The early years of life are critical for motor and cognitive development. A better understanding is needed on the associations between the control and development of motor and cognitive tasks.
This ...study aimed to examine the association between gross motor skills and cognitive development in toddlers.
Cross-sectional study.
This study included 335 toddlers (aged 19.80 ± 4.08 months, 53.7% boys) from 30 childcare services in Australia.
Children were assessed on gross motor skills (Peabody Developmental Motor Scales 2nd Edition; PDMS-2) and cognitive development (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler development 3rd edition; Bayley-III).
A one-way ANCOVA was conducted to assess associations between gross motor skills and cognitive development controlling for childcare center, sex, age, body mass index and socioeconomic status.
The average scores were 96.41 ± 9.84 for gross motor skills (range gross motor quotient 35–165) and 11.45 ± 3.03 for cognitive development (range standard score 1–19). There was a significant positive association between gross motor skills and cognition, F(2,260) = 12.245, p < 0.001. Both locomotion and object manipulation were significantly positively associated with cognition, F(2,266) = 14.607, p < 0.001 and F(2,265) = 9.039, p < 0.001 respectively.
Levels of gross motor skills are positively associated with cognitive development in this sample of Australian toddlers. Results reinforce the need for early commencement of gross motor skill promotion as this might be important for cognitive development in the early years.
•In this sample, Australian toddlers’ levels of gross motor skills are positively associated with cognitive development•In this sample, Australian toddlers’ levels of locomotion skills are positively associated with cognitive development•In this sample, Australian toddlers’ levels of object manipulation skills are positively associated with cognitive development•Early commencement of gross motor skill promotion is recommended as it might be important for cognitive development
Motor coordination will be hampered if the stimulation of children's movement development tends to be neglected. This will have an impact on the child's movement skills. The purpose of this study was ...to determine traditional games in basic physical activities using locomotor skills. This study uses Classroom Action Research (PTK) which aims to see how much increase in the application of traditional games. The research was conducted at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Lerep Ungaran Barat and this study used male students aged 7-9 years. There were 18 children who followed and participated in traditional games in this study. Only 8 children scored 44-62 and 10 children scored 63-81, so there were still some children who had not developed according to expectations in cycle I. Basic locomotor skills in cycle II obtained the developing category according to expectations. totaled 3 children and Very Good Development as many as 15 children. Activities carried out by children can increase stimulation and can develop movement skills to improve children's motor skills. The data on basic locomotor motion skills in pre-cycle is 33% in the Undeveloped category. In the first cycle, 45% was found in the Start Developing category and in the second cycle it was 83% in the Very Developed category. This study found that traditional games are suitable for the development of fundamental locomotor skills. Future research can add to children's physical fitness activities that can monitor their increase in physical abilities.
Based on the observations, the problem of the study is the low level of fundamental motor skills development of children, especially locomotor abilities. The population of this study were all ...students in Kota Pariaman, the random sampling technique was 67 children. The instrument used to obtain data regarding the level of locomotor development of students was the TGMD-2 instrument subtest, namely: run, hop, jump, gallop and skip. Based on the results, it can be seen that: (1) the students 'ability to run on average is at level 3, (2) the students' hop ability is on average at level 3, (3) the jump ability of the students is on average at level 2, (4) the students 'Gallop Ability on average is at level 2, (5) The students' Skip Ability is on average at level 2.
Objective
The main purpose of this study was to explore the association between early fundamental motor skills (FMS) and executive function (EF) in preschool children.
Methods
A total of 394 young ...children (4.07 ± 0.76 years) were evaluated. The FMS and EF were evaluated using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) and the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NTCB), respectively.
Results
Total FMS score was moderately and positively correlated with total EF score (
r
= 0.33,
p
< 0.001) and was a significant predictor of total EF score (β = 0.37,
p
< 0.001). Specifically, locomotor skills were significant predictors of inhibition control (β = 0.21,
p
< 0.001), working memory (β = 0.18,
p
< 0.01), and cognitive flexibility (β = 0.24,
p
< 0.001), while object control skills were only significant predictors of inhibition control (β = 0.17,
p
< 0.01).
