The primary aim of this study was to develop an assessment of the fundamental, combined, and complex movement skills required to support childhood physical literacy. The secondary aim was to ...establish the feasibility, objectivity, and reliability evidence for the assessment.
An expert advisory group recommended a course format for the assessment that would require children to complete a series of dynamic movement skills. Criterion-referenced skill performance and completion time were the recommended forms of evaluation. Children, 8–12 years of age, self-reported their age and gender and then completed the study assessments while attending local schools or day camps. Face validity was previously established through a Delphi expert (n = 19, 21% female) review process. Convergent validity was evaluated by age and gender associations with assessment performance. Inter- and intra-rater (n = 53, 34% female) objectivity and test–retest (n = 60, 47% female) reliability were assessed through repeated test administration.
Median total score was 21 of 28 points (range 5–28). Median completion time was 17 s. Total scores were feasible for all 995 children who self-reported age and gender. Total score did not differ between inside and outside environments (95% confidence interval (CI) of difference: −0.7 to 0.6; p = 0.91) or with/without footwear (95%CI of difference: −2.5 to 1.9; p = 0.77). Older age (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.15) and male gender (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.02) were associated with a higher total score. Inter-rater objectivity evidence was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.99) for completion time and substantial for skill score (ICC = 0.69) for 104 attempts by 53 children (34% female). Intra-rater objectivity was moderate (ICC = 0.52) for skill score and excellent for completion time (ICC = 0.99). Reliability was excellent for completion time over a short (2–4 days; ICC = 0.84) or long (8–14 days; ICC = 0.82) interval. Skill score reliability was moderate (ICC = 0.46) over a short interval, and substantial (ICC = 0.74) over a long interval.
The Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment is a feasible measure of selected fundamental, complex and combined movement skills, which are an important building block for childhood physical literacy. Moderate-to-excellent objectivity was demonstrated for children 8–12 years of age. Test–retest reliability has been established over an interval of at least 1 week. The time and skill scores can be accurately estimated by 1 trained examiner.
We have studied skilled human locomotions in sports gymnastics by measurement and analysis of ground reaction force and myoelectric signals. Assuming the quality of performance to be a skill level ...criterion acquired signals were mathematically analyzed via basic signal processing and cross-correlation methods. The study of backward somersault yielded quantitative criteria of performance, proposing an original measure-an inter-muscular cross-correlation function. Besides motor learning, the quantification of movement skill introduced here also relates to possible applications in biocybernetics, robotics and rehabilitation medicine.
Visual impairments as an individual constraint can lead to the lack of adequate visual perception and overshadow children’s all developmental aspects. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to ...investigate the effect of a course of core stability training on fundamental skills in visually impaired boys. 30 visually impaired children (age range: 5-7 years) were selected by convenience sampling method. After the Ulrich pretest, they were randomly divided into two groups: the core stability training group and the ordinary daily activities. The experimental group participated in the core stability training for 16 sessions, each session 45 minutes. The control group carried out their daily activities. The results of mixed analysis of variance 2 × 2 and Bonferroni post hoc test indicated a significant difference in scores between the two groups so that the subjects of the experimental group outperformed the control group in all locomotors subscales (P<0.05). In general, the results of the study suggest core stability training as a suitable training model to promote fundamental motor skills in children with visual impairment because of increased levels of motivation and enjoyment of physical activity, the development of the children's physical self-concept and enhancement of abdominal and back muscles performance
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