Exercise

Fundamental Movement Observation Sheet for PE Teachers

By Dave Joisil (Mr. J) · Certified Health and Physical Education teacher

Updated

Use a teacher-created movement observation sheet to record the task, support and visible action, then plan one next step without age norms or diagnostic scoring.

A useful fundamental movement observation sheet records what a child did in a clearly described task, with the conditions and supports that made it possible. It can help a teacher choose the next lesson. It should not turn an informal PE observation into a diagnosis or developmental score.

Choose one or two features of one skill, not every movement in a single session. For example, observe whether a learner alternates sides during a step-hop sequence, or whether both feet land during a small two-foot jump. Use the vocabulary and expectations of your local curriculum.

Prepare the observation before practice

Write the exact task, surface, route, equipment, and cue. A short skip in a quiet lane is not the same task as skipping through a busy game. Record any support, demonstration, communication aid, or adapted action so the note can be interpreted fairly later.

Explain the purpose to learners in ordinary language: “I'm noticing what helps so I can plan our next practice.” Avoid a public ranking board. Keep identifiable records in the school's approved system and follow its privacy and retention rules rather than photographing class sheets for public sharing.

Choose an observable feature

  • Hopping: takes off and lands on the same foot during the agreed single attempt.
  • Skipping: links step-hop on one side with step-hop on the other.
  • Two-foot jumping: starts from two feet and returns to two feet in the specified small jump.
  • Receiving: watches the soft object and brings it under control in the planned catch task.
  • Sending: directs the object using the selected roll or throw, with the support recorded.

These are possible observation prompts, not a complete validated checklist. Do not total them into a proficiency score or compare a child with an age band. Choose a feature that actually belongs to the task you taught.

Copy-and-print: Notice, describe, plan sheet

  • Learner identifier permitted by school policy: ______. Date: ______.
  • Task and lesson question: ______. Feature I will watch: ______.
  • Conditions: surface ______; route or target ______; equipment ______.
  • Cue, demonstration and supports offered: ______.
  • Observation words: observed / not seen in this opportunity / not attempted / task changed.
  • Descriptive note, without labels about effort or ability: ______.
  • Learner's own comment, sign or choice: ______.
  • Next teaching step and reason: ______. Revisit under these conditions: ______.

Filled example: step-hop practice

Task: two linked step-hops in a clear lane. Feature: alternates sides. Support: adult model and spoken “step-hop, change.” Observation: first step-hop remained on the right; learner stopped and asked for another model. Next step: rehearse one left step-hop separately, then offer the linked task again.

That note says more than “cannot skip.” It also leaves room for a different result with a different cue. Not seeing a feature once is not proof that the child never uses it. Record enough opportunities to inform teaching without making repetitive testing the main activity.

Adapt and interpret carefully

If a learner uses a mobility device to explore routes, observe route control rather than marking foot-pattern boxes as failures. Agree an appropriate objective with the learner and relevant staff. Persistent concerns follow school referral and specialist procedures; this sheet neither confirms nor rules out a condition.

Use the locomotor lesson map to select a skill and the adapt-one-game planner to decide access choices. The sheet is a planning resource, not a replacement for formal curriculum assessment.

Skill-feature examples are informed by PDST fundamental movement skill cue posters. Inclusion decisions should follow individual plans and the principles summarized in CDC's archived inclusion guidance. This original observation format has no claimed reliability study, age norms or classroom trial.