These activities have been developed using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approaches.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
The aim of UDL is to provide access to the learning in H&PE for every student. Understanding students’ strengths and needs, as well as their backgrounds and experiences, can help educators plan for effective instruction and assessment. To learn more about UDL, access Learning for all: a guide to effective assessment and instruction for all students, kindergarten to Grade 12.
The following sections of the activities will help educators embed elements of UDL into their physical activity programming:
- Learn to Play: This approach to play introduces the basic skills, concepts, and strategies associated with the activity. Students may be in the emerging or developing phase of their movement skills and are provided opportunities to practise these skills.
- Action to Play: This approach to play provides opportunities for students to refine, extend, and apply their foundational knowledge of their movement skills. Students are provided the opportunity to personalize the activity to their learning needs, preferences, and readiness. It encourages students to think strategically and make connections between different games and game components.
- Power All to Play: This approach to play provides opportunities for students to exercise their critical and creative thinking skills. Students are given an opportunity to play an active role in their learning, working toward consolidating and combining their skills as they apply them to a more complex activity.
- Play & Ponder: Guiding questions are positioned at the end of the activities as prompts for the educator to encourage students to explore, discover, create, and experiment with the skills, concepts, and strategies.
The following are some strategies on how to use these sections to help encourage the joy of movement, inclusion, and meaningful participation throughout the activities for every student:
- Consider teaching each of these sections sequentially, or choose a section that meets students’ interests and learning needs at a given time.
- Consider the developmental stage and skill level of students when selecting Learn to Play, Action to Play, and/or Power All to Play.
- Centre student voice and choice. Encourage engagement by providing students with opportunities to co-develop the activity by selecting various playing options (e.g., choice of equipment, size of the activity area, how to send an object) and by creating their own variations of the activities (e.g., changing rules of play, adding equipment).
- Consider embedding guiding questions from the Play & Ponder section to meet the diverse backgrounds, identities, and interests of students to maximize the inclusion, participation, and success of everyone.
Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU)
The Disability-Centred Movement activities use the TGfU approach to help students build physical literacy and skills for lifelong healthy, active living. The TGfU approach provides students with opportunities to learn in ways familiar to them in a physically and emotionally safe environment. The structure of the activities promotes participant voice, choice, inclusion, and belonging when engaging in physical activity. Learn more about the TGfU approach here.
These activities have been designed for use in school physical education and activity settings. However, all activities can be adapted for use in other environments (e.g., intramurals, recreation, community, or after-school programs) provided that the appropriate measures adhering to safety criteria within the activities are implemented.