Influence of a Motor Skill Intervention on Fundamental Motor Skill Development of Disadvantaged Preschool Children

• Published in: Research quarterly for exercise and sport Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 36 - 46
• Main Authors: Goodway, Jacqueline D., Branta, Crystal F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 01.03.2003; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Control Groups; Developmental Delays; Developmental Disabilities - rehabilitation; early childhood; Early intervention; Humans; locomotor; Motor ability; Motor Activity; Motor Development; motor skill instruction; Motor Skills; object control; Physical Education; Preschool children; Preschool education; Pretests Posttests; Risk Factors; Skill Development; Socioeconomic Factors; Young Children
• ISSN: 0270-1367; 2168-3824
• DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2003.10609062

The influence of a 12-week (24, 45-min motor sessions) motor skill intervention on fundamental motor skill (FMS) development of disadvantaged preschoolers was examined. Pre-and postintervention measures of the object control (OC) and locomotor subscales of the Test of Gross Motor Development were obtained for both groups. Prior to the intervention, developmental delays in FMS were reported. Two separate 2×2 (Group × Pre-Postintervention) analyses of variance with repeated measures yielded a significant Group × Pre-Postintervention interaction for locomotor, F(l, 57) = 134.23, p = .000, h 2 =. 70, and OC, F(1, 5) = 161.55, p =. 000, h 2 =. 74) skills. Compared to the Control group, the motor skill intervention group revealed significantly higher locomotor and OC scores following the intervention than prior to the intervention.