Exploring schema to develop Fundamental Movement Skills

You might be aware of schema for infants – such as the schema that helps newborns to suck or grasp. Schemas continue on through a child’s development, and identifying and understanding children’s schemas can provide important information.

In this post, a new guest writer for Amplify, Casey Francis, of Gunning Early Learning Centre in rural NSW, describes how to identify and  make use of schemas to help children progress in their development of the Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS).

A Munch & Move coordinator, Casey has nearly 20 years experience working in rural long day care services and mobile preschools and is supported by Gunning Early Learning Centre’s Director, Lynn Morphett and Educational Leader, Libby Eather.

The resources in the article have been developed by Gunning Early Learning Centre in partnership with Southern NSW Local Health District as part of NSW Health’s Munch & Move program.

The article includes useful references and a helpful table to download or print – great for students or to share in a staff development discussion.

Schema theory

Have you ever observed a child, continually moving things around, insisting on a particular order for objects? This child is demonstrating a positioning schema, learning about order, logic and symmetry.

Schemas are the urges that children have to do things – often repetitively.  They emerge through play, and the repetitive nature of the behaviours help the brain to form connections and master skills.

Schema theory can be identified as the journey from perception to integrating experience and thinking.

(Martin, 2008)

While working on schemas, children will look engaged and concentrating on their play.  Children may display one very dominant schema, or may display a number of schemas.  Schemas evolve over time.

Schemas are rooted in Piaget’s cognitive development theory.  Children learn when their prior understanding and knowledge (schemas) is changed (accommodated) by taking in new information (assimilation). By recognising and understanding children’s schemas, we can support their development.

Not all children have schemas that are easy to recognise and respond to – they can be difficult to observe at times in individual children, but wonderfully rewarding!

How you fit in

Early childhood educators play an important role in creating individual learning environments that is rich in resources and materials and purposefully supporting the development of concepts by scaffolding and extending learning.

FMS practice can be effective when it supports children’s natural learning behaviours and patterns.

The planning, documenting and evaluating cycle supports educators to use their observations of child’s interests to inform planning.

Educators can support development of FMS using a child’s schemas by:

1. Observing – when you observe children over time you will begin to see patterns of repeated behaviour, which can help you identify their current schema.
2. Supporting – subtly support the child’s actions, offer resources and plan repeated, real and first-hand experiences that will motivate them to extend further.
3. Extending – plan resources and FMS opportunities to extend the child’s skill and use of a schema, at the child’s pace.

Schemas are just one way of thinking and talking about child development – there are lots of others.

Not all children have schemas that are easy to recognise and respond to – they can be difficult to observe at times in individual children, but wonderfully rewarding!

	This may look like	You could promote  fundamental movement skills development by…	In practice…
Positioning	Lining up toys    Aligning objects  Ordering objects	Setting up a bowling game to practice underarm rolling.    Encouraging the child to line up a number of objects to run around or leap over.  Stacking cans to throw balls or beanbags towards.	This child repetitively lines up objects, including these cars, demonstrating the urge to ‘position’ items and explore place and sequence.
Trajectory	Throwing and dropping objects    Climbing up objects  Jumping off objects	Providing different sizes and weights of balls to throw or roll.    Offering wet sponges to throw at a target.  Providing bubbles, feathers, scarves or tissue paper to chase and catch.	Bubble play creates the opportunity to interact with moving things. These children are chasing bubbles using multi-dimensional movements and exploring patterns of movement.
Connecting	Joining train tracks or connecting Lego    Running string from one place to another  Deconstructing buildings or sandcastles	Asking the child to help construct an obstacle course to develop climbing, coordination and balancing skills.    Challenging the child to create a pathway to roll a ball, such as through the legs of a chair or through a cardboard box tunnel.  Playing ‘follow the leader’, ring-a-rosy or forming a conga line.	With the opportunity to help construct an obstacle course to include climbing, co-ordination and balancing, the children are promoting the ‘connecting’ schema with FMS
Enclosing	Filling up cups with water    Building fences for animals  Creating a circular train track	Using skipping ropes and hula hoops to provide game set-ups.    Providing an assortment of baskets and boxes to kick a ball or beanbag into.  Practicing kicking a ball so that it passes under a chair to you, gradually increasing the number of chairs.	The ‘enclosing’ schema urges children to put objects in to a container. Here the children are placing bean bags in to a container by throwing the bean bag from a distance.
Transporting	Carrying lots of things at once    Using a wheelbarrow  Filling and moving jars, buckets or baskets	Adding equipment to movement games, such as a trolley to push, or beanbags to transport.    Challenging a child to use different locomotor skills as they move around the learning environment.  Exploring distance and directions using locomotor skills.	Collecting acorns in a sieve gives the children the opportunity to transport the acorns around the outdoor environment
Rotating	Turning wheels    Drawing circles  Spinning on the spot  Swinging around	Introducing group games based on a large circle, such as duck, duck goose.    Rolling balls, hoops or quoits.  Twisting ribbons or scarves.	This group of children are playing ‘Roly Poly’. This game allows the children to explore the movement of circular objects, as they spin, twist and roll the ball.
Orienteering	Trying to see things from another point of view    Climbing up high or hanging upside down  Getting down low or underneath something	Providing opportunities to jump off a height.    Hanging interesting targets from a tree at different heights to jump towards.  Providing time, space and resources to balance on different structures.	By offering the chance to jump off heights, like this tree, the children are able to see the world from different viewpoints.
Enveloping	Wrapping things in fabric    Having a sheet over your head  Playing peek-a-boo or hiding	Playing ‘Jack In The Box’ to practice jumping.    Dropping soft scarves from a height to catch.  Playing with the parachute.	Parachute play allows the opportunity for children to be covered and hidden by the parachute as they conceal themselves.
Transforming	Mixing two substances    Adding water to dirt  Blending colours of paint or playdough	Exploring the change when hopping or jumping through puddles, mud or sand.    Providing detergent for making bubbles to catch.  Encouraging whole-body movement in messy play	Encouraging the whole body movement in messy play, like jumping through paint allows children to experiment with cause and effect. What happens when we step in paint and walk across paper?

Further Reading

• Athey, C (1990) Extending Thought in Young Children: A Parent-Teacher Partnership, London, Chapman Press
• Atherton, F and Nutbrown, C (2013) Understanding Schemas and Young Children: From Birth to Three, London, Sage Publications
• Louis, S, Beswick, C, Magraw, L, Hayes, L and Featherstone, S (ed) (2013) Understanding Schemas in Young Children: Again! Again! London, Bloomsbury Publishing
• Martin, M. (2008) ‘Chris Athey; John Dewey.’ Early Years Educator. Volume 10 No 3. pp 24-26
• Van Wijk, N (2008) Getting Started with Schemas: Revealing the Wonder-full World of Children’s Play, Auckland, Playcentre Publications

Casey Francis is the Munch & Move Coordinator at Gunning Early Learning Centre. This resource has been developed by Gunning Early Learning Centre in partnership with Southern NSW Local Health District as part of NSW Health’s Munch & Move® program.  For more information and ideas on healthy eating and physical activity go to www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au

Meet the author

Casey Francis is the Munch & Move Coordinator at Gunning Early Learning Centre. Casey has nearly 20 years experience working in rural long day care services and mobile preschools and is supported by Gunning Early Learning Centre's Director, Lynn Morphett and Educational Leader, Libby Eather.This resource (Schemas for Fundamental Movement Skills) has been developed by Gunning Early Learning Centre in partnership with Southern NSW Local Health District as part of NSW Health’s Munch & Move® program. For more information and ideas on healthy eating and physical activity go to www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au