Abstract
Background
The cut-off date in the education system causes a relative age difference, with developmental advantages for children who are born on the “early side” of the cut-off date and ...disadvantages for those born later, which is known as the relative age effect (RAE). Very few studies have examined whether there is a RAE on the development of fundamental movement skills (FMSs) in preschool children, and no studies have been conducted in China. The purpose of this study is to identify whether a RAE exists on FMS in Chinese preschool children, comparing RAEs according to gender and age.
Methods
From a total of 378 invited preschool children regularly registered at one Chinese kindergarten, a total of 288 healthy and typically developing preschoolers (4.33 ± 0.84 years-old; 56.6% boys) were included in this study. All children were required to take part in anthropometry and FMS assessments. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was applied to examine the difference in each of the FMS items across quarter categories, year and gender groups, controlling for body mass index (BMI).
Results
For the overall sample, the data show the significant main effects on the quarter of birth factor in locomotor skills (LC;
F
(3, 265) = 2.811,
p
= 0.04, η
p
2
= 0.031), object control skills (OB;
F
(3, 265) = 6.319,
p
= 0.04, η
p
2
= 0.031), and total test score (TTS;
F
(3, 265) = 5.988,
p
= 0.001, η
p
2
= 0.063). There were also significant differences in the age effect on all the domains of FMS (
F
LC
(2, 265) = 100.654,
p
< 0.001, η
p
2
= 0.432;
F
OB
(2, 265) = 108.430,
p
< 0.001, η
p
2
= 0.450;
F
TTS
(2, 265) = 147.234,
p
< 0.001, η
p
2
= 0.526) but a gender effect only in LC (
F
(1, 265) = 20.858;
p
< 0.001; η
p
2
= 0.073). For gender and quarter of birth groups, RAEs in LC only exists in girls. Moreover, regarding age and quarter of birth factors, RAEs are only found at younger ages.
Conclusions
This study suggests the existence of RAEs in the FMS of Chinese preschool children. Teachers need to be aware of the effect of RAEs on the FMS when approaching development, evaluation, and teaching approaches in preschools.
Previous research suggests there is a positive correlation between infants’ motor and language development. Several reasons for this effect have been suggested, but little empirical research directly ...addressed them. Here we test the hypothesis that motor development is related to an increase in language-promoting interactions with parents (such as naming objects that the infant is interested in), and that these activities are related to language development. 93 parents from Israel filled in questionnaires about their 8- to-18-month-old infants’ language and motor development, as well as about their engagement in language-promoting interactions. We found no evidence that motor development was related to language development, and partial evidence that motor development was related to language-promoting interactions, and language-promoting interactions to vocabulary size. Possible reasons are discussed.
Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto de un programa de educación física adaptado utilizando la lengua de señas mexicana en niños con discapacidad auditiva sobre el desarrollo coordinativo motor. Materiales y ...métodos: El diseño del estudio fue cuasi-experimental, con muestreo por conveniencia, participando 22 estudiantes (edad 10 ± 1.8 años), diagnosticados con discapacidad auditiva, de dos escuelas de la ciudad de Mexicali, Baja California. México. Los participantes fueron divididos aleatoriamente en un grupo experimental (n=11) y un grupo control (n=11), a los cuales se les evaluó el desarrollo coordinativo motor mediante el test de coordinación corporal para niños KTK. El programa de educación física tuvo una duración de 5 meses, adaptando una programación de clases 2 veces a la semana, con una duración de 50 minutos por sesión, comunicándose con los alumnos mediante la lengua de señas mexicana y aplicando una serie de tareas que resaltando la coordinación motora. Resultados: Para comparar las variables de estudio se utilizó el test de análisis de varianza (ANOVA) mixtas 2 x 2, observando una interacción significativa entre grupo experimental y control, lo cual demostró una significancia positiva en el desarrollo coordinativo motor (p=0.01). Conclusión: Se establece que la aplicación de un programa de educación física adaptado durante cinco meses puede influenciar una mejora en la coordinación motora en niños con discapacidad auditiva.
Competence in fundamental motor skills (FMS) facilitates physical activity participation and is important for children's holistic development. This study aimed to systematically review the FMS levels ...of children worldwide, using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, studies were identified from searches across 7 databases. Studies were required to: (i) include typically developing children (3-10 years), (ii) be published in English, (iii) have been published between 2004 and 2019 and, (iv) report ≥1 TGMD-2 outcome scores. Extracted data were evaluated based on importance of determinants, strength of evidence, and methodological quality. Data from 64 articles were included. Weighted mean (and standard deviation) scores were calculated for each FMS outcome score. Analyses revealed FMS competence increases across age during childhood, with greater proficiency in locomotor skills than object control skills. Additionally, boys exhibit higher object control skill proficiency than girls. Compared to TGMD-2 normative data, children demonstrate "below average" to "average" FMS levels. This review highlights the scope for FMS development among children worldwide. These findings reinforce the necessity for FMS interventions in early educational settings, as FMS competence is positively associated with physical activity and other health outcomes.
The three aims of this systematic review are to describe: (1) use of the term fundamental motor/movement skills (FMS) in published articles; (2) the quality of definitions; and (3) relative use of ...process- and product- oriented assessments to measure FMS. The inclusion criteria included: (a) peer-reviewed article, (b) printed in English, (c) published between January 2000 and 31 December 2015, (d) presence of either the term "fundamental motor or movement skill" in the title and/or abstract, and (e) FMS were a measured outcome. There has been an increase in the number of publications on FMS in recent years, with the majority of studies conducted in Australia (n = 41, 33%). Approximately 24% of studies (n = 30) did not provide any explicit definition of FMS. A majority of studies reported the use of process-oriented measures (n = 98, 79%) compared to product-oriented measures (n = 23, 19%), and few studies used both (n = 6, 5%). We recommend that researchers provide: (1) an operational definition of FMS that states FMS are the "building blocks" (or similar terminology) of more advanced, complex movements; (2) specific categories of skills that compose FMS; and (3) at least one specific example of a FMS.
