Is Your Child Physically Literate?

Is your child Physically Literate?

Physically literate, seriously? I know what many of you are thinking...this terminology is just the next big thing to come down the educational pipeline much like the Common Core, new math, PARCC testing, etc...and I'd dare to venture that the majority of parents out there have the sentiment of, "it's just gym." Well, let's face it, physical education has changed dramatically since you and I were kids. It is not the subject of old - dominated by athletes and centered around sports. We don't play dodgeball or let captains pick teams. Kids don't stand around in long lines waiting for turns with limited equipment. We don't put students on display to embarrass or humiliate lesser skilled movers and we don't just "play games all day." And to be honest, the gym is where physical education takes place; it's not even referred to as "gym class" anymore.

So what is this shift in Physical Education all about? Well, Physical Education is now defined as an academic subject that provides a planned, sequential, K-12 standards-based program of curricula and instruction designed to develop motor skills, knowledge and behaviors for healthy, active living, physical fitness, sportsmanship, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence. Our National governing body, SHAPE America, defines physical literacy as follows:

So how can you help your student become more "physically literate"? Well, they will be working toward that ultimate goal to the best of their potential while they are with me in the gym twice a week for 30 minutes (I wish I saw them more!). Meanwhile, it will be up to you as parents to help them engage in active pursuits outside of the school day whether that is a planned family activity, an organized sport, or providing opportunities for "free play" outdoors. All of these active experiences will help guide your child towards physical endeavors in which they find enjoyment. It is this love of moving which you and I will work together to instill in your children.

So is your child physically literate? Try out this simple 9 item physical literacy assessment to find out:

PHYSICAL LITERACY ASSESSMENT

1. Forward roll

Can your child do a basic forward roll on the floor? The forward roll is a basic gymnastic movement that demonstrates your child has developed a reasonable degree of flexibility and coordination, as well as proprioception (knowing where the body is as it moves through space). Simply understanding that they need to tuck their head to their chest is also significant in their basic understanding of the movement.

2. Flat-footed squat

Can your child do a flat-footed squat from a standing position and then stand up again? The flat-footed squat is considered a standard test of physical literacy by researchers and health practitioners. This movement indicates a blend of important qualities: flexibility, coordination and balance, not to mention strength. If your child has trouble keeping their heels flat on the ground while they descend into a squat all the way to the floor and stand up again, or if they lose balance and fall over in the process, your child has issues with balance as well as flexibility, coordination and strength in key muscle groups in the legs and core.

3. Swim (comfortable in water)

Can your child swim? Water is one of the four key environments of sport and physical activity, along with land, air and snow/ice. Swimming is the basis of a multitude of water sports ranging from competitive racing and diving to water polo and surfing, and it is also an essential skill for lifetime safety around the water. Pretty important when you consider that 75% of our planet’s surface is covered in water.

4. Throw a ball

It may seem a bit corny or simplistic, but the ability to throw a ball is a good general indicator of a person’s physical coordination and development of movement skills. It’s not just about being able to play quarterback for the New England Patriots in the NFL or pitch for the Blue Jays in major league baseball. If you consider how throwing was an essential skill for our distant ancestors who were hunting with spears or knocking coconuts out of trees by hurling stones, you can see how throwing has always been a natural part of our movement skill repertoire. It involves a complicated mix of balance and coordination between dozens if not hundreds of muscles, so it’s a good indicator of how much physical literacy a child has developed to date.

5. Strike an object

Can your child hit a ball with a bat? A puck with a hockey stick? A badminton bird with a racquet? See “Throw a ball” above. The same basic reasoning applies. Humans are distinguished from animals by our mastery of tools, and the great majority of our early tools were used to strike things. The only difference is that now we strike pucks and balls instead of other cavemen. (Sorry – cavepersons.)

6. Land from jumping

Watch your child as they jump from a low platform, tree branch or park bench and land on their feet. Do they land with their knees aligned squarely above their feet and flex smoothly into a squat? Or do their knees collapse inwards and their legs generally go sixteen different directions? If your child can land a jump reasonably well, then hopping and other fundamental movement skills are also probably little problem for them.

7. One-leg balance test

Ask your child to stand on one foot for 30 seconds without losing balance. Get them to put their hands on their hips and lift the knee of their non-standing leg as high as possible. Children often end up hopping all over the place and laughing because it is more difficult than it appears. The good news is that the challenge encourages them to practice and improve their time, so you are covertly promoting the development of their balance.

8. Confidence to try sports

Kids who have a reasonable degree of physical literacy feel confident trying a sport or physical activity that is new to them. They are confident because they know they have the basic skills in running, jumping and throwing to get started. And as time passes, they build further confidence as they experience additional successes in trying these new sports and activities.

9. Describe a movement skill or activity in words

In effect, verbal literacy is a part of physical literacy. Children who are fully physically literate should be able to describe their activity and movements accurately with the basic correct words. Why? Because words and naming used to describe movement reflect formal thinking and understanding of those same movements. It sounds a bit esoteric, but in truth it’s another good general indicator.