is to take in sufficient fluid for body needs. Needs vary with weather, activity, health and adult guidance.
Contrast thirst with diagnosed dehydration. Children report signals rather than diagnose. Retrieval: identify planned water and rest points in a supervised activity.
20. Equipment
Equipment consists of objects used for movement learning or games. Size, weight, surface and condition affect use.
Contrast equipment with toy. PE equipment is used under lesson rules and may require inspection. Retrieval: select equipment for a skill and explain one safety check.
21. Rule
A rule defines permitted actions, procedures, boundaries or scoring in an activity. Rules create shared structure.
Contrast rule with strategy. A rule limits what everyone may do; a strategy is a team’s chosen approach. Retrieval: paraphrase one rule and explain its purpose.
22. Fair Play
Fair play is participation according to agreed rules while respecting safety, rights and honest competition.
Contrast fair play with letting someone win. Fairness preserves the genuine game while preventing cheating or intimidation. Retrieval: resolve a fictional close call respectfully.
23. Team
A team is a group coordinating toward a shared game goal. Members may hold different roles while sharing responsibility.
Contrast team with group. A group may stand together; a team coordinates actions and information. Retrieval: identify one behaviour that improves team function.
24. Partner
A partner works directly with another participant during practice or play. Partners share readiness, communication and safety responsibility.
Contrast partner with opponent. A partner cooperates directly; an opponent competes within rules. Retrieval: use a ready signal before passing or receiving.
25. Opponent
An opponent competes against another participant or team within the activity’s rules. Opponent does not mean enemy.
Contrast opponent with target. A target is an object or area; an opponent is a participant deserving safety and respect. Retrieval: name one respectful action before and after play.
26. Cooperate
Cooperate means coordinate actions and resources toward a shared purpose. It includes listening, taking turns and adapting.
Contrast cooperation with obedience. Cooperation involves shared understanding, not silent compliance with unsafe requests. Retrieval: identify one cooperative action in a game sequence.
27. Communicate
Communicate means send and receive information through words, signals, gesture, eye contact or position.
Contrast communication with noise. A loud call is useful only when timing and meaning are clear. Retrieval: choose an agreed signal for ready, pass or stop.
28. Strategy
A strategy is a planned approach to achieve a goal within rules. It uses information about space, roles, opponents and time.
Contrast strategy with luck. A fortunate outcome can occur without a plan. Retrieval: compare two options and predict likely consequences.
29. Practice
Practice is repeated purposeful work toward better control, understanding or adaptability. It includes feedback and adjustment.
Contrast practice with mindless repetition. Useful practice changes a target or response. Retrieval: name the criterion being improved.
30. Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is respectful and responsible conduct before, during and after competition. It includes honest play, controlled response and care for safety.
Contrast sportsmanship with pretending not to care about the result. A learner can compete strongly and still respond respectfully. Retrieval: describe conduct after winning and losing.
Primary 2 Physical Education Scenario Laboratory
Scenario 1: A Warm-Up That Matches the Lesson
Alicia’s class will practise rolling and underarm throwing. The warm-up begins with gentle travelling, shoulder movement and controlled rolling to nearby targets rather than repeated maximum-speed sprints.
Vocabulary includes warm-up, gradual, prepare, range, target and readiness. Learners identify how each action connects to later movement.
Ask why exhaustion would reduce rather than improve skill practice. A warm-up should prepare attention and movement without becoming punishment.
Transfer: change the main lesson to balance or dance and redesign the preparation accordingly.
Scenario 2: Protecting Personal Space
Tricia practises non-locomotor shapes while several classmates move nearby. She extends an arm and nearly touches another learner.
Vocabulary includes personal space, general space, awareness, boundary, stop and adjust. Learners first check that their movement bubble is clear.
Personal-space needs vary, and unwanted touch is not required for participation. A partner activity uses consent and teacher-defined contact.
Transfer: move from stationary shapes to travelling while maintaining safe spacing.
Scenario 3: Changing Direction With Control
Kai Kai runs quickly to a cone but cannot stop before turning. The goal changes from fastest arrival to controlled deceleration and direction change.
Vocabulary includes speed, agility, decelerate, balance, base, direction and control. The learner shortens steps and lowers the body slightly under teacher guidance.
Ask why straight-line speed alone does not equal agility. Safe stopping space and surface condition matter.
Transfer: apply the same control to a curved route or choice-reaction game.
Scenario 4: Rolling Toward a Target
A learner rolls a soft ball toward a wide target. The ball repeatedly travels to the left.
Vocabulary includes ready position, target, release, direction, force, follow-through and accuracy. One cue is selected: face the target and release forward.
