Mary Surtees Assistant Head of Primary School – Wellbeing and Operations
The Importance of Physical Literacy
When one speaks of education, the terms literacy and numeracy are frequently cited as the two most important subject areas. But there does exist a third: physical literacy. Its place is paramount in everyone’s life and rightly commandeers that place from the cradle to the grave. One is not born physically literate, just like one is not born knowing how to read or count. There are countless stories of students who were physically active during their time at school, but on completing their schooling, their activity level decreased or simply disappeared as a result of discovering more leisurely pursuits. Many students have not engaged in physical education lessons because they saw it as catering for students who were able athletes and, if you were not one of those, then there existed little motivation to become involved.
The development of fundamental motor skills should be the foundation of any quality physical education program. The skills are not just for playing sport, but rather, they form the basis of all life skills needed to exist as a functioning human being in our world today. Balance, depth perception, spatial awareness, gross and fine motor skills are just a few of the
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Physical Literacy has also been described as the physical and psychological attributes that are foundational to participation in physical activity and therefore the capacity for an active lifestyle (Jefferies et al. 2019). So, it behoves teachers of children
Dudley (2015) believes that physical literacy should be viewed as an umbrella concept under which can be found the knowledge, skills, understandings and values related to taking responsibility for purposeful activity and human movement. Organised sport is a wonderful avenue for the more talented people in the world – irrespective of age. But not everyone is that ‘talented person’. This does not mean that physical literacy is lost to them. On the contrary, it is these people who need the foundations of physical literacy to build a lifelong commitment to and enjoyment of physical activity (Sprake and Walker 2013).
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Physical Literacy is defined as ‘a disposition to capitalise on our human embodied capability, wherein the individual has the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for maintaining purposeful physical pursuits/activities throughout the lifecourse’ (Whitehead 2013). Physical activity is for all people. People who are physically literate are more likely to be active over time, adapt to physical changes in their bodies and recover from injury or surgery far quicker (Loitz 2013).
from early childhood onwards to cultivate and nurture this physical literacy in all students. Each person must accept as his or her own responsibility the notion that only they can improve or maintain their wellbeing. Physical literacy is said to be the basis for sustaining the health of individuals, maintaining a healthy workforce and reducing the load on health systems throughout the world (Cairney & Veldhuizen 2017). However, the guidance to become physically literate must come from somewhere and schools are the perfect place for this to occur. If an understanding of and love for physical literacy are enhanced during the school years, that vitality will travel with all people on their life’s journey (Almond 2013).