Conclusion
FMS were significantly and positively correlated with EF and were significant predictors of EF. Early childhood policymakers, preschool teachers, and researchers should take these connections seriously and implement appropriate complex motor intervention programs in future teaching to stimulate the development of both motor and higher-order cognitive skills in preschool children.
Youth with visual impairments (VIs) tend to have lower levels of motor competence and physical activity with increased sedentary behavior and risk of obesity when compared to their peers without VIs. ...Knowing the influence that motor competence plays on physical activity behaviors in childhood, it is important to identify factors, such as self and others’ perceptions, that may be supporting/inhibiting motor competence levels for youth with VIs. To rigorously examine self-perceptions, parents’ perceptions, and metaperceptions, it is important to have instruments with appropriate content and face validity. Therefore, the purpose of this Delphi study was to determine the content/face validity of the self-perception, parents’ perception, and metaperception questionnaires for youth with VIs. Participants (N = 13, male = 2; female = 11) included experts from four categories: (1) teachers directly working with students with VIs in schools (teachers of the visually impaired TVI, orientation and mobility specialists O and M, adapted and general physical educators n = 6); (2) researchers who publish studies in the field of physical education, motor behavior, or VIs (n = 3); (3) parents of children with VIs (n = 2); and (4) individuals with documented VIs (n = 2). After two rounds of completing the Delphi procedure, results showed means above 4.0 out of 5.0 for all three questionnaires. The panel of experts deemed the content/face validity of the instruments acceptable.
Proper growth and development of young school children require mastering different skills, especially gross motor skills - basic locomotor and manipulative skills. It is essential to monitor the ...physical activity of nine-year-old children necessary for further proper development and healthy habits, which will continue into adulthood. This study aims to determine physical activity level, BMI, and gender differences in the performance of gross motor skills in children aged nine years (± six months). The study involved 40 participants (20 girls and 20 boys). Their body height, body weight,
and body mass index were 140.46 ± 5.72 cm; 37.84 ± 8.21 cm; and 19.09 ± 3.56, respectively. All participants completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children and performed the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition (TGMD-2), and two sub-tests of BOT-2 (Speed and Agility and Upper-Limb Coordination). T-test for independent samples was used to compare groups according to physical activity level (physically active and inactive group) and explore interactions with gender and BMI, and gross motor skills variables. F-values, p-values, and partial eta squared (ɳ2) values were reported as MANOVA outcomes. The results showed a significant difference between physical activity level and locomotor skills but not in manipulative skills. Further research should focus on various exercise programs that contribute to developing skills and participation in organized physical activity of children of different ages.
Background
Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) are characterised by deficits in fundamental movement skills (FMS). In youth with typical development, motor skill ...interventions have been recognised as an efficient means to improve FMS. However, the effects of these interventions among youth with ID have not yet been systematically reviewed.
Purpose
The purpose of the present systematic review was to summarise the findings from studies pertaining to the effects of motor skill interventions designed to improve FMS in children and adolescents with ID.
Method
A systematic literature search (without year restriction) was performed in 12 databases. Studies in press or published in English in a peer‐reviewed journal were included if: (1) participants were youth with ID aged 5 to 22; (2) motor skill interventions aimed to improve one or several FMS; and (3) they were experimental, quasi‐experimental or pre‐experimental. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale was used to assess the quality of the studies.
Results
Through the search strategy, 1083 articles were identified, and 14 studies published between 1969 and 2018 met the inclusion criteria. In studies with children, motor skill interventions successfully improved balance skills and overall FMS, whereas mixed and inconclusive results were found for locomotor skills. In studies with adolescents, motor skill interventions were shown to successfully improve balance skills. However, none of the motor skill interventions reviewed focused on locomotor and object control skills.
