Movement Education Framework

This is a guide for understanding, analyzing, and improving movement through four fundamental concepts: Body, Space, Time, and Relationships.

Movement is more than simply performing a skill. Every action, from walking and running to throwing, jumping, and changing direction, is influenced by how the body moves, where it moves, when it moves, and what it interacts with. The Movement Education Framework provides a systematic way to observe, teach, and develop movement by breaking it into these four interconnected concepts.

Why Use the Movement Education Framework?

The Movement Education Framework provides a common language for observing and understanding movement. Whether you are a coach, educator, therapist, athlete, or parent, these concepts help you:

  • Analyze movement more effectively

  • Identify movement strengths and limitations

  • Improve coaching and teaching strategies

  • Develop movement awareness and problem-solving skills

  • Create a deeper understanding of human movement

Rather than focusing solely on technique, the framework encourages learners to understand the principles behind movement. By exploring Body, Space, Time, and Relationships, individuals gain the tools to adapt, learn, and perform movement in a wide variety of activities and environments.

Movement is not just what we do—it is how we interact with our bodies, our environment, and the world around us.

Body

The Body Concept focuses on what the body is doing and how its parts contribute to movement. It examines movement activities, body actions, body-part functions, and the shapes the body creates during performance.

Key Question: What is the body doing, and how are its parts contributing to the movement?

Space

The Space Concept explores where movement occurs and how the body interacts with its surroundings. It includes location, direction, levels, pathways, extension, and planes of movement.

Key Question: Where is the body moving, and how is it interacting with space?

Time

The Time Concept examines the rate and rhythm of movement. It focuses on speed, tempo, acceleration, and deceleration, helping us understand how movement changes over time.

Relationships

The Relationships Concept focuses on the connections that influence movement. It examines how individuals interact with people, objects, goals, positions, timing demands, and environmental factors.

Key Question: How does the mover interact with people, objects, goals, and the environment?