The Case for Physical Literacy
August 01, 2025
A school system鈥檚 experience building a foundation for student movement and lifelong fitness
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"But can they throw a ball?鈥�
This simple question, posed during a leadership meeting in my school system in 2013, sparked a transformation in our district鈥檚 approach to education. While reviewing academic progress, we discovered a significant gap: Students lacked basic movement skills.
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Discoveries from a Decade of Physical Literacy
For school districts considering physical literacy, I believe our decade of experience in West Vancouver, British Columbia, offers some helpful suggestions.
Strategic priority. Include physical literacy explicitly in your strategic planning, emphasizing its critical role in student success. When we elevated physical literacy to a board-approved priority, resources, attention and accountability naturally followed.
Assessment. Establish baseline measurements of students鈥� fundamental movement skills. As Deputy Superintendent Liz Hill emphasizes, 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 improve what you don鈥檛 measure. Our assessment data provided both motivation and direction.鈥�
Professional learning. Dedicate time and resources for ongoing teacher collaboration and training. Our most successful schools established regular collaborative planning time specifically for integrating movement into academic content.
Integrated approach. Weave physical literacy throughout the school day. Elementary schools have found success by redesigning classroom spaces with movement zones, standing options and flexible seating, creating environments that naturally promote physical literacy.
Celebrate success. Regularly highlight innovations and progress, reinforcing physical literacy as a valued educational goal. Physical literacy updates are regularly shared with parent councils and the school board.
Start small, measure impact and grow from success. As with any meaningful change, consistency matters more than intensity. Small, sustained efforts yield greater results than flashy, short-term initiatives.
In West Vancouver, measurable results include improved student engagement, enhanced academic performance and reductions in behavioral incidents. Our vision remains clear: Every student deserves the skills and confidence for lifelong physical activity.
鈥� Chris Kennedy
Five Practical Steps for School Leaders
School leaders can jumpstart physical literacy initiatives with these proven strategies from West Vancouver鈥檚 implementation.
No. 1: Conduct a physical literacy audit. Assess movement throughout the school day. Begin with a simple observation: How many minutes do students actually move during a typical day? Our audit revealed most elementary students were sedentary for over 90 percent of school hours, creating an immediate call to action.
No. 2: Create environmental nudges that promote spontaneous movement. West Vancouver schools installed 鈥淒on鈥檛 Walk鈥揜un!鈥� signs in hallways and painted movement pathways on floors. These passive interventions increased physical activity without requiring instructional time or curriculum changes.
No. 3: Begin staff meetings with movement activities. As one of our elementary principals observed: 鈥淲hen we started every staff meeting with physical activity, teachers naturally began incorporating similar practices with students.鈥�
No. 4: Establish physical literacy champions in each school. In West Vancouver, each site identifies at least one champion (not necessarily a phys-ed specialist) who receives additional support and is connected to a network of other champions. These champions then support colleagues in their buildings.
No. 5: Build strategic partnerships with community organizations. West Vancouver鈥檚 collaboration with the Community Recreation Center created seamless programming continuity between school and community. Local sports organizations, health departments and universities can become valuable allies in promoting physical literacy. Our local health authority has co-presented physical literacy to staff and parent groups.
鈥� Chris Kennedy
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