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Effect of a 6-Week Physical Education Intervention on Motor Competence in Pre-School Children with Developmental
Rubén Navarro-Patón1, Juan Luis Martín-Ayala2,3, Mariacarla Martí González2
1Facultad de Formación del Profesorado, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27001 Lugo, Spain.
Insights
Physical education specialists improved motor competence in preschoolers with developmental delays. An intervention program significantly enhanced manual dexterity, aiming, catching, and balance skills in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Sports Science
Background:
- Motor competence (MC) is crucial for children's development.
- Preschoolers with motor development problems often require targeted interventions.
- Physical education (PE) specialists can play a key role in addressing these needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of a PE specialist-led intervention program on motor competence in preschoolers with motor development problems.
- To assess improvements in specific motor skills including manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance.
- To evaluate the overall effect on general motor competence percentile scores.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 28 preschoolers (aged 4.1-5.9 years) with motor development problems participated.
- The study included an intervention group (12 children) and a control group (16 children).
- The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) was used for pre- and post-intervention assessments.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in manual dexterity, aiming and catching, balance, and total scores (p < 0.001).
- Post-intervention comparisons revealed significant differences between the intervention and control groups in manual dexterity, aiming and catching, balance, and total scores (p < 0.05).
- The program led to a better percentile in general motor competence for the intervention group.
Conclusions:
- A specific motor competence program delivered by a PE specialist effectively improved key motor skills in preschoolers with motor skill deficits.
- The intervention positively impacted manual dexterity, aiming and catching, and balance.
- Specialist-led PE interventions are beneficial for enhancing overall motor competence in at-risk preschool children.
Abstract:
The objective of this research was to analyze the impact of an intervention program performed by a specialist in physical education (PE) to contribute to the development of motor competence (MC) in pre-school children with motor development problems. The sample consisted of 28 children (12 from the intervention group and 16 from the control group) aged between 4.1 and 5.9 years (mean = 4.71 ± 0.54) who were in the fifth and sixth grades of pre-school education in two schools from Lugo, Spain. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) was used for data collection. The data revealed that, in the pre- and post-test intervention groups, there are statistically significant differences in manual dexterity (p < 0.001; d = 2.63), aiming and catching (p < 0.002; d = 1.13), balance (p < 0.001; d = 1.68), total test score (p < 0.001; d = 3.30) and total percentile score (p < 0.001; d = 1.88). Between the control and intervention post-test groups, significant differences were found in manual dexterity (p = 0.015; η2 = 0.22), aiming and catching (p = 0.003; η2 = 0.32), balance (p = 0.050; η2 = 0.15), total test score (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.47) and total percentile score (p < 0.001; η2 = 0.48). Based on the results obtained, a specific MC program implemented by a PE specialist contributed to the improvement of manual dexterity, aiming and catching and balance, as well as a better percentile in the general MC of pre-school children diagnosed with motor skill problems.
