Relationship Between Executive Function and Motor Skills in Early Childhood: A Longitudinal Study

This longitudinal study investigates the dynamic interplay between Executive Function (EF), gross motor (GM), and fine motor (FM) skills in early childhood, specifically examining their mutual influences over a three-year period. The study involved 2164 children (1113 boys, 1051 girls) at Time Point 1 (T1) when they were 3 years old, with follow-up assessments at T2 (age 4) and T3 (age 5). Data were collected through parent-reported measures and analyzed using Random Intercepts Cross-Lagged Panel Models (RI-CLPM) to examine the temporal relationships between these variables. Our findings reveal significant autoregressive effects for EF and FM skills from T1 to T3, indicating that early performance in these areas predicts subsequent performance. Notably, FM skills demonstrated a significant cross-lagged effect on both EF and GM skills across all three assessment waves. The study underscores the potential benefits of combined EF and motor skills training for enhancing developmental outcomes in preschool children.