It has never been more clear that people who are encouraged to develop their physical literacy during their foundational childhood years are much more likely to remain active throughout their lives.
However, this requires support and proactive guidance from their educators.
What is physical literacy?
People who are physically literate have the competence, confidence and motivation to enjoy a variety of sports and physical activities. As a result, they are more likely to stay active.
A generation ago, unstructured play and risky play were common, which helped prepare children for a lifetime of active pursuits. However, we now face a situation where these experiences are rare, and we need to support the development of physical literacy as a countermeasure–a topic covered in Developing Physical Literacy: A New Normal for All Canadians.
The Sport for Life document describes the essential components of physical literacy, outlines how to support the development of physical literacy in all stages of life, and discusses strategies for delivering coordinated physical literacy programs for Canadians of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities.
“Physical literacy needs to be actively developed as it cannot be assumed that it will occur naturally as part of normal growth,” according to Developing Physical Literacy: A New Normal for All Canadians.
“While part of the solution is to provide greater opportunities for unstructured play and risky activity, it is important to remember that people of all ages do not innately develop motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility to be active for life.”
This is the guiding principle behind much of the work at Sport for Life, whether it’s supporting the construction of a physical literacy-themed daycare, championing inclusion through the Long-term Development in Sport and Physical Activity framework, or promoting cross-sectoral partnerships that will benefit students through the Physical Literacy for Communities (PL4C) initiative.
Supporting educators to impact students through physical literacy
In an article from the Sport Information Resource Centre, University of Victoria Professor Jean Buckler argued that based on the available evidence, early childhood educators are not receiving the education and professional development they need to properly facilitate physical literacy development in their participants.
“Therefore, professional development programs are crucial in supporting educators in gaining the skills, confidence, knowledge and capacity to support children’s development in these areas,” according to Buckler.
“Providing training to early childhood educators has been successful in supporting increased knowledge, confidence, and intention to support physical activity and physical literacy,”
According to the article “Why early childhood educators are key to developing children’s physical literacy,” the following three things should be kept in mind when training these educators:
• ongoing support
• theoretical basis
• accountability and program adherence.
Empowering through physical literacy observation
Physical Literacy Assessment for Youth (PLAY) Tools were developed by Dr. Dean Kriellaars, one of the experts who has worked closely with Sport for Life over the years. Acting as a catalyst for change within the quality sport and physical literacy ecosystem, these tools are meant to improve the population’s level of physical literacy.
“The program is designed to be a motivating and efficient way to provide valuable information and feedback to participants and leaders about the progress and attainment of physical literacy,” according to the PLAY website.
“Motivation to participate in an activity comes from having encouragement, adequate motor skill abilities, and a safe and welcoming environment. The more a child participates, the more confident they become; conversely, if they don’t participate, they will begin to lack confidence and self-esteem.”
Directed at individuals aged five and up, the PLAY Tools determine gaps in physical literacy development, and provide ways for early childhood educators to take action to help improve these areas. By correctly identifying where the child is in their physical literacy trajectory, they can then custom-design activities and encourage movements that will help them progress and acquire the ability to complete new fundamental movement skills.
To learn more about the PLAY Tools, visit play.physicalliteracy.ca.
