PHE Canada defines physical literacy as:
WHAT ARE FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS?
Fundamental movement skills are the foundational movement patterns needed to enjoy a wide range of physical activities. Some examples include: walking, running, jumping, catching, dribbling, throwing, skating, swimming, kicking, and cycling. Children typically develop these skills between ages 0 to 9. They do not develop them naturally. They must be practiced over and over.
For children to have success in sport - either for recreation or competition - it is important they master movement skills before learning sport skills, and fundamental sport skills before specific techniques. Learning fundamental sport skills before mastering the related fundamental movement skills actually reduces performance ability later (Canadian Sport for Life).
WHAT ARE FUNDAMENTAL SPORT SKILLS?
After mastering the fundamental movement skills, children learn how to transfer those skills to a variety of sport-specific movements, like soccer throw-ins, football passes, basketball lay-ups, softball pitches, and gymnastics dismounts. Many children learn to apply these skills, along with game strategies and tactics, in middle school physical education classes.
WHY IS PHYSICAL LITERACY IMPORTANT?
According to PHE Canada and Canadian Sport for Life, "research has shown that being physically active later in life depends on an individual's ability to feel confident in an activity setting. That confidence most often comes from having learned fundamental movement and sport skills, or physical literacy, as a child. Research has also shown that without the development of physical literacy, many children and youth withdraw from physical activity and sport and turn to more inactive and/or unhealthy choices during their leisure time. Quality physical education programs offer the best opportunity to foster the development of physical literacy for all children and youth given their mandate to provide equal and equitable access to the development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to become physically literate."
Click this link to read "An Introduction to Physical Literacy" from Canadian Sport for Life.
- Individuals who are physically literate move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments (land, water, air, snow, and ice) that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.
- Physically literate individuals demonstrate a variety of movements confidently, competently, creatively, and strategically across a wide range of health-related physical activities.
WHAT ARE FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS?
Fundamental movement skills are the foundational movement patterns needed to enjoy a wide range of physical activities. Some examples include: walking, running, jumping, catching, dribbling, throwing, skating, swimming, kicking, and cycling. Children typically develop these skills between ages 0 to 9. They do not develop them naturally. They must be practiced over and over.
For children to have success in sport - either for recreation or competition - it is important they master movement skills before learning sport skills, and fundamental sport skills before specific techniques. Learning fundamental sport skills before mastering the related fundamental movement skills actually reduces performance ability later (Canadian Sport for Life).
WHAT ARE FUNDAMENTAL SPORT SKILLS?
After mastering the fundamental movement skills, children learn how to transfer those skills to a variety of sport-specific movements, like soccer throw-ins, football passes, basketball lay-ups, softball pitches, and gymnastics dismounts. Many children learn to apply these skills, along with game strategies and tactics, in middle school physical education classes.
WHY IS PHYSICAL LITERACY IMPORTANT?
According to PHE Canada and Canadian Sport for Life, "research has shown that being physically active later in life depends on an individual's ability to feel confident in an activity setting. That confidence most often comes from having learned fundamental movement and sport skills, or physical literacy, as a child. Research has also shown that without the development of physical literacy, many children and youth withdraw from physical activity and sport and turn to more inactive and/or unhealthy choices during their leisure time. Quality physical education programs offer the best opportunity to foster the development of physical literacy for all children and youth given their mandate to provide equal and equitable access to the development of the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to become physically literate."
Click this link to read "An Introduction to Physical Literacy" from Canadian Sport for Life.
Image from: Active for Life
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