Getting the fundamentals of movement: A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of motor skill interventions in children

Child: Care, Health and Development

Volumn 38, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 305-315

  Logan, S W ^a   Robinson, L E ^a   Wilson, A E ^a   Lucas, W A ^a  

^a AUBURN UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Intervention; Motor skills; Movement programme; Pre school

Indexed keywords

CHILD DEVELOPMENT; CHILD WELFARE; FITNESS; HUMAN; LOCOMOTION; META ANALYSIS; MOTOR ACTIVITY; MOTOR PERFORMANCE; MOVEMENT (PHYSIOLOGY); OBESITY; ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT; PHYSICAL EDUCATION; PHYSIOLOGY; PRESCHOOL CHILD; REVIEW;

CHILD DEVELOPMENT; CHILD WELFARE; CHILD, PRESCHOOL; HUMANS; LOCOMOTION; MOTOR ACTIVITY; MOTOR SKILLS; MOVEMENT; OBESITY; PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING; PHYSICAL FITNESS;

EID: 84859438124     PISSN: 03051862     EISSN: 13652214     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01307.x     Document Type: Review

References (58)

1. Apache, G. R. R. (2005) Activity-based intervention in motor skill development. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 100, 1011-1020.
2. Bayer, O., Bolte, G., Morlock, G., Rückinger, S. & von Kries, R. (2008) A simple assessment of physical activity is associated with obesity and motor fitness in pre-school children. Public Health Nutrition, 12, 1242-1247.
3. van Beurden, E., Barnett, L. M., Zask, A., Brooks, L. O. & Beard, J. (2003) Can we skill and activate children through primary physical education lessons? 'Move it Groove it'- a collaborative health promotion intervention. Preventative Medicine, 36, 493-501.
4. Branta, C., Haubenstricker, J. & Seefeldt, F. (1984) Age change in motor skills during childhood and adolescence. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 12, 467-520.
5. Chatzipanteli, A., Pollatou, E., Diggelidis, N. & Kourtesis, T. (2007) The effectiveness of a music-movement program on manipulative skills performance of six years old children. Inquiries in Sport & Physical Education, 5, 19-26.
6. Clark, J. E. (1994) Motor development. In: Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 3rd edn (ed. V. S. Ramachandran ), pp. 245-255. Academic Press, New York, NY, USA.
7. Clark, J. E. (2005) From the beginning: a developmental perspective on movement and mobility. Quest, 57, 37-45.
8. Clark, J. E. (2007) On the problem of motor skill development. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 78, 39-44.
9. Clark, J. E. & Metcalfe, J. S. (2002) The mountain of motor development: a metaphor. In: Motor Development: Research and Review, Vol. 2 (eds J. E. Clark & J. H. Humphrey ), pp. 62-95. National Association for Sport and Physical Education, Reston, VA, USA.
10. Cliff, D. P., Wilson, A., Okely, A. D., Mickle, K. J., & Steele, J. R. (2007) Feasibility of SHARK: a physical activity skill-development program for overweight and obese children. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 10, 263-267.
11. Cohen, J. (1969) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, 3rd edn. Academic Press, New York, NY, USA.
12. Deli, E., Bakle, I. & Zachopoulou, E. (2006) Implementing intervention movement programs for kindergarten children. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 4, 5-18.
13. Deri, V., Tsapakidou, A., Zachopoulou, E. & Kioumourtzoglou, E. (2001) Effect of a music and movement programme on development of locomotor skills by children 4 to 6 years of age. European Journal of Physical Education, 6, 16-25.
14. Fisher, A., Reilly, J. J., Kelly, L. A., Montgomery, C., Williamson, A., Paton, J. Y. & Grant, S. (2005) Fundamental movement skills and habitual physical activity in young children. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 37, 684-688.
15. Foweather, L., McWhannell, N., Henaghan, J., Lees, A., Stratton, G. & Batterham, A. M. (2008) Effect of a 9-wk. after-school multiskills club on fundamental movement skill proficiency in 8- to 9-year-old children: an exploratory trial. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 106, 745-754.
