Abstract
Regular physical activity significantly improves health outcomes, yet rates of childhood physical activity remain alarmingly low. Physical literacy has been identified as the foundation for quality physical education, suggesting that sport, education, and public health interventions should seek to increase physical literacy to promote physical activity. A two-week day camp program for children aged 6–10 facing barriers to positive development, was developed and delivered by a Sport for Development facility in Toronto, Canada. Utilizing fundamental movement skills (FMS) as a teaching tool and a pre- and post-assessment, the camp aimed to increase physical literacy and promote engagement in physical activity. Results indicate a significant increase in FMS (t (44) = 4.37, p < .001) as well as improved self-perceptions of physical literacy (t (40) = 14.96, p < .001). The largest FMS increases were found in running and balance and the most significant impacts were among low baseline performers.
Highlights
Public health interventions should seek to increase physical literacy to promote physical activity
The largest fundamental movement skills (FMS) increases were found in running and balance and the most significant impacts were among low baseline performers
physical literacy (PL) has been identified as the foundation of quality physical education in UNESCO’s (2015) guidelines for policy makers, and it continues to gain credibility and momentum as an educational concept and programming objective for physical activity (PA) and sport providers and in broader public health interventions (Edwards et al 2017; Edwards et al 2018; Mandigo et al 2009; O’Brien et al 2015; Tremblay et al 2018)
Summary
Public health interventions should seek to increase physical literacy to promote physical activity. Utilizing fundamental movement skills (FMS) as a teaching tool and a pre- and post-assessment, the camp aimed to increase physical literacy and promote engagement in physical activity. Building a shared understanding of how to effectively promote lifelong engagement in physical activity (PA) through the development of physical literacy (PL) is an important aim for the sport, youth service, and education sectors, both in Canada and internationally (Mandigo et al 2018). FMS have been independently associated with a range of positive health-related outcomes (Logan et al 2012) They include a range of basic movement skills falling into several domains: running/locomotor; object control or manipulation, including upper and lower body; and balance, stability, and body control (Canadian Sport for Life 2014a; Dudley 2015). Available data indicate that the average PL levels of youth in Canada match the low levels of PA reported: the 2018 ParticipACTION report card assigned a grade of “D+” for both overall PA and PL, indicating that 21–40% of Canadians aged 3–17 meet benchmarks for these indicators (ParticipACTION 2018)
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