Distance and target width are adjusted so the learner can observe the relationship between direction and result.
Transfer: narrow the target or change the ball only after control improves.
Scenario 5: Catching With Readiness
A partner throws before Tricia is ready, and the ball strikes the floor. The problem is not simply catching technique; communication and readiness are missing.
Vocabulary includes partner, ready, eye tracking, receive, soft hands, signal and safe distance. The pair uses an agreed ready question and reply.
A larger soft ball and shorter distance reduce speed and increase success. Adaptation preserves the receiving goal.
Transfer: vary height or gentle movement after readiness becomes reliable.
Scenario 6: A Balance Pathway
A floor pathway includes a wide straight line, curved markers and a pause point. Learners travel slowly, stop and hold a stable position.
Vocabulary includes dynamic balance, static balance, base of support, pathway, pause and stability.
One learner uses a nearby rail or partner guide. The adaptation supports the same control objective and is not a lesser version.
Transfer: change pathway shape, level or duration while preserving safe surface conditions.
Scenario 7: Dribbling in Open Space
Kai Kai watches the ball continuously and collides with a cone. Object control must combine with spatial awareness.
Vocabulary includes dribble, control, touch, open space, scan, pathway and boundary. The task slows and the area widens.
Learners practise brief glances upward while keeping the ball close. The success criterion is control and awareness, not maximum speed.
Transfer: add stationary obstacles before moving defenders.
Scenario 8: Partner Practice and Helpful Feedback
Alicia and Tricia practise throwing. One says, That was bad, which gives no usable information.
Vocabulary includes feedback, observation, criterion, adjustment, specific and respectful. The pair agrees to observe target-facing position.
Feedback becomes Your shoulders faced sideways; try facing the target before release. The learner then retests.
Transfer: use one criterion during balance, jumping or passing.
Scenario 9: A Rule Is Misunderstood
In a passing game, one group believes players may run with the ball while another believes they must stop. Conflict begins.
Vocabulary includes rule, version, possession, stop signal, clarify and restart. The teacher pauses the game and states the active rule.
Learners paraphrase the rule and explain how it changes strategy. The misunderstanding is repaired without accusing anyone of cheating.
Transfer: modify the rule deliberately and predict how spacing changes.
Scenario 10: A Disputed Point
Two teams disagree about whether a ball crossed the line. No learner had a clear view.
Vocabulary includes boundary, point, evidence, official, fair play, replay and respectful disagreement. The class follows the pre-agreed procedure rather than shouting.
Possible procedures include replaying the point or accepting the designated official’s call. Fairness depends on using the same process consistently.
Transfer: create a rule for unclear calls before another game begins.
Scenario 11: Adapting a Game for Access
A learner using seated mobility participates in a target-passing game. The original rule requires every player to run to a marker after passing.
Vocabulary includes inclusion, adaptation, access, role, distance, pathway and meaningful participation.
The class preserves the goal—move into a new support position—but allows rolling, wheeling or repositioning to an accessible marker. Team strategy includes every player.
Transfer: adapt equipment size, communication signal or scoring while preserving the skill purpose.
Scenario 12: Thirst and Heat During Activity
During a supervised outdoor lesson, a learner feels thirsty and unusually tired. The words hydrate, shade, rest, body signal, report and adult guidance become important.
The learner stops, tells the teacher and follows the activity’s heat and hydration plan. The learner does not diagnose the cause independently.
Preparation includes planned water access, appropriate clothing and weather-aware lesson decisions by adults.
Transfer: change activity length or indoor conditions and revise the plan.
Scenario 13: Pain Is a Stop-and-Tell Signal
Kai Kai feels sharp ankle pain after landing. A classmate says to keep playing so the team does not lose.
Vocabulary includes pain, injury, stop, report, adult help, pressure and safety. Kai Kai stops and tells the teacher.
No child should diagnose, test the joint forcefully or copy treatment advice. Responsible adults follow local first-aid and medical guidance.
Transfer: practise factual reports for a fall, collision or unusual breathing concern.
Scenario 14: Damaged Equipment
A bat has a cracked handle and a ball is overinflated. Learners identify the condition before use.
Vocabulary includes equipment, inspect, damaged, secure, remove from use and report. Familiar equipment is not automatically safe.
Children place the item in the teacher-designated area without attempting repair, deflation or testing.
Transfer: use a loose goal, wet floor or torn mat and identify child versus adult action.
Scenario 15: Teammates Disagree About Strategy
One teammate wants every pass directed to the fastest player. Another wants to use open space and include all receivers.
Vocabulary includes strategy, evidence, role, open space, cooperate, listen and revise.
