Author Archive for: Jenna Leslie

Entries by Jenna Leslie

The Playful Path to Physical Literacy: Tag Games for an Active Classroom

As educators, we strive to foster physical literacy in our students – a crucial foundation for a lifetime of active and healthy living. One fantastic way to achieve this is through the timeless classic of tag games! These playful activities not only keep children active but also cultivate fundamental movement skills, spatial awareness, and teamwork.  […]

The Impact of Teacher Mentoring on Physical Literacy in Elementary Schools

Teacher mentoring has become a powerful tool for promoting physical literacy in elementary schools. Extensive research supports the effectiveness of mentoring programs in enhancing teaching skills, job satisfaction, student achievement, and professional development.  Let’s explore the compelling evidence that highlights the significance of teacher mentoring for fostering physical literacy. Improved Teaching Skills: Mentoring helps novice […]

Six Benefits of Being Active Throughout the School Day

Do your students have trouble sitting still? Research has repeatedly shown that sitting for extended periods is not only detrimental to students’ health, it can also lead to misbehaviour and inability to focus. That’s why educators are increasingly exploring ways to get kids up and moving during the school day.  A study completed by Tan […]

Understanding How Physical Activity Transforms a Student’s Brain

Encouraging students to engage in physical activity is one of the most transformative things we can do for their brains — and has implications for the rest of their lives. According to neuroscientist and author Wendy Suzuki, physical activity has a stronger impact on the brain than some would think.   “A few years ago I […]

Understanding the Role of Student Age in Physical Literacy Development

When it comes to physical literacy development, there’s no substitute for time. As educators, it’s important to be aware of the role that a student’s age plays as they learn fundamental movement skills. We may end up with students whose birthdays are nearly a year apart, and that has implications on how to approach cultivating […]

Strategies for Cultivating a Lifelong Love of Physical Activity in your Students

Children spend more time at school than anywhere else, so if we want students to gain a lifelong love for physical activity, it’s crucial to start in the classroom. The skills that they develop as part of the B.C. curriculum will become the foundation for becoming active for life, and having the motivation and competence  […]

Three Ways to Become a Physical Literacy Role Model for Your Students

Being a role model for students is one crucial way we can help them develop physical literacy— demonstrating positive physical activity habits can be an impactful way to encourage students to become active for life. But how can we do that? Here are three ideas that you can implement, to become a physical literacy role […]

Five Fun Ways to Move to Promote Mental Well-being

The link between physical activity and mental well-being is well established. Physical activity helps students to build mental resilience, manage emotions and develop adaptive coping strategies for the classroom and throughout their lifetime. So, we should always be looking for ways to keep our students engaged and moving for the recommended 60 minutes per day! […]

Develop Your Students’ Manipulative Skills with These Fun Basketball Activities

Do your students know how to throw and catch a basketball?   In our School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy resource on manipulative skills, otherwise known as “sending and receiving skills”, we cover how learning to catch and throw a basketball requires more advanced neuromuscular development than locomotor and non-locomotor tasks. But, they are also […]

How to Create a Fun, Safe and Inclusive Classroom

What does the word inclusion mean to you? In today’s classroom, inclusion is a hot topic. At the most basic level, inclusion refers to the intentional, ongoing efforts to ensure that every individual can fully participate in all aspects of physical activity and learning throughout the school day. It’s not the sort of thing you […]