I Move We Move - Good For Kids - NSW Government

Putting together a fundamental movement skills learning experience for preschoolers:
A summary of the steps
In this section we have described the process of fundamental movement skills development and
the importance of adults in facilitating this process. Specifically we have described the importance
of daily, adult guided opportunities, of verbal prompts and the inclusion of a warm up, games
and a cool down as part of an adult guided fundamental movement skills learning experience (see
Figure 5.2, page 5.8). Below we outline a summary of the steps you may find useful when putting
together a fundamental movement skills learning experience for preschoolers:
1. Get to know what each skill looks like (see Figure 5.3, page 5.11)
2. Plan and set-up the learning experience (time, space, equipment, content)
3. Engage children’s interest in the learning experience (provocation)
4. Undertake a skill-specific warm up (see page 5.8 and The Physical Activity Handbook –
Preschoolers, page P.15)
5. Provide a demonstration of the skill (see your fundamental movement skills lanyard) but don’t
verbally explain it. Keep the demonstration short and simple. If preferred, ask a competent
child to demonstrate
6. Allow time for children to explore the skill and ask questions to guide their discovery. For
example for the skill of kicking a ball, provide balls and ask the children to “Show me how
many different ways you can use any part of your foot to kick the ball”, prompting if needed –
“your toes, the top of your foot/your shoelaces, each side, your heel” 23
7. Provide a demonstration focusing on key skill components and explain by providing or
co-creating teaching cues with the children
8. Start the game or activity where children practice the skill
9. Allow some time for children to have a go first then, either as they are performing the skill or
directly after; use verbal prompts to provide feedback
10. Extend and challenge by prompting children to use preferred/non-preferred hand/foot,
increasing/decreasing distance, working to a time constraint
11. Undertake a cool down (see page 5.9 and The Physical Activity Handbook – Preschoolers,
page P.20)
I Move We Move, The Guide Edition 1 August 2009
AREA HEALTH SERVICE
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