The Physical Activity Handbook - Good For Kids

P.22
Monitoring preschoolers’ progress in fundamental movement skills
Below are three examples of documentation methods you could use to monitor the development
of fundamental movement skills. The Good for Kids program acknowledges that these are only
examples and your service may already have unique and innovative practices which could be
shared with the Good for Kids program and other services.
See Figure 4 (page P.24) to assist in your observations. It describes the four levels that
children progress through to achieve proficiency in each fundamental movement skill –
pre control, control, utilisation and proficiency. Young children (up to five years old) will
only reach the control level for each fundamental movement skill.
First is a sample of an obstacle course that allows observation of children’s interactions with
equipment and their proficiency in each fundamental movement skill. Using a photocopy of your
chosen obstacle course design (one per child), record how each child moves their body over and/
or through the equipment. This gives an excellent record which can be discussed with the child and
added to their portfolio immediately 37 .
Figure 1: Obstacle course observations 37
I Move We Move, The Physical Acitivity Handbook – Preschoolers, Edition 1 August 2009
AREA HEALTH SERVICE
P.22