Conclusions
The reviewed motor skill interventions were effective in improving balance skills in both children and adolescents with ID as well as overall FMS in children with ID. Conversely, the effects of motor skill interventions targeting locomotor and object control skills remain unclear. Therefore, given the relatively small number of studies and their limitations, the present findings need to be interpreted with caution, and further rigorous studies are necessary.
Children around the world, particularly those with intellectual disabilities (ID), are exhibiting poor motor skill proficiency. Compared with typically developing children (TDC), children with ...intellectual disabilities (CwID) are 65% more likely to exhibit low levels of motor competence. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the motor skill proficiency levels, in terms of fundamental movement skills (FMS) of CwID to TDC. FMS are the building blocks required for lifelong participation in sport and physical activity.
The meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA statement guidelines. 6 electronic databases were searched and 16, 679 studies were found. A total of 26 studies (total participants n = 3,525) met the inclusion criteria. A multivariate maximum likelihood multivariate random effects model was fitted to the data using the metafor package in R.
The study showed that the standardised mean difference (Hedges' g) in FMS between TDC and CwID is large (g = 1.24; CI 95% .87, 1.62). Specifically, significant differences between the two groups emerged in all five outcomes: (1) total locomotor score, (2) total object manipulation score, (3) balance, (4) run skill and (5) throw skill.
Further investigation into effective intervention strategies is required in order to reduce the magnitude of difference in motor skill proficiency between the two groups. In addition to developing, implementing and evaluating these interventions, researchers need to work hand in hand with national governing bodies (NGB) of sport and policy makers to ensure that teachers and coaches are being provided with opportunities to upskill in the area of FMS.
The acquisition of gross motor skills in early childhood contributes to balanced development and lifetime health patterns. It has been suggested that motor skills are acquired in early childhood ...without reliance on working memory, as the cognitive resources of young children have yet to fully develop. In two studies, we aimed to examine the relationship of gross motor skills proficiency with working memory in young children. The first study was cross-sectional and involved children with an average age of 5.84 years (n = 107). Gross motor skills (i.e., locomotor and object control) were tested, and working memory components (i.e., verbal and visuospatial) were measured. The second study was longitudinal and involved children with an average age of 4.17 years (n = 34). Locomotor and object control skills were tested at the start (T1) and middle (T2) of the school year; working memory components were tested at T1. The two studies showed that only object control skills proficiency and verbal working memory were associated. In the second study, gross motor skills improved over the two time points, but there was no significant interaction with working memory components. It appears that neither verbal nor visuospatial working memory influences change in gross motor skills proficiency. These findings provide support for the proposition that gross motor skills are acquired in early childhood without reliance on working memory resources, and informs the design of instructional approaches to promote gross motor skills proficiency.
We investigated child, family, and environmental factors associated with young children’s perceptions of locomotor (LM) and object control (OC) skills. The participants comprised 472 children ...(6.22 ± 0.63) and their parents. The children were assessed for their perception of motor competence in LM and OC skills (using the pictorial scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence for young children), and actual motor competence (Test of Gross Motor Development 3rd edition and Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder). Anthropometrics were calculated using the children’s body mass index standard deviation scores. A parent questionnaire included questions about child factors (sex, child’s independent walking age, time spent sedentary and outdoors, participation in organized sport activities, and access to electronic devices), family factors (parent educational level, physical activity frequency, and sedentary behavior), and environmental factors (access to sport facilities). Variance analysis sought to identify age‐related differences, and a linear regression model examined correlates of children’s perception of LM and OC skills. The children’s movement skill perceptions were found to be generally high. Four factors explained 5.7% of the variance in perceptions of LM skills and 7.5% of the variance in perceptions of OC skills. Two factors, lower age and higher actual motor competence, explained most of the children’s skill perceptions. Access to electronic devices (less) and Body mass index (BMI) (higher) were associated with perceptions of LM skills. Participation in organized sport activities (higher) and parental education (lower) were associated with perceptions of OC skills. When promoting children’s physical activity and motor competence, perceptions of motor competence are an important consideration.
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