The Game Sense approach is a modification of traditional physical education games that aims to maximize student participation, enjoyment, and inclusion. It allows teachers to differentiate instruction for varying ability levels and assess student skills in context. Some key strengths are its indirect and student-centered nature, focus on fundamental movement skills, and ability to engage students. The approach is aligned with syllabus outcomes and rationale by promoting healthy, active lifestyles and interpersonal skills through inclusive physical activities.

1. GAME SENSE APPROACH
What is the Game Sense approach?
Why is it important for primary school
students?
What are the strengths of the Game Sense
approach?
Miss Parker - Class 5P

2. As a teacher, student engagement, enjoyment and
success are at the core of my pedagogical decisions –
this is why I choose Game Sense!
• Game Sense is a different approach to physical
education, stemming from pedagogical
characteristics of teaching games for understanding
(TGfU).
• Game Sense modifies games to suit the individual
needs of students, the aim of the lesson and the
content.
• Games can address a range of student abilities,
highlight specific skills and strategies and maximise
participation and inclusion through modification.
(Pill & Hewitt, 2017, p. 10-16)
(Hopper, Butler, & Storey, 2009, p. 1-7)
What is the
Game
Sense
Approach?

3. What is the
Game
Sense
Approach?
• Modifications include - numbers of players
within a team, size and shape of the area used
(field, court, round, rectangular) or the number
of balls used.
• Game sense can be broken into 4 core
categories:
1. Invasion games (soccer, football, rugby)
2. Striking games (softball, kickball, cricket)
3. Net/wall/court games (tennis, volleyball,
squash)
4. Target games (golf, archery, bowling)
This makes learning fundamental movement
skills easily transferable across game categories.
(Light, 2013, p. 19)

4. Why is Game
Sense
important for
students in
5P?
Game Sense is SUPER important for all students!
Why? Because…
• It is learner centred – students guide their own
learning and thus take more from the lesson and can
reflect on their learning
• Students build collaborative skills to work towards a
mutual goal
• It builds on students social skills
• It builds student confidence in a safe, comfortable
environment
• It provides students with learning context and
problem solving skills
• Students work on independent decision making and
critical thinking skills
(Light, 2013, p. 48-58)

5. Rationale
There are multiple strengths to a Game Sense
Approach to PDHPE, including but not limited to:
• Indirect teaching – the teacher facilitates rather than
tells students what to do. They guide their own
learning!
• Game Sense targets the fundamental movement
skills relevant to each stage
• Allows teachers to assess students as they are
learning and find areas of strength or areas to
address
• Maximising student engagement through a multitude
of differentiation and modification opportunities
(Light, 2013, p. 48-58)

6. Syllabus
links
Does the Game Sense appropriately link to syllabus
outcomes? Absolutely!
Students in 5P will work towards the below outcomes to
support their growth in PDHPE:
• Creates and participates in physical activities to
promote healthy and active lifestyles PD3-8
• Selects and uses interpersonal skills to interact
respectfully with others to promote inclusion and build
connections PD3-10
• Selects, manipulates and modifies movement skills
and concepts to effectively create and perform
movement sequences PD3-11
However, the great thing about Game Sense is that it
meets the broader rationale of the PDHPE syllabus so
can easily be adapted to any stage!
(NESA, 2018, p. 17-19)

7. Let’s do
this!
Employing Game Sense to 5P’s PDHPE
lessons allows all students to have positive
perceptions of PDHPE through
inclusiveness, enjoyment and a skills-based
nature. As a teacher, it is my responsibility
to provide students with the knowledge and
tools to become active social agents
responsible for their own health. With the
help of parents and caregivers, I will
encourage my students to make positive
decisions to lead and foster a healthy
lifestyle and healthy well-being for their
future!

8. References
Hopper, T., Butler, J., & Storey, B. (Eds.). (2009). TGfU… simply good pedagogy: Understanding a
complex challenge. Ottawa, ON: PHE Canada.
Light, R. (2013). Game Sense : Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment. Milton Park,
Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). Personal Development, Health and Physical
Education K-10 Syllabus. Retrieved from:
http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-areas/pdhpe
Pill, S., & Hewitt, M. (2017). Tennis coaching: applying the Game Sense Approach. A journal for
Physical and Sport Educators, 30(2), 10-16. doi: 10.1080/08924562.2016.1273807