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Abstract
The benefits of being physically active, possessing good motor skills and being school-ready are well documented in early years. Nevertheless, the association between physical activity and motor skills with school readiness remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between these variables. We collected data on 326 four to five-year-old children from the northeast of England. Children’s PA (ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers), motor skills (MABC-2 and the locomotor section of the TGMD-2) and school readiness (EYFSP) were measured, and associations between these variables were examined. This study found that, on average, children engaged in more MVPA (99.6 min/day) and less sedentary behaviour (261 min/day) than documented in previous research. Motor-skill scores were consistent with existing literature in early years. A higher percentage of children in the sample (79.6%) achieved school readiness than the average for England. Regression analyses found that motor-skill variables and sedentary behaviour were significantly predictive of school readiness, whereas physical activity was not. Motor skills and sedentary behaviour significantly predict school readiness. Therefore, promoting motor skills and developmentally appropriate sedentary behaviour activities may increase the number of children achieving school readiness.
Highlights
Accepted: 9 November 2021The transition from preschool to formal schooling is a critical period in young children’s lives
The results showed that moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) (B = −0.01, p = 0.63) and total PA (TPA) (B = 0.00, p = 0.13) were not significant predictors of school-readiness score
The study found that all motor-skill variables predicted a good level of development, with a one-unit increase in total motor-skill score resulting in a 31% increase in the odds of achieving a good level of development
Summary
Accepted: 9 November 2021The transition from preschool to formal schooling is a critical period in young children’s lives. It is a multidimensional construct that involves cognitive (e.g., listening and attention), emotional (e.g., managing feelings and behaviour), social (e.g., making relationships), physical (e.g., movement and handling) and academic (e.g., mathematics and literacy) competencies that enable children to be prepared to participate in and benefit from formal education [2,3,4]. This set of competencies may predict future educational outcomes [5] and have a downstream effect later in life on crime, health and mortality [6]. In England in 2019, 71.8% of children achieved school readiness [7], and inequalities have been demonstrated according to gender, ethnicity, being in receipt of free school meals and special educational needs [6]
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