RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 Temple, Viviene Anne
A1 Guerra, Danielle
A1 Larocque, Lizette
A1 Crane, Jeff R.
A1 Sloan, Erin
A1 Stuart-Hill, Lynneth
T1 Fundamental motor skills in the first year of school: Associations with prematurity and disability
JF European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity
YR 2017
VO 10
IS 1
SP 3
OP 9
DO 10.5507/euj.2017.001
UL https://eujapa.upol.cz/artkey/euj-201701-0001.php
AB Given the importance of fundamental motor skill proficiency for children's participation in games, sports, and physical activity; our aim was to concurrently examine the fundamental motor skill proficiency of children living with a disability, children born prematurely, and children born full-term without a disability in their first year of school (kindergarten). Participants were 260 children (mean age = 5y9m; boys = 52%); 33 were born prematurely and 12 children lived with a disability. Motor skills were assessed during physical education using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2, and parent reports were used to indicate disability and prematurity status. The motor skill proficiency of all children was quite low; with mean percentile ranks ranging between <1st and 16th percentile for locomotor skills and the 1st and 16th percentile for object control skills. An analysis of variance showed a significant overall effect and a main effect for disability on the gross motor quotient; but there was no main effect for prematurity, nor interaction between prematurity and disability. The vast majority of the children in this study would benefit from a concentrated effort to enhance motor skills; and this was especially true for children with disabilities.