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Gross and fine motor skills of left-handed preschool children
P Giagazoglou1, E Fotiadou, N Angelopoulou
1Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. angelopo@phed.auth.gr
Insights
Left-handed children, particularly boys, show poorer fine motor skills compared to right-handers. Early identification of these differences in preschool is crucial for addressing potential learning difficulties.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Hand preference emerges in early childhood.
- Motor skill development is crucial for academic readiness.
- Left-handedness prevalence is approximately 10% in the general population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare gross and fine motor skills between left-handed and right-handed preschool children.
- To investigate potential gender differences in motor skill performance among left-handers.
- To explore the implications of motor skill disparities for later learning.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 31 left-handed preschool children (aged 4-6) was compared to 31 matched right-handed controls.
- The Griffiths Test No. II, specifically motor subscales A (gross motor) and D (fine motor), was administered.
- Matching criteria included age, sex, and preschool attended.
Main Results:
- Right-handed children scored higher on both gross and fine motor subscales.
- A significant difference was observed in fine motor skills (Scale D), favoring right-handers.
- Poorer fine motor performance in left-handed boys accounted for the significant group difference.
Conclusions:
- Left-handed preschool boys exhibit deficits in fine motor skills compared to their right-handed peers.
- These fine motor skill differences may predispose left-handed children to learning difficulties.
- Early psychoeducational intervention in preschool programs is recommended for at-risk left-handed children.
Abstract:
From a population of 765 preschool children 4-6 years old, 31 children (4.1%) were identified as left-handers. Using the two motor subscales A (gross motor) and D (fine motor) of the Griffiths Test No. II, these children were compared with 31 right-handers, matched for age, sex, and preschool attended. Right-handed children received higher quotients than left-handed on both Griffiths' subscales, with a significant difference only on Scale D. However, the differences between right- and left-handed children arose from the poorer performance of left-handed boys on fine motor tasks (Scale D). These differences could be responsible for learning difficulties that left-handed children face later at school. Such difficulties should be identified as early as possible to facilitate psychoeducational intervention in preschool programs.