Content area
Full Text
James Mandigo & Nicholas Holt are Assistant Professors in the Department of Physical Education and Kinesiology at Brock University. The preparation of this manuscript was supported by a SSHRC Standard Research Grant #410-2003-0948 awarded to both authors.
[Graph Not Transcribed]
[Graph Not Transcribed]
In the Kunsthishorisches Museum in Vienna hangs a relatively unknown painting by a Flemish artist named Pieter Brueghel. The painting entitled Children's Games is dated 1560 and captures the energy and enthusiasm of 230 children taking part in over 90 games being played in the heart of a town square. Had Brueghel been alive today, one wonders what his painting of children's games might look like. Many of our playgrounds and city streets today are void of such enthusiasm and active participation. It is estimated that over two-thirds of Canadian children are not active enough to achieve the health benefits associated with physical activity (Craig, Cameron, Russell, & Beaulieu, 2001). In response to these alarming inactivity rates, calls for more physical education classes have been raised by provincial, national and international organizations. Other strategies such as Health Promoting Schools (Anderson & Piran, 1999) and Active Schools (Mandigo, 2002) have been presented as ways to develop competencies surrounding healthy, active lifestyles for children and adolescents. In educational settings, games can help students gain the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to lead active and healthy lives. They also form the cornerstone of many physical education programs. In a recent study of curricular content, Mandigo et al (in press) reported that over 50% of time in Alberta physical education programs was devoted to teaching games. Due to the dominance of games in curricular physical education, Health Promoting Schools can use games and game instruction as one strategy of helping students to acquire positive health outcomes. However, health outcomes associated with the acquisition of behavioural, social, and cognitive skills are not fostered in children merely through participating in games; skillful and progressive instruction is required (Hopper, 2002). This article will promote discussion about ways to foster behavioural, social, and cognitive development among students through games instruction. The notion of games literacy is introduced to incorporate the desired health outcomes of games instruction.
[Graph Not Transcribed]
Games literacy arises from conceptualizations of physical literacy presented by...