Across the modern world, adults live increasingly sedentary lives, and there is a lack of opportunities for physical play. Less play means reduced development of physical skills, with likely negative impacts on children’s overall health and wellbeing. Research shows that a child’s early experience of movement influences their attitudes towards physical activity into adulthood.
Some countries’ early years workforces, however, are better trained and place greater emphasis on physical activity than others. Finland is a commonly cited example. It has ten principles for teaching physical activity, called ‘joy, play and doing together’, which include statements such as ‘Being active is inspiring, too much sitting is boring’, and ‘Physical activity is a right for every child and therefore needs to be in every early childhood education setting’.
Perceptions of physical education from Brazilian educators found that the country’s expectations for physical development are relatively high, which is reflected in the emphasis on the training of practitioners, the importance placed on physical development within the curriculum, and the investment of time and money in physical development programmes (Vidoni et al. 2023).
I and colleagues were interested in what role the training of early years practitioners plays in promoting physical literacy. In our research paper (Vinci et al. 2023), published in a special edition of the Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, we looked at training programmes in three countries – the UK, USA and Canada, because of the similarities in the challenges faced.
The gaps in knowledge and understanding that the training programmes were trying to fill were reflective of a lack of resources relating to movement and co-ordination in early years. Underfunding was identified as a concern in the UK and the USA.
OUTCOMES FROM TRAINING
US practitioners reported a decrease in barriers to physical activity, with statistically significant changes occurring relating to time, social influence, energy, willpower, skills and resources. Participants said the training provided them with enough materials and equipment to properly implement the curriculum.
More than four in five settings in Canada (81 per cent) reported their participation prompted them or the centre where they work to increase the frequency of activities provided related to physical literacy, and 88 per cent reported an increase in the number/variety of those activities.
In the UK, the intervention led to improvements in sitting position, handwriting and lunchtime skills.
By using the resources, educators also gained a better understanding of the unique needs of early years’ children in their development of motor learning skills and found they were able to give children more freedom to move in a way that was more comfortable for them (Hutton and Soan 2017).
The training showed practitioners had gaps in knowledge, such as in selecting age-appropriate movement activities, or that they were unsure how to address the needs of children with poor motor skills.
The training highlighted the need for active play and how the play activities are planned, delivered and what the role of the adult was. It also increased awareness of the amount of time spent learning on the carpet and the importance of checking postural comfort to make sure children did not experience backache. Participants were more motivated to listen to the children and to inquire how they felt.
WHAT ELSE CAN WE LEARN?
Physical activity guidelines from the World Health Organization (2019) do not specify ways to support physical activity through play, and there is much to learn from comparing international approaches.
For example, our research highlighted the relatively low qualification levels that characterise the three countries. In the UK, a Level 2 childcare qualification is 134 training hours and a Level 3 is 300.
Canada and the state of Florida require a minimum of just 40 training hours, though full-time childcare centres in Canada have to have a staff member certified at a higher level, for which significantly more training is required. In the USA, there are no universal requirements, and early years qualifications vary at a state level.
In contrast, countries such as Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway all have minimum qualifications of bachelor degree level (Level 6), with Finland, Italy and Ireland also having Master’s level qualifications (Level 7) for their early educators (Howells and Sääkslahti 2019). This leaves the question as to why Canada, England and the USA have chosen to accept lower qualification levels.
It is also interesting to note the discrepancy in physical activity guidelines between the countries.
In Canada, the recommendation is 45-60 minutes per day; in the UK, the guidance suggests 180 minutes for under-fives but with no detail as to how this time should be spent; and in the USA the recommendation is to be outside twice per day. This is in comparison, for example, with the very detailed guidance offered by Finland, which recommends three hours a day for physical activities and offers detailed intensity levels too. It suggests that at least one hour is spent at moderate to vigorous intensity level (when young children are breathing hard and getting warm), and two hours in lighter activities. The suggestions for these lighter activities include playing outdoors, and practising motor skills through playing. There is a big emphasis on not being still for longer than one hour at a time.
The USA is unique as it has multiple guidelines. State and national standards indicate that movement and physically active play are part of the development of the whole child (e.g., National Association for the Education of Young Children 2010), but they often overlook specific information about the development of fundamental motor skills and the implementation of structured and unstructured physical activity time in early education settings.
In the UK, physical development is a prime area of learning within the EYFS, as well as the associated early learning goals. In Canada, Manitoba province’s early learning and child care framework suggests that the centres must provide children with a variety of play spaces, facilities and equipment that support dramatic; fine motor; large muscle; block and construction; science, water and sand; and other play choices. Additionally, every licensed child care provider in Manitoba must provide and maintain indoor and outdoor play equipment. There are no specific physical activity standards or requirements in the framework; caregivers are to provide outdoor play time daily, but this is weather-dependent.
In the USA, the lack of a national curricula may be due to the fact that there are no universal qualification requirements and the variety of organisations responsible for the curriculum, as these vary from state to state. Curriculum programmes include employer-sponsored programmes, private programmes and programmes provided by the church, community and state.
A full list of references is at www.nurseryworld.co.uk
The programmes
US programme Let’s Wiggle 5-2-1-0 was created in response to obesity rates. It was based on a previous childhood obesity prevention programme which came with four recommendations: ‘Eat five or more fruits and vegetables each day, limit daily recreational screen time to two hours or less, engage in one or more hours of physical activity daily, and zero sugary drinks; drink water or low fat milk.’ The message was promoted with advertising, social media and a cartoon aired in movie theatres. The local government also implemented a community-based intervention that focused on childcare settings. Practitioners were given Physical Activity Curriculum Cards, a skill-building workshop, plus a physical activity toolkit.
In Kent, Universal Approacheswas developed in 2015 to support children’s physical and cognitive development in the early years and aligned with previous work where researchers proposed that trainee educators needed more knowledge about children’s motor and sensory development. It was implemented across four schools where educators received electronic or printed resources to be used over a 12-week time period. The key areas included social, physical and cognitive development as well as specific fine and gross motor skill development.
Canadian programme Movement for Lifeinvolved eight one-hour visits by trained early childhood physical activity leaders to provide demonstrations of activities and how to deliver them. A small bag of equipment was provided to each childcare centre that participated. Child development, active play and the adult role were the focuses.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Journal of Early Childhood Education Research: https://journal.fi/jecer/issue/view/8833
Dr Kristy Howells is reader of physical education and sport pedagogy at Canterbury Christ Church University, as well as being two-time British Para-Cycling Champion