16. Gagen, L. M. & Getchell, N. (2006) Using 'constraints' to design developmentally appropriate movement activity for early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34, 227-232.
17. Goodway, J. D. & Amui, H. (2007) Promoting motor development in disadvantaged preschoolers: to direct or facilitate? Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29 (Suppl.), S30.
18. Goodway, J. D., & Branta, C. F. (2003) Influence of a motor skill intervention on fundamental motor skill development of disadvantaged preschool children. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 74, 36-47.
19. Goodway, J. D., Crowe, H., & Ward, P. (2003) Effects of motor skill instruction on fundamental motor skill development. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 20, 298-314.
20. Graf, C., Koch, B., Kretschmann-Kandel, E., Falkowski, G., Christ, H. & Coburger, S. (2004) Correlation between BMI, leisure habits and motor abilities in childhood (CHILT-Project). International Journal of Obesity, 28, 22-26.
21. Hamilton, M., Goodway, J. D., & Haubenstricker, J. (1999) Parent-assisted instruction in a motor skill program for at risk preschool children. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 16, 415-426.
22. Haywood, K. M. & Getchell, N. (2009) Lifespan Motor Development, 5th edn. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, USA.
23. Hedges, L. V. & Olkin, I. (1985) Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis. Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.
24. Houwen, S., Hartman, E. & Visscher, C. (2009) Physical activity and motor skills in children with and without visual impairments. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 41, 103-109.
25. Ignico, A., Corson, A. & Vidoni, C. (2006) The effects of an intervention strategy on children's heart rates and skill performance. Early Child Development and Care, 176, 753-761.
26. Ignico, A. A. (1991) Effects of a competency-based instruction on kindergarten children's gross motor development. Physical Educator, 48, 188-191.
27. Logan, S. W. & Getchell, N. (2010) The relationship between motor skill proficiency and body mass index in children with and without dyslexia: a pilot study. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 81, 518-523.
28. Logan, S. W., Scrabis-Fletcher, K., Modlesky, C. & Getchell, N. (2011a) The relationship between motor skill proficiency and body composition in preschool children. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (in press).
29. Logan, S. W., Webster, E. K., Lucas, W. A. & Robinson, L. E. (2011b) Effectiveness of a student-led motor skill intervention in preschool children (Abstract). Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 82 (Suppl.), A31.
30. van der Mars, H. & Butterfield, S. A. (1987) The effects of a performance base curriculum on the gross motor development of preschool children during teacher training: a pilot study. Paper presented at the National Convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
31. Martin, E. H., Rudisill, M. E., & Hastie, P. A. (2009) Motivational climate and fundamental motor skills performance in a naturalistic physical education setting. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 14, 227-240.
32. McKenzie, T. L., Sallis, J. F., Broyles, S. L., Zive, M. M., Nader, P. R., Berry, C. C. & Brennan, J. J. (2002) Childhood movement skills: predictors of physical activity in Anglo American and Mexican American adolescents? Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 73, 238-244.
33. Morgan, P. J., Okely, A. D., Cliff, D. P., Jones, R. A. & Baur, L. A. (2008) Correlates of objectively measured physical activity in obese children. Obesity, 16, 2634-2641.
34. Okely, A. D., Booth, M. L. & Patterson, J. W. (2001a) Relationship between physical activity to fundamental movement skills among adolescents. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33, 1899-1904.
35. Okely, A. D., Booth, M. L. & Patterson, J. W. (2001b) Relationship of cardiorespiratory endurance to fundamental movement skill proficiency among adolescents. Pediatric Exercise Science, 13, 380-391.
36. Piek, J. P., Dawson, L., Smith, L. M. & Gasson, N. (2008) The role of early fine and gross motor development on later motor and cognitive ability. Human Movement Science, 27, 668-681.
