Fundamental Movement Skills

Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are movement patterns that involve different body parts
such as the legs, arms, trunk and head, and include such skills as running, hopping, catching,
throwing, striking and balancing. They are the foundation movements or precursor patterns to the
more specialised, complex skills used in play, games, sports, dance, gymnastics, outdoor education
and physical recreation activities (Department of Education WA, 2013, p. 15). There are categories
of FMS but before proceeding to these categories let’s have first the issues in teaching these
fundamental movement skills.

Common issues in teaching FMS

Several studies have reported that physical activity declines dramatically as young children
advance from primary to secondary school with children losing on average an hour of exercise in the
week. Aligned to this, many children are leaving primary education having failed to gain proficiency
in FMS and this may severely hinder youth participation in many diverse types of leisure physical
activities, games and sports and impact on physical fitness (Rainer, & Jarvis, 2020).

This is great portion that Rainer & Jarvis consider the importance of studying FMS since there are
a lot of issues regarding to how this though in the primary level. In general, it must be noted that
those teaching PE and FMS in the primary school are typically non-specialists, lack confidence to
teach the subject, and often have completed less than 10 hours of specific PE training during their
initial teacher training. These are following simple reason why do we need to study movement
enhancement from this fundamental movement skills aside from the application.

Characteristics of individual having difficulties in movements skills

Through observation and experience with friends at school or in the sports gathering or dance
practice, people will probably be aware of the individuals who are not well coordinated as the others
and maybe you consider yourself. On the basis of this observation you may first consider several
questions.
 Does the person have a low level of fitness? For example a students with a weak abdominal
muscles or poor flexibility around the hips, will not be able to lift legs high while running,
jumping, hopping or skipping.
 Has the person had the opportunity to develop the skill? Some students have been
encouraged to develop their physical potential in their home or community environment.
 Does the person simply need specific intervention strategies or good feedback during the
teaching of those tasks to improve their performance?
Out of the following questions we might notice that individual movement enhancement should
start from primary school. The research shows the positive impact of engaging fundamental
movements lead to individual interest to physical activities.

Importance of Fundamental Movement Skills

Developing Fundamental Movement Skills are the key to being able to enjoy any sport or physical
activity. Having a strong FMS base gives children a first step to a happier, healthier, more active and
enjoyable life (Kindysport, 2020).
 As mentioned, FMS are the platform from which the skills in sports come from.
 A good FMS base is imperative for individual physical development and being able to
competently participate in sports.
 People that are proficient movers are more willing to participate in sport leading to higher
self-esteem and self-confidence.
 This allows individual to get greater enjoyment out of sport and make it a lifelong hobby.
 Studies have shown that low Fundamental Movement Skills are a major barrier for
participating in sport and one of the main reason’s individual quit to an organised sport.
 Fundamental Movement Skills are so much more than just the building blocks of sport; they
are the key to an active and healthy life.
 They are the basis for every movement we do every day.
 They allow individual to build a positive relationship with sports and exercise.
 This leads to a healthier lifestyle with a higher involvement in activity, a lower risk of heart
disease and some cancers, reduced stress and anxiety levels and an improves self-worth.

Children with a high level of competence in a range of FMS are able to confidently participate in
a wide variety of activities. They also benefit from many physical, social and emotional health
outcomes in both the short and long term (Hands, 2012). These include:
 Higher physical activity level
 Higher cardio-respiratory fitness
 Higher likelihood of maintaining a healthy weight
 Stronger muscles and bones
 Higher self esteem
 Greater self confidence
 Greater willingness to take risks
 Higher athletic competence
 Motivation to participate in games and sports
 Greater popularity with their peers
 Greater likelihood of involvement in lifelong physical activity

Categories of Fundamental Movements Skills

FMS are the building blocks for movement. They are the skills which children need to participate
successfully in all types of games, physical activities and sports (Clavering Primary School, n.d.)

FMS can be categorised under three headings:

 Locomotion skills- where movements are used for transporting from point A to point B.
 Stabilisation skills – describing equilibrium in motion, keeping a proper balance while
execution of movement.
 Object manipulation skills- describing manipulation skills, highlighting the ability to control
objects as part of the movement.
Source: https://www.getirelandactive.ie/Professionals/Education-/Primary/Resources/HSE-
Fundamental-Movement-Skills-poster.pdf

Activity 1

Direction:
1. Create a dance routine base on the acquired knowledge about the fundamental movement
skills (Locomotor movements, Non-locomotor Movements and Manipulative Movement skills)
meaning you have to combined the different examples of movement from the three categories.

Choose among the five given music example below .

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X3vxcAO2W8
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-A6I67zoLU
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hipkOqYbleo

Things to do:
4. Strictly choose one Music among the three given examples.
5. Dance routine must be in 2 to 3 mins.
6. Please strictly follow the rubrics to get a high score.
7. Wear PE attire and rubber shoes or you can create your own costume.
8. Female hair must be properly tied up.

Activity 1 rubric
Criteria Weight Excellent Good Acceptable Partial Minimal
5 4 3 2 1
For Dance Routine
Timing to 5 The performance The The The The
is outstandingly performance performance performance performance
Music accurate in beat, shows great shows a good rarely shows a attempts to
tempo, rhythms understanding understanding of basic keep a rhythm,
and dance of tempo and tempo and beat understanding but often gets
sequences. beat by rarely but periodically of tempo and off beat and
getting off beat gets off beat or beat, but speeds up or
or making makes errors in sometimes falls falls behind.
errors in rhythm. behind and/or Doesn’t follow
 rhythm. speeds up in beat of music.
places or makes
errors in rhythm.
Choreography 8 Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Remembers a
excellent good knowledge of some few of the
or the routine knowledge of the knowledge of choreography. knowledge of steps/
choreography and choreography. Keeps up with choreography, movements
does it well. Keeps up with the but unsure of and tries, but
the performance. some looks lost and
performance. Some errors (3- movements. out of sync
Few errors, 5 errors) Sometimes with own
however it does causing brief hesitates/ performance.
not interfere pause in watches own
with performance. movements and
performance. makes several
errors
Technical 7 Dance performed Dance Dance Only some Although
with great performed with performed with understanding remembers
Skills and attention to quality attention to attention to most of technical some of
qualities of of movement, details of details of elements (ie. dance, little
movements body position, technique, has technique, but Footwork, attention paid
placement on attained hasn’t attained quality of to how
dance space and proficiency in proficiency in movements, movements
other details. Also dance style. dance style yet. body positions) are done or
demonstrates an Some technical demonstrated in other details of
excellent errors. performance. dance.
understanding of
dance style.