The team tests both plans for a short period and observes passing success, spacing and participation rather than arguing from status.
Transfer: change team size or boundary and ask whether the strategy still works.
Scenario 16: Attacking and Defending Without Unsafe Contact
In a small no-contact game, attackers move to open spaces while defenders protect passing lanes.
Vocabulary includes attack, defend, support, mark, intercept, transition and legal position. Defending means using space and timing, not pushing or blocking bodies.
When possession changes, roles transition immediately. The teacher pauses to ask which space became available.
Transfer: reduce or enlarge the area and predict the strategic effect.
Scenario 17: Score and Improvement Are Different
Tricia scores fewer points than last week but completes more controlled passes and follows the boundary rule consistently.
Vocabulary includes score, result, performance, criterion, improvement and reflection.
The class records both outcome and process evidence. Improvement can be real even when the score decreases because difficulty or role changed.
Transfer: compare first and later attempts using one skill measure and one teamwork measure.
Scenario 18: A Drill Must Transfer Into a Game
A learner completes accurate passes between two fixed cones but stops using the skill when defenders and choices appear.
Vocabulary includes drill, practice, transfer, pressure, decision, scan and adapt.
The teacher gradually adds a moving receiver, passive defender and choice of targets. Practice changes toward the conditions of the game.
Transfer: ask the learner to explain what new information had to be processed.
Scenario 19: Losing Respectfully
Alicia’s team loses by one point. She feels disappointed and believes one call was wrong.
Vocabulary includes disappointment, result, sportsmanship, respectful disagreement, official and reflection.
She follows the agreed process, thanks the other team and discusses the disputed rule with the teacher after play rather than insulting anyone.
Transfer: compare respectful conduct after winning, drawing and losing.
Scenario 20: The Stop Signal
During a game, the teacher gives the emergency stop signal because another group has entered the area.
Vocabulary includes signal, freeze, control, equipment, hazard, listen and follow instructions.
Learners stop movement, secure equipment safely and face the teacher. They do not continue for one more point.
Transfer: distinguish routine pause, end-of-game signal and emergency stop so response matches purpose.
Teaching Labs
1. Movement Category Sort
Sort movement cards into locomotor, non-locomotor and object-control. Require demonstration and reasoning, then discuss combined movements that cross categories.
2. One Spatial Change
Keep one skill constant and change direction, pathway, level or size. Learners describe the effect on control, effort and safety.
3. Equipment Adaptation
Compare larger and smaller balls, nearer and farther targets, or lighter and heavier approved equipment. Identify which change supports access and which increases challenge.
4. Rule–Purpose Match
Match rules to safety, fairness, flow or scoring purposes. Modify one rule and predict a strategic consequence.
5. Communication Challenge
Play a small passing task first without agreed signals and then with names, ready calls and stop words. Compare clarity and success.
6. Strategy Freeze
Pause a game, identify open space and compare two safe options. Resume and observe what changed.
7. Body-Signal Reporting
Use fictional cards for thirst, ordinary effort, sharp pain, dizziness or damaged equipment. Learners state the safe communication and adult boundary.
8. Delayed PE-Word Recall
After several days, demonstrate or describe a situation and ask for the term, contrast, movement example and safety consideration without the original word wall.
Deep Practice Notes
Deep practice 1 — Experience first: let learners see or feel the movement safely before defining it. PE vocabulary should be embodied.
Deep practice 2 — Contrast: compare locomotor with non-locomotor, speed with agility, rule with strategy and score with improvement.
Deep practice 3 — One cue: choose one observable feature. Too many instructions can overload movement control.
Deep practice 4 — Retrieval: remove labels and ask learners to name the movement, role or rule from the action.
Deep practice 5 — Variation: change equipment, distance, partner, pathway or pressure so the concept becomes portable.
Deep practice 6 — Inclusion: preserve the learning goal while adapting access. Avoid treating one body or performance style as the default.
Deep practice 7 — Safety: repeat stop signals, boundary checks, ready calls and adult-report language until they remain available under excitement.
Deep practice 8 — Reflection: ask what happened, why, what evidence supports the claim and what one adjustment will be tested.
Deep practice 9 — Non-stigma: describe skill and support needs without judging body shape, disability or athletic identity.
Deep practice 10 — Transfer: use the same vocabulary across sport, dance, playground movement and daily activity.
