SHAPE Washington Overview of Teaching Games for Understanding
Overview
An overivew of Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU).
The SHAPE Washington OER consists of 6 units:
Grades 3-5 - Soccer and Fistball
Grades 6-8 - Tchoukball and Badminton
Grades 9-10 - Flag/Touch Rugby and Spikeball
Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) Overview
Why use TGfU?
Physical education skills are often taught in isolation and students have difficulty connecting the skill and tactical components together. The TGfU model uses a modified game-practice-modified game approach which encourages students to develop their problem-solving skills through modified game play. The initial modified game allows students to begin understanding why they need to learn the skill and to think tactically as to how they can use the skill within the game. After the initial modified game students are asked critical thinking questions to reinforce the connection between the skill and tactical components. Students then practice the skill and tactic specific to the lesson, reinforcing the student’s why and how of the initial modified game. After the practice portion of the lesson students return to the initial modified game or a similar modified game where they are better able to apply the skills and tactics that were initially missing. The merit of this project is it provides students with a connection between tactics and skills of a sport which is often missing. The impact on teachers is an instructional strategy that connects tactics as well as skill development. This impacts students as they will engage in critical thinking skills throughout the unit as they make connections between tactics and skills as well as become more physically literate as they develop the competence and confidence to participate in sports throughout their lifetime. TGfU increases student motivation, student understanding of the game and increases physical activity intensity throughout the lesson compared to a traditional skills-theme approach.
Stages of TGfU:
- Initial Game – game is modified to focus on the tactical problem / focus of the lesson for the day
- Game Appreciation – students play the modified game and develop an understanding of the tactical problem, specifically the skills and strategies needed to be successful.
- Questions for the Initial Game – questions are meant to help students work through the skills and strategies they need to use and/or work on to be more successful in the game.
- Practice Tasks – tasks are designed to practice the skills and strategies needed for success in the Initial Game.
- Application Game – this is typically the Initial Game again to see how students have improved their skills and strategies focused on during the practice tasks.