We are all familiar with the commentary that young children today do not get the physical activity that we did in early childhood. Whether we put this down to the growth of tablets and play stations or risk aversion, we need think about what this means for young children’s physical development.
The recently published Ofsted review of the three prime areas of learning highlights the need for the development of fundamental movement skills (FMS) to start early: ‘It is important that young children learn fundamental movement skills as soon as they can, so they can take part in a range of physical activities, games and sport.’
This does not bode well for those children who have an inactive lifestyle. So, what does this mean for early years practice? Is it that settings need a structured approach that gives children time and instruction to develop their FMS? Or can practitioners ensure all children will learn these essential skills through their play, without specific teaching?
WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS?
Interestingly, FMS are not mentioned in the Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework(2021).
FMS are a set of gross motor skills, starting in babyhood, that use different parts of the body: feet, legs, torso, head, arms and hands. FMS form the building blocks for more complex skills such as those needed to play a sport or game.
These skills develop over time, with children progressing at their own pace. What must not be forgotten is that children need lots of opportunities to practise and refine FMS. FMS for the under-fives fall into three main categories:
- Locomotor skills: walking, running, jumping, hopping.
- Manipulation skills: throwing, catching, kicking, striking an object with an implement.
- Stability skills: balancing, lifting, bending, twisting.
DEVELOPMENT OF FMS
If we spend half an hour in the park, we will see young children running around, rolling on the grass and balancing on whatever they might find. We might see similar things going on in the supermarket too. From this, we may deduce that FMS occur in a ‘natural’, non-structured way. Children ‘just do’ them.
Dr Lala Manners, early years physical development consultant, says, ‘The point of foundation or fundamental movement skills is that they are skills that usually emerge in a particular order quite naturally. Unless there is an identifiable issue or difficulty, they should not require specific teaching.’
Many children will learn how to jump, for instance, through a combination of observation and practice. They will watch other children and imitate them. Through trial and error and lots of practice, they will gradually become more able and confident at jumping.
Dr Manners highlights the need for repetition: ‘What they absolutely require is continual rehearsal and refinement over the lifespan’. She too points out the need for refinement at a later age, albeit with a caveat. ‘Around age four to four and a half, children become very interested in “getting better” at skills and really enjoy becoming more precise: going faster and jumping higher. But, if refinement is inappropriately challenging or forced, children may be injured or put off entirely.’
TEACHING FMS
It might, then, seem anathema to think about teaching children FMS. Isn’t it as counterintuitiveas teaching a baby to roll?
Ofsted’s research review highlights the lack of opportunities that many young children have for their early physical development. For example, although the NHS recommends that all babies have opportunities for ‘tummy time’ from birth, only around 30 per cent have this. Babies and toddlers may spend significant amounts of their time in pushchairs, car seats, high chairs and bouncers. Where young children have poorly developed gross motor skills, they can become isolated from their peers when they start nursery. They are less likely to take part in social play, especially social physical play.
Some researchers argue that children won’t simply develop FMS ‘naturally’ as they mature. A meta-analysis concluded that ‘motor skill interventions are effective in improving FMS in children. Early childhood education centres should implement ‘planned’ movement programmes as a strategy to promote motor skill development in children.’ [Logan S.W., et al. (2012) ‘Getting the fundamentals of movement: a meta‐analysis of the effectiveness of motor skill interventions in children’, Child: Care, Health and Development, 38(3), pp.305–315.]
If we want every child to enjoy movement and feel confident to join in with play, maybe we need to consider a planned programme of activities for FMS development?
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRACTITIONERS
Teaching techniques well and age-appropriately helps children to understand FMS and how they use their body to improve them.
For each FMS there are a number of processes or stages to go though in order to become accomplished. We have all seen babies learning to walk by going through the ‘cruising’ phase: the furniture or soft play equipment provides them with support. This enables them to prepare for independent walking by developing enough strength, balance and co-ordination. Practitioners need to be familiar with these sequences and stages of the FMS. Not all babies will necessarily have the confidence or encouragement to ‘naturally’ progress.
A high-quality environment, in and outdoors, can provide many opportunities for young children to practise FMS. For example, simple equipment such as an old-fashioned A-frame or a climbing frame can encourage children to climb, swing from arm to arm, and hang upside down. Old boxes provide endless fun for children as they learn to fit themselves inside spaces. Space and encouragement to swing and spin helps children to develop their spatial awareness. Children also need time for running, jumping and skipping.
However, the key question is whether providing ‘opportunities’ results in every child’s participation. Children who are less skilled and confident might hang back. Other children, who have already spent time playing out in parks and playgrounds, may relish the opportunities to spend more time developing their strength, stamina and precision in movement. It is easy to see how the gap in skills and confidence between these two groups of children might grow if we are not careful.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY MOVEMENT
Young children who are able to move about with confidence can seek out what interests them. They can also socialise and develop their relationships. In all, moving adeptly enables them to develop connections with the world around them.
It is clear that encouraging and supporting children with fundamental movement skills is imperative to early years practice. Both play and structured activities have a place in this.
What must not be assumed is that all children will develop these skills naturally. This cannot be left to chance.
CASE STUDY: Weir Link Nursery and Pre-school, London Early Years Foundation (LEYF)
Nursery manager Dhanvanti Deshmukh (far right) says, ‘At LEYF we consider physical movement to be critically important for all children. When children use movements that involve different body parts, they learn skills that impact their later lives. They start to develop the core strength and co-ordination needed for sports and generally active lives.
‘We introduce FMS through a range of play and exploratory activities, in and outdoors. Children discover play opportunities that capture their interest and stimulate their curiosity. Such activities increase their physical competence and give them confidence about what their bodies are capable of. Children love to show off their skills and further them by copying friends who are doing more complicated manoeuvres. Importantly, it gives them lots of fun too!
‘All children need to move from a very young age. Not doing so can have long-lasting health effects and lead to negative attitudes towards physical play and sport. If children are reluctant or show a lack of interest in FMS, we work closely with their family to come up ith an approach that will suit them.’
Her colleague Ana Cruz (left)reports, ‘In April, we initiated an Action Research project aimed to support a ten-month-old child who wasn’t moving from a sitting position. We did a six-week baseline assessment, several observations, and had pedagogical conversations with the parents. We brainstormed how we could enable the child to start moving and decided to experiment with a baby balance bike.
‘The first thing we saw was the child’s pride when experiencing different visual perspective of their environment. After several weeks, they are now walking with confidence and maintaining good balance. The physiotherapist no longer has concerns about them.
‘We base our practice on the firm understanding that all young children need to develop FMS from babyhood and, as with all areas of their development, will need varying levels of input to do this.’