Physically Awkward Children: A Motor Development Perspective

The Performance of Fundamental Gross Motor Skills by Children Enrolled in Head Start

“…As the play of peers becomes more complex and more demanding with age, the inability of children with movement difficulties to perform motor skills well may make them less likely to be included. Ultimately, inadequate movement competencies, minimal enjoyment in physical activity settings, and social difficulties within movement situations may lower interest in physical activity, lower participation levels, and lead to a low level of physical fitness (Wall, 1982). Thompson, Bouffard, Watkinson, and Dunn (1994) indicated that children with movement difficulties often develop lifestyles that may put skill development, social interaction, and health and fitness at risk.…”

Low Competence and Developmental Motor Coordination Problems in Physical Education. [Baja competencia y problemas evolutivos de coordinación motriz en Educación Física].

“…Scientific and pedagogical literature do not show a great interest in children with motor coordination problems in Physical Education, this question is of more interest for physical and occupational therapists (Cairney, 2015). The seventies, eighties and nineties were decades were this interest were present in Physical Education (Arheim & Sinclair, 1976;Haubenstricker, 1980;Hoare, 1994;Larkin & Revie, 1994;Wall, 1980). At the present time these interests has beginning to increase (Edmonds, 2013;Gómez, Ruiz & Mata, 2006;Parker & Larkin, 2003;Ruiz, 200, Ruiz, Graupera & Gutiérrez, 2001;Ruiz, Graupera, Gutiérrez y Miyahara, 2003;Ruiz, Mata & Moreno, 2007;Ruiz, Ruiz & Linaza, 2016).…”

“…Physical Education researchers as Arheim & Sinclair (1976) or Revie & Larkin (1993b) defined clumsy children are those individuals who had motor learning difficulties and displayed asynchronous and inefficient motor behavior when attempting to carry out motor tasks, that they would commonly be expected to accomplish under reasonable circumstances. Wall (1980) highlighted the cultural component of these problems and considered that these children did not perform culturally-normative motor skills with acceptable proficiency. It was considered that children had low motor competence when they showed real difficulties to coordinate their movements in their activities in the gymnasium or the playground.…”

Moverse con dificultad en el gimnasio: consideraciones en torno a un problema educativo y de salud

“…En este mismo sentido, hay autores que indican que estos niños son en general menos activos físicamente que los que no presentan dificultades de movimiento 11,[39][40][41][42][43] . En un momento en que se plantea la necesidad de promocionar con más intensidad la mejora de la condición física ligada a la salud de los escolares, encontramos un sector de escolares de primaria y secundaria que no poseen los recursos motrices ni las percepciones de competencia necesarias para poder participar en los programas de condición física que pudieran desarrollarse en el colegio 44,45 , y como es bien conocido, el bajo nivel de condición física se relaciona con una baja participación y se asocia con un incremento del riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular, obesidad, desarrollo de hipertensión, osteoporosis y diabetes insulinoindependiente 44 .…”