Fundamental Movement Skills: Parent Checklist
Making sure a child learns all the important Fundamental Movement Skills is no easy task. There are many skills to be learned, and no single place to take the child to make sure that they learn them all. To help care-givers understand the sequence of development of children, the Fundamental Movement Skill Chart (FMS), Figure 5 is provided.
Learning fundamental sport skills before mastering related fundamental movement skills reduces performance ability later.
The FMS Chart shows a number of the most important fundamental movement skills each child needs to master, as well as giving some indication of when readiness for learning each skill emerges, when it is the optimum time to learn the skill, as well as the age by which failure to learn the skill might motivate care-givers to seek professional help. It also suggests the kinds of programs in which the child is most likely to learn and develop the skill. Space is provided for care-givers to check-off each skill as it is developed by the child.
- Do ALL children have the opportunity to be vigorously physically active for at least 30 minutes per day for toddlers and 60 minutes per day for pre-schoolers, every day, in their home, day-care setting or school? Do they engage in dance and music activities?
- Is there a wide range of material that children can play with – balls (various types and sizes), beanbags, hoops, and other similar equipment, and are there places to climb, room to run and jump, places to safely throw and kick objects?
- Do teachers and care-givers encourage ALL children, including those with a disability, to engage in active play?
- Can care-givers and teachers provide basic instruction to children who have difficulty with a specific fundamental movement skill?
The
Parent Lobbying Kit should help you determine if your child is getting adequate opportunity to learn and practice fundamental movement skills.