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Study of Motor Competence in 4-5-Year-Old Preschool Children: Are There Differences among Public and Private Schools?

Marcos Mecías-Calvo1,2, Carlos Lago-Fuentes1, Víctor Arufe-Giráldez3

  • 1Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, 39011 Santander, Spain.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 30, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Preschool children in public schools show more severe motor difficulties (SMDs) than those in private schools. Girls generally exhibit better motor competence (MC) than boys, with variations across different skills.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Pediatrics
  • Motor Development
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Motor competence (MC) is crucial for preschool children's development and school readiness.
  • Socioeconomic factors, including school type (public vs. private), may influence motor development.
  • Understanding gender-based differences in motor skills is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of severe motor difficulties (SMDs) in preschool children.
  • To compare the motor competence (MC) of children in public versus private preschools.
  • To analyze gender-based differences in motor competence among preschool children.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 581 preschool children aged 4.66 ± 0.52 years in Galicia, Spain.
  • Utilized the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) to assess motor skills.
  • Statistical analyses included logistic regression for SMDs and ANOVA/t-tests for MC differences by school type and gender.

Main Results:

  • Children in public schools had a significantly higher prevalence of SMDs (OR = 20.65, p < 0.001).
  • Children in private schools demonstrated superior motor competence across all MABC-2 dimensions (p < 0.001).
  • Girls outperformed boys in manual dexterity, balance, and overall scores, with significant gender-by-school type interactions observed.

Conclusions:

  • Preschool children attending private schools exhibit better motor skills and fewer severe motor difficulties compared to those in public schools.
  • Girls generally possess higher motor competence than boys, with notable differences in specific skill areas.
  • Findings highlight the influence of school type and gender on preschool motor development, suggesting a need for equitable support.

Keywords:
Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2)gender differencespreschool childrenprivate schoolpublic school

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