The Effect of Physical Activity Classes on Motor Skill in 12 - 24-Month-Old Children - Advances in Physical Education

APE > Vol.9 No.4, November 2019

Advances in Physical Education

Volume 9, Issue 4 (November 2019)

ISSN Print: 2164-0386 ISSN Online: 2164-0408

Google-based Impact Factor: 1.01 Citations

The Effect of Physical Activity Classes on Motor Skill in 12 - 24-Month-Old Children ()

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Download as PDF (Size: 610KB) PP. 288-302

DOI: 10.4236/ape.2019.94020 691 Downloads 3,229 Views Citations

Author(s)

Ajmol Ali^1.2*, Deborah Pigou¹, Linda Clarke³, Claire McLachlan^4,5

Affiliation(s)

¹School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, Massey University, New Zealand.
²Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
³Institute of Education, Massey University, New Zealand.
⁴School of Education, Federation University, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.
⁵Wilf Malcolm Institute for Educational Research, Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

ABSTRACT

Background: Children with enhanced fundamental movement skills may benefit from improved physical, social and psychological development, resulting in an increased likelihood of an active lifestyle in later years.Aim: We investigated the effects of a nine-week, child-centred, physical activity programme on cognitive and motor skills in typically developing 12 - 24-month-old toddlers. Methods: In a randomised control trial, 90 toddlers (age 17.0 ± 2.6 months; 52.2% male) were split into two groups stratified by age and sex. The intervention completed was either nine weeks of one-hour per week physical activity classes (n = 45; EXP) or normal physical activity (n = 45; control). Prior to and following the intervention period, safety skills (nine-skill test battery), anthropometric measures (mass and height), motor and cognitive development (Bayley Scales of Infant Development) were assessed. Results: EXP improved overall safety skills score (P = 0.04), toddlers’ abilities to climb over a small-runged A-frame while using a cylinder grip and safe face-the-slope dismount (P = 0.001), and the execution of a safety roll down a foam wedge (P = 0.02). Improvements in development as measured by the Bayley’s Scales were attributed to typical development rather than the intervention. Conclusions: A 9-week, physical activity programme improved toddlers’ safety skills but not overall cognitive or motor development.

KEYWORDS

Pre-School, Cognitive Skill, Safety Skills, Physical Literacy, Fundamental Movement Skills

Share and Cite:

Ali, A. , Pigou, D. , Clarke, L. and McLachlan, C. (2019) The Effect of Physical Activity Classes on Motor Skill in 12 - 24-Month-Old Children. Advances in Physical Education, 9, 288-302. doi: 10.4236/ape.2019.94020.

Cited by

[1]	The Effect of a 10-Week Physical Activity Programme on Fundamental Movement Skills in 3–4-Year-Old Children within Early Childhood Education Centres
	2021

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