Locomotor Development of Children Aged 3.5 to 5 Years in Nursery Schools in Greece

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.

Efficacy of gross motor skill interventions in young children: an updated systematic review

“…[17][18][19][20][21] Three studies were conducted in the USA 17 18 22 two studies were conducted in Australia 20 23 and the others were conducted in Switzerland 19 and Greece. 21 Some studies recruited centres based on region 19 21 or within an existing program 17 while others worked together with the (local) government 23 or childcare organisations. 18 20 22 Two studies involved parents.…”

“…There were six randomised controlled trials 17-19 20 22 23 and one quasi-experimental study. 21 The sample size of the studies varied from 71 17 to 835 participants. 19 Implementation All interventions took place in early childhood settings and most were delivered by setting staff.…”

The Influence of Nutritional Status on Gross and Fine Motor Skills Development in Early Childhood

“…The main principles of motor development are maturing, sequence, motivation, experience, and practice. The results of Tsapakidou et al, (2014) research showed that suitable, good formed movement programs can develop children's fundamental movement skills. Physical development in children was characterized by the development of gross and fine motor skills.…”

Fundamental Motor Skills of Kindergarten Students (A Survey Study of the Influence of Financial Condition, Playing Activity, and Nutritional Status)

“…In that way, the importance of movement development before kindergarten school is emphasised. Consequently, educators are being ncouraged to utilize children's natural inclination for movement and to integrate organised motor skills programs into their daily schedule [9]. The result of the third hypothesis test states that the fundamental motor skill of kindergarten students is influenced by their nutrition status.…”