Abstract
The present study was designed to examine the effect of an intervention program on nursery school children’s locomotor development. Participants were 98 children (50 boys and 48 girls) aged 3.5-5 from three preschools of the Municipality of Kalamaria, in Greece. The 49 children who formed the experimental group participated for two months in 16 organised courses, designed to develop basic motor skills. The measurement tool used to evaluate the sample before and after the intervention was Urlich’s test of gross motor development (TGMD-2, 2000). The statistical analysis showed that the experimental group after the intervention program performed better than the control group without statistically significant differences between the sexes. The results showed that educators should incorporate corresponding motor programs in their daily schedule, although there is currently no curriculum for nursery school that includes them.
Highlights
A child's development is a holistic process, in which movement is of particular importance, as through movement and mobile games children learn about themselves, their bodies, space, and have the opportunity to come into contact and interact with their peers (Zimmer, 1992)
The results showed that educators should incorporate corresponding motor programs in their daily schedule, there is currently no curriculum for nursery school that includes them
The results of this research were encouraging as the statistical analyses showed a significant improvement of basic motor skills in children of the experimental group who attended the intervention program
Summary
A child's development is a holistic process, in which movement is of particular importance, as through movement and mobile games children learn about themselves, their bodies, space, and have the opportunity to come into contact and interact with their peers (Zimmer, 1992). By the first year the child should play on the floor at various times during the day, while up to the age of four he/she should be involved for at least 180 minutes a day in physical education activities of any intensity, in different environments and in various activities that develop locomotor skills (Tremblay et al, 2012). Physical education for children aged 2-5 years is very important and should be focused on kinetic movement activities and games that entertain children (Timmons, Naylor, & Pfeiffer, 2007)
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