Markham launches physical literacy programs

YorkRegion.com
Sept. 26, 2016
Amanda Persico

Just as children learn the ABCs and 123s, children also need to learn how to run, skip and jump.

Physical literacy is the development of a wide range of fundamental movement skills used in all sports, such as running, jumping, kicking, throwing, swinging and hitting.

Last week, Markham launched its new physical literacy programs designed to teach children to be competent, confident and motivated to move.

“When we learn to read a word, we can then put together a sentence then read a whole book,” Mayor Frank Scarpitti told students during the program’s launch at John McRae Public School.

“When we learn simple things like how to jump, throw or run, we can then play sports.”

The Markham in Motion programs provide early exposure to fundamental movement skills that require instruction and practice.

Developing those skills is a “good start” to encouraging an active lifestyle, John McRae Public School physical education teacher Marlee Corcoran said.

“Physical literacy is about teaching movement,” she said. “Instead of teaching how to play, we’re teaching how to move, so everyone can be successful.”

Learning to run is a fundamental skill used in soccer, basketball, track and field and tennis.

Learning to swim can lead to diving, water polo, scuba, kayaking, sailing and surfing.

The throwing movement is used when playing baseball, bowling, football and rugby.

But this movement is learned by practicing throwing different size balls, with one or both hands, throwing at different speeds, distances and targets.

“The old way of teaching was to play a game of basketball,” Corcoran said. “Instead, we teach passing and strategy like moving to an open space. With those skills, there are so many more sports kids can play.”

Once a child has learned the fundamental movement skill, such as throwing, then it becomes about learning the sport skill, such as pitching or throwing from the outfield.

The new programs are funded through a $98,000 grant from the Ontario Sport and Recreation Community Fund, $25,000 from the RBC Learn to Play project and $7,500 from Sport for Life. 

Registration for winter session programs starts Nov. 15. For more information, visit markham.ca