Is It Possible to Reduce the Relative Age Effect through an Intervention on Motor Competence in Preschool Children?

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Motor Skills Research
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• The Relative Age Effect (RAE) disadvantages children born later in the year, impacting their development.
• Preschool years are critical for motor competence (MC) development and can be influenced by RAE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a 6-week motor competence intervention can mitigate the RAE in preschool children.
• To compare motor skill development between children born in the first and fourth quarters of the year.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental pre-post-test design was employed with 76 preschool children.
• An intervention group (n=32) received motor competence training, while a control group (n=44) did not.
• The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) assessed motor skills before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Pre-intervention, children born in the first quarter showed superior manual dexterity, balance, and total scores.
• Post-intervention, the intervention group (born in the fourth quarter) demonstrated significant improvements in aiming/catching, balance, and total scores.
• The intervention successfully reduced pre-existing motor skill disparities linked to RAE.

Conclusions:

• A targeted 6-week motor competence intervention can significantly improve skills in preschool children.
• Such interventions are effective in reducing the negative impact of the Relative Age Effect on motor development.
• Early intervention strategies can promote more equitable motor skill acquisition among young children.