Game sense is an approach used by teachers and coaches to focus on teaching skills to enhance understanding of games. It emphasizes developing fundamental movement skills through modified games before practicing performance. Game sense allows isolating skills through variations that consider students' abilities while making lessons engaging. It links to the NSW PDHPE syllabus by developing skills like throwing and kicking through sports to meet outcomes.

1. A guide for parents and students
GAME SENSE

2. WHAT IS GAME SENSE?
Game sense is an approach utilised by
teachers and coaches for the purpose of
focusing on teaching skills to enhance
understanding of a particular game
(Light, 2013).

3. THE IMPORTANCE OF ACKNOWLEDGING
FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS
• Through the analysis of ‘About Game Sense’ (Truong, 2017) it was found that Bunker and
Thorpe (1982) devised a model illustrating the process in which students must acquire an
understanding of the form of a game, showing skill execution to be mastered before
performance. This emphasis of skill execution to be developed prior execution illustrated
a students need to focus on the improvement of fundamental movement skills.
• Through game sense, a focus on improving fundamental movement skills can be
achieved through isolated movements, eliminating the added pressure of an opponent so
the focus is solely on executing the skill required. (Light, 2013)

4. RATIONALE
• It is widely accepted in literature that adapting a game sense approach within the
curriculum allows innovative pedagogical practices through the alteration of physical
educational games (Pill, 2011; Light, 2013; Reid, & Harvey, 2014).
This approach is essentially the modification of games for the purpose of:
• Creating a more engaging and inclusive lessons through focusing on specific game
strategies, tactics, and fundamental movement skills allowing students to have the
opportunity to develop and improve fundamental skills, a specific outcome or requirement
of a game (Reid, & Harvey, 2014)
• Game sense is player centred, in the sense that the pedagogy aims to promote the
development of players thinking in terms of providing an understanding of the game as
they undergo modified variations which is designed to cater their current abilities

5. GAME SENSE STRENGTHS
• Game sense requires scaffolding of a particular sport through breaking down
essential fundamental skills into incremental lessons allowing a
comprehensive learning experience
• Children’s current skills and abilities are taken into account as the coach or
teacher aids the development of students in harnessing skills though peer
interaction and socialisation
• This approach can be adapted to cater for a variation of students of different
ages, skill set and interests
• Flexibility is achieved through the freedom to modify games for the purpose
of accommodating to different levels of skill whilst ensuring an inclusive and
fun learning experience

6. GAME SENSE LINKS WITH THE NSW SYLLABUS!
Game sense links with the NSW PDHPE syllabus outcomes from stage 2 on two
accounts:
• Students achieve outcomes under ‘games and sport’ from the PDHPE syllabus
as they participate in a range of modified games with the learning outcome being
the development of their fundamental movement skills through games and sport
focusing on isolated movements to enhance their abilities inclusive of side step,
dodging, balancing, jumping and landing.
• Students also meet required outcomes from the PDHPE syllabus for stage 2
through ‘manipulative skills’ as they develop the fundamental movement skills
inclusive of overarm throwing, kicking and two hand striking
As a PE teacher, game sense is a valuable application as it allows the modification
of games to target these isolated skills to enhance development and meet syllabus
outcomes.

7. REFERENCES
• Light, R. (2013). Game sense (1st ed.). Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
•
• PDHPE K–6 | NSW Education Standards. (2017). Educationstandards.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 3
May 2017, from http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/learning-
areas/pdhpe/pdhpe-k-6-syllabus
•
• Pill, Shane,B. (2011). Teacher engagement with teaching games for understanding - game
sense in physical education. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 11(2), 115-123. Retrieved
from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/docview/1017884542?accountid=36155
•
• Reid, P., & Harvey, S. (2014). We're delivering Game Sense … aren't we?. Sports Coaching
Review, 3(1), 80-92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21640629.2014.967519
•
• Truong, S. (2017). About Game Sense. Lecture, Western Sydney University.