PILATES AND BODY AWARENESS

THE PILATES METHOD IN THE EARLY YEARS AS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE BODY

Abstract

SDGs: 3 – Good health and well-being; 4 – Quality education.

Abstract: Introduction: This experience report concerns the insertion of the Pilates method into the understanding of the body among elementary school students (early years), a qualitative analysis of the body. Objective: To analyze the contribution of the Pilates method to the teaching-learning process regarding the body of students from the 1st to the 5th grade of the early years. Method: The interventions were carried out through 50-minute Pilates classes, applying the principles of the method, such as concentration, control, precision, breathing, centering and fluidity of movement. The classes took place throughout the first school term; at the end of the practice, a moment of dialogue and reflection inspired by the Freirean perspective was promoted, allowing the 1st- and 2nd-grade students to draw, at the end of the classes, a picture of the body highlighting any movement performed in the practical classes, and the 3rd- to 5th-grade students to express their perceptions of the experience. Results: Participants gave satisfactory accounts, identifying improvements in the class's behavior, greater involvement in the proposed activities and achievement of the objectives planned for the lesson. Assessment was formative, considering students' participation during the activities and the completion of self-assessments, favoring critical reflection on their own performance. Final Considerations: It is concluded that the insertion of the Pilates method in the school context can contribute significantly to the development of concentration, motor control and active participation of students, strengthening the teaching-learning process in the early years through the use of dialogicity.

Keywords: Pilates; teaching-learning; early years; concentration; motor control; education.