Motivating Children to Be Physically Active with

Additional Content on FLOW and Online Resources

Chapter 9
Rationale for Motivation
To present ideas and information useful in motivating children and adults to be physically
active now and over their lifetime
In order to achieve the goals of quality physical education, teachers must turn students
on to participating in physical activities (Martens, 1996).
It is essential to review and reconsider the ways children and adults are motivated
Critical Thinking
Poor teaching practices among physical educators are often due to a lack of critical
thinking.
Through critical thinking, physical educators can implement developmentally appropriate
physical education that fosters recreation as well as learning.
Some suggestions on how to eliminate poor teaching practices, such as using inappropriate
equipment and allowing student captains to choose teams, are presented.
What is Critical Thinking?
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally about what to do or what to believe.
It includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. Someone with critical
thinking skills is able to do the following :
understand the logical connections between ideas
identify, construct and evaluate arguments
detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning
solve problems systematically
identify the relevance and importance of ideas
reflect on the justification of one's own beliefs and values
PE Hall of Shame - Article
The PE Hall of Shame was established in 1992 to help professionals:

take a closer look at themselves

focus on developmentally and programmatically appropriate PE and

to encourage professionals to strive toward structuring and teaching classes in order to

achieve the ultimate goals of physical (motor skills and fitness), cognitive, and affective
development of students.

Ultimately, students should develop a unity of their minds and bodies to enable them to live as
healthy and productive adults in society.
MOTIVATION
Students have two primary sources of reinforcement when involved in class activities:
1. Themselves
2. Those around them (teachers, parents, students, staff, etc.)
INTRINSIC MOTIVATORS: Sources of reinforcement from within the person
Within the persons control
EXTRINSIC MOTIVATORS: Sources of reinforcement from others. Outside of persons control
(This could include prizes, rewards, etc.)
New Approaches to Motivation
Instill feelings of motor skill competency in their children
Build the students intrinsic motivation
Involve the students in the learning process
Involve yourself by modeling enthusiasm for physical activity and by joining others in
the community to encourage physical activity
Instill Feelings of Motor Skill Competency
Avoid embarrassing children during physical activities
Respect differences in physical abilities
Maximize opportunities to practice skills
Use developmentally appropriate movement activities
Provide task variations to adjust for varying ability levels
Building Intrinsic Motivation
Draw attention to positive feelings experienced during physical activity
Plan for all students to be successful
Communicate attainable expectations with encouragement and accountability

 Evaluate students appropriately

Praise students for jobs well done
Link increased effort with improved ability to allow students to control whether or not
they will be successful
Construct flow experiences for children (sense of exhilaration from participating in
physical activity)
Involve Students in the Learning Process
Listen to student voices about their experiences in physical education
Share control of the learning process with the students
Provide a cognitive basis for being active
Involve Yourself
Model enthusiasm and interest in physical activities
Join with parents and others in the community to effectively impact childrens activity
levels
Have fun and enjoy the activity time!
Fun with a purpose!
Resources for Motivation
Claremont Graduate University
Quality of Life Research Center
http://www.cgu.edu/qlrc
http://cgu.edu/pages/4751.asp
The Quality of Life Research Center (QLRC) at Claremont Graduate University was founded in
1999. The QLRC is a non-profit research institute that studies Positive Psychology; that is,
human strengths such as creativity, engagement, intrinsic motivation, and responsibility.
Article: Help Your Child Find the Flow

Flow: Seeking Balance between Skills and Challenge

Resources for Motivation: FLOW

The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is one of the world's leading researchers in positive psychology. As the
founding co-director of the Quality of Life Research Center at Claremont Graduate University, he
specializes in research on psychological strengths of the human brain such as optimism,
creativity, intrinsic motivation, and responsibility. Inspired by ancient Greek philosophers, he is
known as the creator of the concept FLOW;' a satisfactory state of being in which a person feels
completely absorbed in activity while losing his or her sense of time.
Pleasure, Engagement, Meaning = Happy Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjliwSJGDiU

Resources for Motivation

FLOW BY MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI | ANIMATED BOOK REVIEW (from Fight
Mediocrity)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h6IMYRoCZw
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi asks, "What makes a life worth living?" Noting that money cannot
make us happy, he looks to those who find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in activities that
bring about a state of FLOW."
FLOW 101: Five of the World's Best Athletes Reveal the Secrets of the Zone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiechBcdYhg
In the first episode of The Rise of Superman video series, some masters of FLOW -- including
Travis Rice, Jimmy Chin, Chase Jarvis, Mike Horn, Dean Potter, Danny Way and Ian Walsh -talk about what the flow experience is like for them.