Diagnostic Matrix
| Observed difficulty | Likely bottleneck | Next teaching move |
|---|---|---|
| Copies movement but cannot explain it | Vocabulary and body awareness | Name body part, direction and purpose during slowed practice. |
| Runs fast but cannot stop safely | Agility and deceleration control | Reduce speed and practise stable direction change. |
| Misses catches despite seeing the ball | Preparation or timing | Use ready signals, larger soft equipment and shorter distance. |
| Collides while controlling equipment | Spatial awareness | Widen area, slow task and practise scanning. |
| Argues about rules | Rule comprehension or procedure | Paraphrase active rule and agree on unclear-call response. |
| Dominates team decisions | Cooperation and role balance | Rotate roles and use structured listening. |
| Pushes through pain | Safety culture and report language | Rehearse stop-and-tell and preserve adult responsibility. |
| Performs in drill but not game | Transfer under changing information | Add movement, pressure and decisions gradually. |
Parent Route: Movement Language at Home
Use precise neutral words during active play: curved pathway, gentle force, stable landing, open space, ready signal and controlled stop. Avoid comparing siblings or labelling a child athletic or clumsy.
Ask about learning rather than only winning: What rule organised the game? What decision worked? What did the learner improve? What body signal required rest or adult attention?
Follow local facility, school and professional guidance for equipment, weather, medical needs and supervision. Home practice should never reproduce unsafe contact or advanced drills.
Teacher Route: Small-Group Physical Education Vocabulary
Use a compact cycle: demonstrate, name, contrast, practise, retrieve and transfer. Ask every learner to explain or show the term rather than relying on one confident pupil.
Keep verbal cues brief during movement and deepen discussion during pauses. Too much language while bodies are travelling can reduce safety and processing.
Plan adaptations before the lesson and remain responsive. Equipment, space, timing, communication and scoring can change while the meaningful learning objective remains.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Physical Education vocabulary?
It is the language used to describe movement, body control, space, games, teamwork, strategy, fitness and safety.
What is the difference between locomotor and non-locomotor movement?
Locomotor movement travels through space; non-locomotor movement changes body position mainly around a stable base.
What is the difference between speed and agility?
Speed is how quickly movement occurs; agility is changing direction or position quickly while maintaining control.
Why is balance more than standing still?
Dynamic balance controls body position during movement, landing and direction change.
What is fair play?
Fair play means competing within agreed rules while respecting safety, rights and honest procedure.
How is a rule different from a strategy?
A rule defines what participants may do; a strategy is a chosen plan within those rules.
What should a child do when movement causes pain or dizziness?
Stop and tell the responsible adult immediately. Children should not diagnose, test or treat themselves.
Are adaptations unfair?
No. Appropriate adaptations reduce barriers while preserving a meaningful learning or game goal.
Should winning be ignored?
No. Winning is a legitimate game outcome, but skill, decision-making, cooperation, improvement and safety also provide important evidence.
How should PE feedback be given?
Use one specific observable cue, allow another attempt and avoid comments about body shape or personal worth.
How should PE vocabulary be assessed?
Use demonstration, explanation, game decisions, rule understanding, reflection and delayed transfer—not definitions alone.
What does mastery look like?
The learner uses movement and game vocabulary accurately, adapts skills, communicates fairly and follows safety boundaries with decreasing support.
Quality Gates for Primary 2 Physical Education Vocabulary
A strong PE lesson passes seven gates. The term is embodied through safe movement; its contrast is clear; the purpose and success criterion are visible; equipment and space are suitable; accessibility is protected; retrieval occurs after demonstration is removed; and transfer is tested in a changed game or movement setting.
Do not reward speed or winning at the expense of control, inclusion or safety. Performance evidence should match the lesson objective.
Do not use fitness words as labels of worth. Strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination are task-specific and develop differently.
Do not ask children to push through pain, diagnose injury or perform untrained first aid. Stop, report and follow authorised adult guidance.
Evidence and Further Reading
- World Health Organization: Physical Activity.
- SHAPE America: National Physical Education Standards.
- United States CDC: About Physical Activity.
- eduKateSG: Health, Body, Hygiene, Nutrition, Safety and Well-Being Vocabulary.
- eduKateSG: Visual Arts, Music, Drama and Dance Vocabulary.
- Research traditions on physical literacy, fundamental movement skills, motor learning, inclusive Physical Education, game-based learning and child safeguarding.
Final Principle
Primary 2 Physical Education vocabulary should help children move with understanding. Locomotor, balance, coordination, space, rule, strategy, fair play, adaptation and safety matter because they connect action to control and responsible participation.
Teach every term through demonstration, contrast, practice, retrieval and transfer. Preserve inclusion, respect body signals, make stop-and-report language automatic and keep medical or emergency decisions with responsible adults and professionals.
Return to the Primary 2 vocabulary apex guide, the Health and Well-Being Vocabulary guide or the Vocabulary Learning Hub.