Specificity and variability of practice with young children

Area of Science:

• Motor learning
• Skill acquisition
• Sports science

Background:

• Schema theory suggests practice variability impacts learning.
• Previous research indicates practice variability benefits motor skill acquisition.
• The effect of practice variability in sports settings requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of practice variability on a sports-related aiming task in young children.
• To compare the learning outcomes between specific practice and variable practice conditions.
• To extend the understanding of schema theory to a practical sports context.

Main Methods:

• Two groups of 3-5-year-old children (n=13 each) performed an aiming task.
• One group received specific practice (fixed distance), the other received variable practice (multiple distances).
• Practice occurred over 10 days (10 trials/day), with pre- and post-testing.

Main Results:

• The specific plus variable group showed significantly greater improvement in distance errors compared to the specific group.
• The interaction between group and time was significant for distance errors, indicating differential learning.
• No significant difference was found for lateral errors between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Variable practice enhances motor skill learning in a sports context for young children.
• Findings support the application of practice variability principles in sports training.
• This study provides empirical evidence for schema theory in a sports-related skill acquisition paradigm.