Learning the FMS is as important as learning the ABC
[This post complements and extends material in Chapter 11] If you are a parent, grandparent or indeed anyone wanting the best for our children, read on.
In this post, I talk about an aspect of children’s well-being that is easily overlooked and undervalued. But permit me to begin on a personal note.
The cover image of Connect with Nature was chosen because it represents the key message of book – that being in nature is an attractive and highly beneficial experience for young and old alike (An adult in the photo would have been great, but the photographer and other adults were nearby).
The image is a candid one, taken on a family outing. The children were genuinely connecting with nature. The family has many such outings in bushland as well as by the ocean. Earlier this year, they tackled an 11 km walk in Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania. The now 3 years-old bucket girl, managed most of the walk without assistance. She is not slow in telling anyone remotely interested that she did it without being carried. In the top right of the photo is her six year-old brother, coping as well as any adult with the walk.
Watching these two youngsters benefit from the many opportunities they have had to connect with nature has been one of the joys of my life. What particularly stands out for me is the amazing progress they have made in developing proficiency in the fundamental movement skills (FMS).
There are three kinds of FMS:
- Locomotor – walking, running, hopping, skipping, bounding, galloping, leaping, jumping, rolling, sliding, dodging and climbing
- Stability – balancing, landing, bending, twisting, turning, stretching, extending, flexing, hanging, rotating and bracing
- Manipulative – throwing, catching, striking, kicking, bouncing, pushing, pulling and carrying
Proficiency in these skills is measured not simply by whether they can be performed but also by the quality of the perfomance.
FMS are obviously integral to many of the activities of daily living. They are especially important for sport. A dozen or more of them are exercised in both football (soccer) and netball, for example.
Just as children need to learn the basics of reading and number, they also need to learn the FMS to build the strongest foundation for a physically healthy lifestyle. Children who are proficient at FMS are more likely to be physically active and have adequate cardiorespiratory fitness and are less likely to be overweight or obese compared with children who are not proficient. In addition, FMS-proficient children are more likely to become adolescents who are more active and with higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness.
But the concerning news is that many Australian children are entering secondary school lacking proficiency in many FMS. Approximately two-thirds of Year 6 children in NSW are not proficient at locomotor skills, and just two-thirds of girls and one quarter of boys have proficiency in the manipulative skills.
Insufficient physical activity in adolescence is now a global health issue, with 85% of Australian adolescents not meeting the recommendation of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day. Not surprisingly, one quarter of adolescents is either overweight or obese and one third lack cardiorespiratory fitness.
Schools are universally recognised as important institutions for the promotion of physical activity and the development of the fundamental movement skills. In an ideal educational world, schools would be succeeding in this task. But many schools are not, for reasons such as shortage of teachers, lack of resources and overcrowded curriculums.
It is unrealistic to leave the development FMS in our children to schools alone. Families have a vital part to play, especially in getting children playing outdoors after school hours and away from the dangerously sedentary world of screens and smartphones.
The addictive nature of smart phones, video games and TV makes the task of parents in this regard very difficult. Where once the play spaces of choice for children were outdoors and the preferred games active ones, this is now much less the case. Children are getting too many rewarding hits of dopamine indoors in front of screens.
If this situation is to change, parents, with all the support that communities can offer, must help their children to discover that the out-of-doors – the backyard included – is wonderful playground territory.
In Connect with Nature, I provide guidelines for how this can be done from infancy, through the major stages of childhood and during adolescence.
As n
atural settings (including household gardens and neighbourhood parks) provide ideal and abundant opportunities to exercise FMS, the guidelines relate to free play in these settings. The guidelines are accompanied by a rich catalogue of nature-related outdoor activities suitable for children and families. Many of these activities can be done in sight of the backdoor.
Connect with Nature encourages parents to follow the principle of ‘gradualism’ in introducing their children to nature It also encourages ‘venturesome’ play – play that involves exploration, pushing boundaries and taking risks (in appropriately managed and supervised conditions).
The single most important objective in all of this is to foster a love of active outdoor play. The sooner in life this process starts the better. Such a love will drive activities that not only strengthen FMS but also build confidence, self-esteem and resilience.
I am very keen to see Connect with Nature being used by parents and others to encourage children to be more active, playing in nature especially.
WRITTEN BY
