Guide for Parents

1. Game Sense Approach
Parents guides and facts
Ashleigh Steed 17805982

2. What is Game Sense Approach ?
• Game sense approach focuses on using small-sided, modified games which
incorporates essential tactical structures, but which are adapted to cater for
different ages, sizes, abilities, interest and motivation. (Brookes ,2011)
• The teacher designs game’s that are modified from simple to complex eg. You may
have a game of netball, but modifying the game, instead of the Centre being
Centre there is no center and the WD needs to be the center . The skill level
increases on the games and the students learning through engagement with the
learning environment. Game sense integrates physical, intellectual and social
learning. (Curry ,2011) It asks students to perform in an environment where
decision making tactics ,problem solving and skill development are consistently
throughout a lesson . Students develop on their fundamental movement skills,
locomotors skills and fundamental thinking skills (Light ,2006).

3. What is Game Sense Approach ?
How I break it down in my class:
Game sense approach is also known as
teaching game’s for understanding (TGFU)
Game sense approach has students ask
why as they play not how.

4. Strengths in Game Sense teaching approach
Children need to think during these games involving higher order thinking. These
games involve a high level of creativity and a learning approach is involved which
caters for cognitive, social and physical.
The Australian Curriculum, students are involved in developing critical and creative
thinking as they learn to generate and evaluate knowledge, clarify concepts and ideas,
seek possibilities, consider alternatives and solve problems. Critical and creative
thinking are integral to activities that require students to think broadly and deeply
using skills. This links with Game Sense Approach because the teacher is being creative
developing new games that students are challenged by. (The Australian Curriculum
,n.d)

5. Links to the Syllabus
Game Sense Approach connects with the PHDPE syllabus meeting the five essential skills in PDHPE .This also
connects with the Games and Sport Outcomes and Indicators for Stage 1 .(GSS1.8)
Communicating –COS1.1-Children need to communicate when playing games they need to listen to
instructions and then communicate with others.
Decision Making-DMS1.2-Children need to look back on how they played the game before it was modified and
how they can now play.
Interacting-COS1.1-Students connect with other students during games working as a team or working against
others interacting with one another.
Moving-MOS1.4-Students use basic movement skills During playing a variety of games.
Problem Solving-PSS1.5-Students need to look back on there past experiences during playing games before
they were modified and problem solve how they can attempt the game now that it has been modified.
The PDHPE Syllabus can be found at :
http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/6e4311c5-336e-44f8-8c39-
e289d96597a8/k6_pdhpe_syl.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

6. How parents Can Help
Parents can assist their children by encouraging them to be involved in physical
activity developing on their fundamental movement skills to apply to a modified
game.
When it’s a great day outside why not take your children outside and challenge them
for example if you play a game of handball with them and they have achieved playing
handball and understand the game start to be creative and change the rules eg; you
can only use one hand to hit the ball with. Even ask your children How you can make
the game harder allowing your children to also be creative.

7. Modified game example
Crawl Soccer – A modified game of soccer -Set up a rectangular soccer field
four metres by five metres. Crawl soccer is similar to soccer, but the students
need to run around with their arms and feet touching the floor and belly
facing the floor like a crab. Teacher needs to split players into two teams.
Rules then follow normal soccer with players attempting to kick the ball
through the opposing team’s goal, students can only touch the ball with their
hands though during the game . To modify this game you could use two balls
and one team is only allowed to score with the red ball and the other team is
only allowed to score with the blue ball.

8. Referencing
• Brookes ,L . (2011). How the Game Sense Approach in Physical Education can
develop cognitive thinking. Somerville. Retrieved from
:http://www.somerville.qld.edu.au/sites/default/files/How%20the%20Game%20Se
nse%20Approach%20in%20Physical%20Education%20can%20Develop%20Congniti
ve%20Thinking_Leann%20Brookes_0.pdf
• Curry, C. (2011).Using the game sense approach in physical education. Engaging
learning .P P8-12
• Board of Studies, NSW. (2007). Personal development, health and physical
education K-6: Syllabus. Sydney, Australia: Author.
• Light, R. (2006). Game sense: Innovation or just good coaching? Journal of Physical
Education New Zealand, 39(1), 8-19,3.
• The Australian Curriculum .(n.d).Critical and creative thinking [Brochure].Australia.