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Stability skills:
5–8 years and 9–12 years

The movement assessments in each skill category (locomotor skills, object control skills, stability skills and combined skills) can be used to generate assessment data to target your planning and teaching of fundamental movement skills for students aged 5–8 years and 9–12 years. After teaching, you can use the same assessment to re-assess your students. This will help you track student skill development and determine if your teaching is effective.

 

Tips for running fundamental movement skills assessments

Appropriate use of assessment

  • Assessments should be completed at the beginning of the unit to inform the direction and level of teaching and also at the end of the unit to identify student progress and quality of teaching.
  • In addition to this, ongoing informal assessments should be conducted throughout the teaching and learning cycle. These informal assessments can include a range of assessment strategies such as questioning, observation and monitoring, peer feedback, personal reflection and class discussions. This informal assessment provides teachers with anecdotal and continuous evidence of student learning throughout the teaching and learning cycle.
  • Assessments should be considered a learning task.
  • Assessment should be used to provide meaningful feedback to students and to show growth throughout a unit.

Student management

  • Allow students to set their own goal before completing an assessment.
  • Set up stations or modified games so you can work with a small group of students at a time. This will ensure students are active throughout the lesson, rather than waiting in a long line.
  • Use student helpers to assist, for example as a video recorder, ball collector, etc.
  • Engage and empower students in the process. Utilise peer and self-assessments in combination with teacher-led assessments.

Safety

  • Rather than using cones, you may choose to mark each of the markings with spray paint, masking tape or drop-down lines.

Time savers

  • Set up assessments prior to the beginning of class.
  • Have your scorecards and checklists ready.
  • If recording assessments, have your video recording equipment set up before you begin.
  • Student helpers make your life easier. Consider asking student leaders to support you.
  • The more frequently you use the assessments, the quicker you will get through the assessments with your students.
  • Use the automated scorecards or skill checklists to give students instant feedback.
  • Set up multiple assessments if you have the space and equipment. Students can work in groups and take turns to video one another using a portable device.

How to use the assessment data for planning and teaching

  • Identify students’ strengths and areas where they need additional support.
  • Identify whole-class needs by analysing whole-class data (see assessment resources) to see if there are trends.
  • Allow students to set their own goal and reflect on their learning.
  • Plan units and lessons based on the point of need.
  • Group students to cater to differing needs within the class. They could be grouped by like ability and interest, or paired as mentor and mentee.
  • Give praise for effort and specific feedback based on students’ strengths and points of need.
  • Give students access to their scorecard to provide feedback and allow them to be involved in goal-setting.

Movement skills assessments

The movement skill assessments are relevant to the following curriculum links.

5–8 years

Foundation

Content description

Practise fundamental movement skills and movement sequences using different body parts and in response to stimuli in indoor, outdoor and aquatic settings (VCHPEM064)

Achievement standard

Students perform fundamental movement skills.

5–8 years,

Levels 1 and 2

Content description

Perform fundamental movement skills in different movement situations in indoor, outdoor and aquatic settings (VCHPEM080)

Achievement standard

Students demonstrate fundamental movement skills in different movement situations.

9–12 years

Levels 3 and 4

Content description

Practise and refine fundamental movement skills in different movement situations in indoor, outdoor and aquatic settings (VCHPEM097)

Achievement standard

Students refine fundamental movement skills.

9–12 years

Levels 5 and 6

Content description

Practise specialised movement skills and apply them in different movement situations in indoor, outdoor and aquatic settings (VCHPEM115)

Achievement standard

Students perform specialised movement skills.

Stability skills assessed

Balance, roll

To assess stability skills, teachers can choose from 2 resources: Get Skilled: Get Active or the Rock to Stand dynamic skill assessment.

Both are valid and reliable assessments. Teachers can choose the assessment that best suits their students. The scorecards are linked to each specific resource.

Assessment administration

  1. Explain to students that these balance and stability skills are important for improving our confidence and ability to participate in physical activity.
  2. Have a class discussion about why stability skills are important.
  3. Provide verbal instructions as you carefully demonstrate the procedure for each assessment. Focus on the components that are age appropriate.
  4. For each assessment, students participate in one practice trial, followed by 2 scored trials. Use the best scored trial for scoring.

Static balance

5–8 years, 9–12 years

Get Skilled: Get Active

Student objective: To balance on one foot for as long as possible or until told to stop

Time: Approximately 60 seconds per student

Space, equipment and preparation: An open space free from obstacles, a timer

Procedure and instructions: The student stands on one leg (the preferred leg) for as long as they can or until the teacher tells them to stop. Either the teacher or another student keeps time.

Observation position: Either video each student or observe from the front.

Digital resources:

Static balance video
Video of children at different stages of development performing the static balance.

Get Skilled: Get Active scorecard: If a student successfully demonstrates a criterion when performing the skill, they receive one mark/point. The total score is the number of criteria that the student successfully demonstrates.

Static balance checklist
Get Skilled: Get Active criteria checklist for the static balance

Rock to stand

5–8 years, 9–12 years

 

The rock to stand is a dynamic stability assessment. It is scored out of 4 points for each of 2 attempts (8 points total). Students are scored based on whether or not they meet the criteria of the skill. Watch the procedure video below for more information.

Student objective: From a standing position, sit into a tuck position, roll onto their back and return to a standing position

Time: Approximately 60 seconds per student

Space, equipment and preparation: A flat open space; 1–2 safety mats, placed on the floor end-to-end

Procedure and instructions:

Provide verbal instructions and demonstrate the rock to stand assessment.

  1. Start standing at the base of the mat.
  2. Tuck and roll back onto the nape (back) of the neck.
  3. Roll forward until their feet touch the mat.
  4. Roll back for a second time to where their neck touches the mat.
  5. Roll forward and use their strength to return to a standing position.
  6. Return to the starting position and repeat the assessment once more.

Observation position: Either video each student or observe from the front.

Digital resources:

Rock to stand scorecard

How to use the Rock to stand scorecard

VIC FMS, Get Skilled Get Active, Rock to Stand Scorecard transcript

Rock to stand procedure video: Video of assessment procedure of the rock to stand.

 

References

Rudd, J. R., Barnett, L. M., Butson, M. L., Farrow, D., Berry, J., & Polman, R. C. J. (2015). ‘Fundamental Movement Skills Are More than Run, Throw and Catch: The Role of Stability Skills’. PLOS ONE, 10(10), e0140224. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0140224 CC BY 4.0