Document Title

Physical Literacy

Physical literacy (PL) is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life

(International Physical Literacy Association, May 2014)

Children need to be taught to develop PL skills, just as we teach reading (literacy) and math (numeracy)

Four essential interconnected elements of Physical Literacy:

  • Motivation and confidence = cooperation and positive interaction with peers
  • Physical competence = movement activity and acquiring fundamental movement skills
  • Knowledge and understanding= awareness of the health benefits as well as an understanding of social, emotional and cognitive qualities that everyone needs to move
  • Engagement in physical activities for life = do it daily for life, and assuming responsibility to lead an active way of life

Physical Literacy Core Principles:

  • is an inclusive concept accessible to all students
  • it is a unique journey for each individual
  • can be cultivated and enjoyed through a range of experiences in different environments and contexts
  • needs to be valued and nurtured through life
  • contributes to the development of the whole person

Development of Physical Literacy:

Children who are physically literate are able to make the most of opportunities for fun and activities regardless of the setting or the season or playing surface (land, air, water, ice or snow)

Fundamental movement skills + Fundamental sport skills = Basis of physical literacy.

Stage 1: Active Start (0-6 years):

Children need to be introduced to a positive physical activity experience at a young age through relatively unstructured active play and games in a safe and challenging environment that incorporates a variety of body movements

Stage 2: FUNdamental stage (girls 6-8 years, boys 6-9 years):

Children need to participate in a variety of well-structured activities that develop basic movement and sports skills taught through fun games and activities. While these basics are fun in nature, they also serve to teach essential skills required as a foundation for more complex physical activities and sports

Stage 3: Learning to Train (girls 8-11 years, boys 9-12 years):

Children are ready to convert their fundamental movement skills into fundamental sport skills. This is a period of accelerated learning of coordination and fine motor control. These basic skills then form a solid platform to learn general sport skills which can be transferred across a number of different types of sports. Agreater amount of time should be spent training and practicing skills rather than competing. Children enjoy practicing skills they learn and seeing their own improvement.

Physical Literacy Activities

Stage 1: Active Start (0-6 years):

  • Play running games – not just in a straight line, but with stops and starts and changes in direction. Tag and chasing games are excellent.
  • Play catching games - use a wide range of soft objects and balls of different sizes. Start with catching a large ball with two hands, and progress towards smaller balls and eventually one handed catching. Bean bags and balls that don’t bounce too much are great for developing basic catching skills.
  • Play throwing games - start with soft objects that the child can hold easily in their hand. Try to get the child to throw at a target and sometimes to throw as hard as they can. Get them to try both hands.
  • Play games making body shapes – upside down and right-side up. Pretend to slither like a snake, and roll like a rolling pin on the floor or down a small grassy slope.
  • Play balancing games - stand on one foot and then try the other. Balance on different body parts and try walking along any painted lines on the ground.
  • Play jumping games - jump and make shapes in the air. Jump to see how high or far the child can go. Make imaginary rivers and get the child to jump from one bank to the other. Try jumping from both feet, then one foot. Make sure the child bends at the knees when they land.
  • Introduce children to different environments (land, water, snow, ice or air) – e.g. water activities and learn-to-swim programs, get them on skates or skis and out on the ice or snow so that they learn to slide. Ride a tricycle, or a bicycle with or without training wheels to develop dynamic balance.

Stage 2: FUNdamental stage (girls 6-8 years, boys 6-9 years):

Mastering fundamental movement skills – it is important for all children, including those with a disability to master fundamental movement skills before puberty to optimise both future performance and lifelong activity.

  • ABC’s: Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed. Body control skills such as balancing, dodging, spinning, stopping, twisting, stretching, collapsing, swaying, swinging, push, pull, shake, turning, moving the arms and legs in rhythmic ways, changing speed
  • Locomotor/ Travelling skills - crawling, walking, running, galloping, skipping, jumping (vertical and horizontal), leaping, hopping, rolling, sliding, skating, wheeling
  • Object Control skills
  • Sending – throwing (underhand and overhand), kicking, punting, rolling (ball), striking (ball, puck, ring)
  • Receiving - catching, stopping, trapping
  • Travelling with – dribbling (feet, hands, stick)
  • Receiving and Sending – striking (bat, stick), Volleyball
  • Strength, endurance and flexibility - need to be developed, but through games and fun activities rather than a training regime
  • Unstructured physical play – encourage children to engage in unstructured physical play with their friends every day, regardless of the weather

Physical Literacy Activities

Stage 3: Learning to Train – Fundamental Sport Skills (girls 8-11 years, boys 9-12 years):

  • Refining movement skills – this is the time to develop and refine movement skills, and learn overall sport skills. 70% of the time should be practice, with only 30% of the time spent on competition
  • Travelling skills
  • leading to fundamental sports skills – volleyball, basketball, hurdles, jumping
  • in various decision making situations – over/around opponent, long or short steps, right or left foot
  • Object control skills
  • leading to fundamental sports skills – soccer, football, kickball, baseball, javelin, discus, shot put, tennis, hockey, ringette etc.
  • in various decision making situations - long or short, high or low, left or right, to open space, over a defender
  • Balance movements
  • leading to fundamental sports skills – after any jump, gymnastics
  • in various decision making situations – one foot or two feet
  • Strength and flexibility – keep working on these skills. For strength activities children should use their own body weight, theraband or medicine balls (not heavy weights)
  • Endurance – develop endurance through games and relays
  • Broad range of activities – encourage children to take every opportunity to play different sports during physical education and intramurals keeping sport and physical activity fun
  • Unstructured physical play – encourage children to engage in unstructured physical play with their friends every day, regardless of the weather

Resource adapted from:

Ever Active Schools

Canadian Sport for Life

Physical Literacy Canada

PHE Canada

Compiled by Calgary Board of Education, August 2016 Page 1|3

Document Title

Compiled by Calgary Board of Education, August 2016 Page 1|3