2. This year I have implemented a new teaching
method into my year 3 class. This strategy is
known as the Games sense approach and is one
that I use in every practical class. So. What is it
exactly?
3. What is it?
The game sense approach is a practical education teaching
method that was developing in the mid 1990’s right here in
Australia. This approach has an emphasis on smalls sided
games that encourage tactical and strategic thinking.
For instance it aims the students to think of things like
“where should I be to best receive the ball?” or “how will
this action affect my team?”(Pill, 2013).
4. The most important thing that this approach
focuses on is that of involvement. The Game
sense approach aims to increase player
participation rather than skill practices. This is
important to us as teachers because is allows the
involvement of everyone and skill level is not a
factor in how the games are played out. Instead
aims to improve various skills across the class
while getting the children to think about what it is
they are learning.
5. What is it? (cont.)
The Game Sense Approach is one that focuses of
four different categories (Light, 2012):
1. Invasion Games: these types of games include
soccer, touch football and netball
2. Target games: these include sports like golf,
bowls and bocce ball
3. Striking and fielding: these include sports
like cricket, softball and baseball
4. Net and Wall: which include games like
tennis, squash and volley ball.
6. The reason that these various categories were
created is because games within each category
have common strategies and tactics, for
example the idea of moving and getting into
free space to receive the ball in soccer is also
applicable to a game like netball or hockey.
By doing this the aim is to develop skills that
can be applied to various sports instead of
focusing on singular aspects of a sport.
7. Light, R. (2012). Games sense pedagogy for
performance, participation and enjoyment.
Retrieved from
http://dc02kg0387na.hosted.exlibrisgroup.c
om:1701/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDi
splay.do?vid=UWS-ALMA&docId=UWS-ALMA51133958000001571
Pill, S. (2013). Teaching game sense is soccer.
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation &
Dance. 83(3), 42-52.
DOI:10.1080/07303084.2012.10598746
