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Effects of Different Multi-Year Physical Exercise Programs on Motor Skills in Preschool Children
Kristian Plazibat1, Josip Karuc2,3, Tihomir Vidranski1
1Department of Social-Humanities Sciences, University of Slavonski Brod, 35000 Slavonski Brod, Croatia.
Insights
A multi-year exercise program significantly improves preschool children's motor skills. Girls showed greater benefits than boys, suggesting tailored programs could enhance psychomotor development.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Motor Skill Acquisition
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Optimal motor skill acquisition is crucial for preschool children's psychomotor development.
- Understanding gender differences and the impact of sustained physical activity is essential for effective early childhood education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of a multi-year exercise program on motor skills in 5-6-year-old children.
- To determine gender-specific responses to the exercise intervention.
- To assess the long-term impact of continued participation in the program.
Main Methods:
- 161 preschool children (5-6 years) were assigned to a control or experimental group.
- Motor skills were assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2).
- Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA (gender-specific) and two-way ANOVA (overall scores and gender comparison).
Main Results:
- A 1-year multilateral exercise program positively impacted motor skills.
- Continued participation maintained acquired motor skill levels.
- The exercise program demonstrated a more significant effect on girls' motor skills compared to boys'.
Conclusions:
- Multilateral exercise programs can enhance preschool children's motor skill development, balancing locomotor and manipulative abilities.
- The findings support integrating such programs into kindergarten curricula for holistic child development.
- Exercise interventions may offer differential benefits based on gender, warranting further investigation.
Abstract:
Acquiring optimal motor skills in preschool children presents a key element for proper psychomotor development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine gender differences and the effects of a multi-year exercise program on the level of motor skills in 161 preschool children (5-6 yo). Participants were divided into one control and three experimental groups. Motor skills were assessed with the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). To determine the difference in scores for each BOT-2 test between control and experimental groups, one-way ANOVA was used for girls and boys separately, while two-way ANOVA was used to determine the difference between the genders in the overall BOT-2 score. The results indicate that a 1-year multilateral exercise program has a positive effect on the level of motor skills in preschool children. Interestingly, additional years of participation in exercise programs yielded the maintenance of acquired motor skills level. Additionally, the exercise program affected preschool girls more than boys considering both individual and composite BOT-2 scores. According to the findings of this study, the presented exercise program could have potential benefits on multilateral development of the motor skills in preschool children, which could facilitate the balance of locomotor and manipulative skills. Therefore, the integration of multilateral programs intended for preschool children could be considered for implementation within the kindergarten curriculum.
