Direct Parent Engagement to Improve Fundamental Movement Skills in Children: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic movements in children that represent the building blocks for more complex motor skill development and act as a prerequisite for enduring sport and physical activity (PA) engagement and positive health-related behaviours. The FMS proficiency is currently inadequate worldwide, and consequently there are alarming levels of inactivity and childhood obesity. However, parents are role models to their children and possess the power to influence their PA behaviour. This review investigated if parent-focused interventions could improve FMS in 2–7-year-old children and evaluated which setting and method of parent engagement was most impactful. Keyword searches were conducted via Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Only nine articles met the inclusion criteria. No research originated from the United Kingdom, highlighting the urgent need for further FMS interventions involving parents. The FMS improved in all nine studies, with significant changes in seven of the articles (p < 0.05). Parent–child co-activity, the education and empowerment of parents, and the provision of clear FMS guidance, messaging, and structure can positively influence children’s FMS. Recently, smartphone apps have increased the feasibility and accessibility of FMS practice at home and may be integral to future interventions. Further research with direct parental involvement is clearly warranted.

Impact and Implementation of an Early Years Fundamental Motor Skills Intervention for Children 4–5 Years

“…The long-term impact of selective participation on overall FMS development and future PA would benefit from longer-term investigation to determine the effectiveness and sustainability of this approach since there is evidence to suggest that children do not always fully retain gains in FMS post-intervention [48]. Moreover, the validity and sustainability of interventions have been challenged by research due to a paucity of follow-up studies [11,74]. This longer-term investigation should also include a comparator or control arm of the intervention to confirm if any improvements in competencies are due to the intervention and where possible, the use of independent researchers to collect FMS measures where the resources exist.…”

“…Early proficiency in FMS increases the chances of sustained PA and lifelong health [10]. Children should be fully competent in FMS by 7 years of age [11], while UK children aged 5 years and under are recommended to complete 180 min of PA per day, and children aged 5 years and over should aim to achieve 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA per day [12].…”

MiniMovers: An Initial Pilot and Feasibility Study to Investigate the Impact of a Mobile Application on Children’s Motor Skills and Parent Support for Physical Development

“…Considering the global concerns surrounding childhood inactivity [2], poor motor skills [37] and overweight and obesity [38], there is a growing need for action to address these issues beyond school and pre-school and empower parents to support their children's motor development at home and in their communities. Flynn et al (2023), in a recent review of parent engagement studies, found that parental involvement in interventions significantly improved the FMS of children [39]. However, parents reported many barriers to supporting their children's physical development, including environmental, time and energy constraints [40].…”

Influence of different caregiving styles on fundamental movement skills among children

“…Since FMS cannot occurs naturally ( 13 ), caregivers' role is inevitable for proper learning of motor skills in the early stage of childhood. Very recently, high parental participation has been shown to improve FMS proficiency in children of 2–7 years old ( 14 ). In a family system, parenting and/or grandparenting is common in several countries, and grandparenting has been increased worldwide in the recent decades ( 15 ).…”

“…Among these, authoritative parenting type is a balanced one, in which parent develops a close, nurturing relationship with their children, and children are confident, responsible, and able to self-regulate as they grown ( 35 ). Irrespective of parenting type, caregivers, either parents or grandparents play a vital role in supporting and promoting the motor development in children from an early age ( 14 , 36 ). Previous studies identified the differences in FMS proficiency between boys and girls, which might be due to their behavioral habits, biological or social factors ( 37 , 38 ).…”