Coaching Association of Canada

What are Fundamental Movement Skills?

In developing and teaching a child, we break down simple skills into key components to help the child learn and understand. In teaching a child to read, we teach them about letters and the sounds they make, and how to combine words so that they are comfortable with language and can grow into advanced readers. In math, we teach children the value of numbers and simple addition and subtraction for them to grow to understand complex problems of all different types. In teaching movement we want to do the exact same thing!

Physical literacy is the ability for an individual to move competently and confidently in all types of environments -- it is the literacy of movement. The key components of physical literacy, the letters and words, if you will, are the fundamental movement skills!

Fundamental movement skills are very important in the physical development of a child. When a child is confident and competent with these skills, they can develop sport-specific and complex movement skills that allow them to enjoy sport and physical activity. Most importantly, having a firm grasp of the fundamental movement skills and being physically literate leads a child to enjoy a long life of physical activity.

Learn to teach the fundamental movement skills with one of the National Coaching Certification Program’s (NCCP) Fundamental Movement Skills Workshops!

Not sure where to stand to watch a child throw, or how to instruct a child to improve their running form? These workshops will teach you, in detail, how to instruct, observe, and correct the fundamental movement skills, and give you plenty of opportunity to practise teaching these skills.