Physical literacy – a social innovation engine
We view physical literacy (PL) as the disposition in all people to value and take responsibility for participation in physical activities for life. Our initial interest in PL was sparked by the idea of enabling physical activity participation and subsequent health related outcomes for all children and youth. Recently, however, we have started to realize that adopting PL as a social innovation engine for change has the potential to bring even more value than solely step-counts on an accelerometer. We increasingly believe that PL enriched physical activities could have the power to also maximize the output of physical activity participation, which makes the concept a significant contributor to personal development and human flourishing.
This page provides an overview and brief collection of videos and reads about what PL is and why the concept is relevant and important. Our hope is that if you see this page through, you will get a better understanding of how knowledge about PL can equip leaders in all levels and contexts with a new mindset and the capacity to lead and design positive learning environments in which the possibilities for people to be healthy, flourish and reach their full potential is optimized.
We believe that cooperation is an essential element for building PL enriched communities. In this keynote from the International Physical Literacy Conference 2019, you can hear Dr Dean Kriellaars map out some of the major challenges ahead of us and argues that the simultaneous and concurrent development of physical literacy enhancing people, places and programs is imperative for sustainable change.
Link to appetizer of Dr Kriellaars keynote presentation (1 min) – click here >
The mother of physical literacy
Hear British philosopher and professor Margaret Whitehead describing how respecting and valuing the embodied nature of human existence is essential for optimizing learning and well-being.
Physical literacy, physical activity and health
Physical literacy (PL) provides a powerful lens for examining physical activity in relation to affective, cognitive, and physical learning processes in various social and physical environmental contexts. However, adoption of physical literacy into practice and policy around the world has by far outpaced empirical research. In this article, a conceptual framework is presented that links PL to PA, health, and well-being.
Link to article: click here >
Link to appetizer of Dr Cairneys keynote presentation (1,5 min): click here>
Link to full keynote presentation by Dr Cairney (35 min): click here >
Resilience and physical literacy
There has also been a growing interest in the relationship between physical and psychosocial factors related to resilience in order to better understand the antecedents of health and successful adaptation to challenges across the lifespan.
The findings of this study provide foundational evidence for the link between resilience and physical literacy in children, encouraging the importance of physical literacy development.
Link to article: click here >