The drive to move to music is evident across a variety of contexts, from the simple urge to tap our toe to a song on the radio, to massive crowds dancing in time at a rock concert. Though seemingly ...effortless, beat synchronization is difficult to master and children are often poor beat synchronizers. Nevertheless, auditory‐motor integration is fundamental for many daily processes, such as speech. A topic that has been relatively understudied concerns how stimulus properties affect young children's movement in responses to auditory stimuli. In the present study, we examined how musical groove (adult‐rated desire to move) affected 3.0‐ to 6.9‐year‐old children's free dancing in the comfort of their home (n = 78). In the high groove conditions, children danced more and with more energy compared to the low groove conditions. Moreover, in the high groove condition, children's movement tempos corresponded better with the tempos of the music. Results point to early childhood sensitivity to the musical features that motivate adults to move to music. High groove music may therefore prove especially effective at facilitating early auditory‐motor integration. A video of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/vli0‐6N12Ts.
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being discussed as something essential and pressing in all aspects and areas of society. Its potential use in education is no exception. Artificial ...Intelligence, in particular, and technologies, in general, are unavoidable elements to be considered in the teaching-learning process at all levels of education and training.
There are many initiatives, essentially exploratory in nature, for the application of Artificial Intelligence in this process. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how they can be used for this purpose and how they relate to pedagogical methods.
In the present study, and within this context, we address how Artificial Intelligence can be used in software to support cognitive and motor development and stimulate reasoning. We propose a reference model for techniques for this purpose. Concrete cases of existing applications are presented to better illustrate the potential of Artificial Intelligence in education.
Abstract.Purpose The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the diversity in infant crawling and examine the quantitative regularity in crawling variations necessary for the ...acquisition of walking in infants with typical development. Participants and Methods Infants with no neurological or orthopedic problems participated in this study. Using Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, crawling was simultaneously filmed from six different angles. Filming was continued until the acquisition of independent walking. The crawling movement in the video was coded. We considered the number of different completed codes as the number of variations and examined the cumulative number during the filming period in each participant. Results Nineteen infants completed the study. The pattern of change in the cumulative number of variations with increasing age (in days) varied between cases. Although the cumulative number of crawling variations at the time of acquisition of independent walking was inconsistent, it was negatively correlated with the crawling start age (in days). Conclusion Diversity exists in infant crawling. Infants who start crawling at a younger age tend to express more variation, whereas infants who start crawling when older tend to express less variation.
Background and Aim: As deaf children grow up, they face difficulties that can affect their physical, emotional, motor, and cognitive development. This study reviews the recent studies conducted on ...motor development of deaf children based on Gallahue's model. Recent Findings: Few studies have been conducted on deaf children's motor development stages; reflexive, rhythmic, rudimentary, and specialized movement. However, many studies investigated the fundamental movement stage with an emphasis on balance. They mostly reported the deaf children’s delay in developing gait velocity (during walking), postural control, static balance, dynamic balance, spatial-temporal coordination, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and motor skills learning, compared with their healthy peers. Conclusion: Delay in motor development in deaf children is not necessarily the result of deafness or vestibular problems, but individual, environmental, and exercise factors are also involved. Providing appropriate educational opportunities for these children, training specialized teachers and parents, and holding training courses for hearing specialists can help promote motor development in these children.
Prenatal maternal stressors ranging in severity from everyday occurrences/hassles to the experience of traumatic events negatively impact neurodevelopment, increasing the risk for the onset of ...psychopathology in the offspring. Notably, the timing of prenatal stress exposure plays a critical role in determining the nature and severity of subsequent neurodevelopmental outcomes. In this review, we evaluate the empirical evidence regarding temporal windows of heightened vulnerability to prenatal stress with respect to motor, cognitive, language, and behavioural development in both human and animal studies. We also explore potential temporal windows whereby several mechanisms may mediate prenatal stress-induced neurodevelopmental effects, namely, excessive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, altered serotonin signalling and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system, changes in placental function, immune system dysregulation, and alterations of the gut microbiota. While broadly defined developmental windows are apparent for specific psychopathological outcomes, inconsistencies arise when more complex cognitive and behavioural outcomes are considered. Novel approaches to track molecular markers reflective of the underlying aetiologies throughout gestation to identify tractable biomolecular signatures corresponding to critical vulnerability periods are urgently required.Prenatal maternal stressors ranging in severity from everyday occurrences/hassles to the experience of traumatic events negatively impact neurodevelopment, increasing the risk for the onset of psychopathology in the offspring. Notably, the timing of prenatal stress exposure plays a critical role in determining the nature and severity of subsequent neurodevelopmental outcomes. In this review, we evaluate the empirical evidence regarding temporal windows of heightened vulnerability to prenatal stress with respect to motor, cognitive, language, and behavioural development in both human and animal studies. We also explore potential temporal windows whereby several mechanisms may mediate prenatal stress-induced neurodevelopmental effects, namely, excessive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, altered serotonin signalling and sympathetic-adrenal-medullary system, changes in placental function, immune system dysregulation, and alterations of the gut microbiota. While broadly defined developmental windows are apparent for specific psychopathological outcomes, inconsistencies arise when more complex cognitive and behavioural outcomes are considered. Novel approaches to track molecular markers reflective of the underlying aetiologies throughout gestation to identify tractable biomolecular signatures corresponding to critical vulnerability periods are urgently required.
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