37. Rimmer, J. H. & Kelly, L. E. (1989) Gross motor development in preschool children with learning disabilities. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 6, 268-279.
38. Rintala, P., Pienimäki, K., Ahonen, T., Cantell, M. & Kooistra, L. (1998) The effects of a psychomotor training programme on motor skill development in children with developmental language disorders. Human Movement Science, 17, 721-737.
39. Robert, D. L. (2001) Successful preschool movement programs: research guiding C.H.A.O.S. Teaching Elementary Physical Education, 12, 30-33.
40. Robert, D. L. & Yongue, B. (2004) Developing quality preschool movement programs: CHAOS and KinderPlay. Teaching Elementary Physical Education, 15, 9-12.
41. Robinson, L. E., & Goodway, J. D. (2009) Instructional climates in preschool children who are at-risk. Part I: object-control skill development. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 80, 533-542.
42. Robinson, L. E., Wadsworth, D. & Peoples, C. M. (2011) Correlates of school-day physical activity participation in preschoolers: a preliminary study. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (in press).
43. Rudisill, M. E., Wall, S. J., Parish, L. E., St. Onge, P. & Goodway, J. D. (2003) Effectiveness of a preschool mastery-motivational-climate motor skill development intervention program: gender equity issues (Abstract). Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 25 (Suppl.), S113.
44. Seefeldt, V. (1980) Developmental motor patterns: implications for elementary school physical education. In: Psychology of Motor Behavior and Sport (eds C. Nadeau, W. Holliwell, K. Newell & G. Roberts ), pp. 314-323. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, USA.
45. Stodden, D. F., Goodway, J. D., Langendorfer, S. J., Roberton, M. A., Rudisill, M. E., Garcia, C. & Garcia, L. E. (2008) A developmental perspective on the role of motor skill competence in physical activity: an emergent relationship. Quest, 60, 290-306.
46. Tan, S. K., Parker, H. E. & Larkin, D. (2001) Concurrent validity of motor tests used to identify children with motor impairment. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 18, 168-182.
47. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (2010) About NAEYC. Available at: (accessed from 1 December 2010).
48. Thomas, J. R., Nelson, J. K. & Silverman, S. J. (2005) Research Methods in Physical Activity, 5th edn. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, USA.
49. Trost, S. G., Sirard, J. R., Dowda, M., Pfeiffer, K. A. & Pate, R. R. (2003) Physical activity in overweight and nonoverweight preschool children. International Journal of Obesity, 27, 834-839.
50. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (2009) Enrollment of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children in preprimary programs, by level of program, control of program, and attendance status: selected years, 1965 through 2008. Available at: (accessed from 1 November 2010).
51. Ulrich, D. A. (1985) Test of Gross Motor Development. PRO-ED, Austin, TX, USA.
52. Ulrich, D. A. (2000) The Test of Gross Motor Development, 2nd edn. PRO-ED, Austin, TX, USA.
53. Valentini, N. C., & Rudisill, M. E. (2004a) An inclusive mastery climate intervention and the motor skill development of children with and without disabilities. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 21, 330-347.
54. Valentini, N. C., & Rudisill, M. E. (2004b) Motivational climate, motor skill development, and perceived competence: two studies of developmental delayed kindergarten children. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 23, 216-234.
55. Valentini, N. C., Rudisill, M. E. & Goodway, J. D. (1999) Incorporating a mastery climate into physical education: it's developmentally appropriate! Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 70, 28-32.
56. Waelvelde, H. V., Peersman, W., Lenoir, M., Bouwien, C. M. & Engelsman, S. (2007) Convergent validity between two motor tests: movement-ABC and PDMS-2. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 24, 59-69.
57. Williams, H. G., Pfeiffer, K. A., O'Neill, J. R., Dowda, M., McIver, K. L., Brown, W. H. & Pate, R. R. (2008) