Towards a Physical Literacy Framework to Guide the Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Early Childhood Movement-Based Interventions Targeting Cognitive Development

In this commentary, an argument for using physical literacy as a guiding framework for the design, implementation and evaluation of physical activity interventions targeting cognitive development in early childhood is offered. While physical activity and exercise have been shown to be positively linked to cognitive development, selecting the right kinds of activities for children, particularly in the first six years of life, is critical to ensuring children stay engaged and benefit from participation. The concept of “thinking movement” has been described before, where emphasis is placed not only on the importance of physical activity, but the combination of cognitive (e.g., problem solving) and movement based skills together as necessary for stimulating positive change in cognitive ability. Physical literacy offers great potential as a framework beyond thinking movement because it focuses not only on movement (motor skill) and physical activity, but also affective (fun) and motivational domains such as competence and confidence. The intersections of motor skill, positive affect and motivation are the core elements required to ensure children want to be active and are critical for maintenance of physical activity across the life-course.