Talking the Walk: Using Instructional Self-Talk to Anchor Early Fundamental Movement Skills

Session Description

How do we help our youngest learners move from conscious clumsiness to fluid physical literacy? The secret weapon isn’t just physical practice—it’s the internal narrative running in their heads. This active, evidence-based workshop explores the transformative power of instructional self-talk in developing Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) for children aged 3 to 8. Participants will discover how teaching short, rhythmic, and cue-based self-talk phrases can accelerate skill acquisition, enhance focus, and build emotional resilience during motor tasks like catching, throwing and striking. We will break down standard FMS milestones into developmentally appropriate "internal cue scripts." You will learn how to transition students from external verbalization (saying the cues aloud) to covert self-talk (thinking the cues internally). Come ready to move, collaborate, and leave with a practical toolkit of cues you can deploy in your PE classes next week. Let’s change how our students talk to themselves so we can change how they move.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, you will be equipped to:
Design actionable, kid-friendly self-talk cues for foundational locomotor and object-control skills.
Implement playful, gamified strategies that make self-talk intuitive and engaging for ELC–Grade 2 students.
Use cognitive-behavioral strategies to replace frustration ("I can't do this") with task-focused, instructional dialogue ("Step, tick-tock, swing!").

Curriculum Level

F - 6

Keywords

Active Play and Minor Games, Differentiation and Modification, Fundamental Movement Skills

Presentation Type

Practical Workshop
C
6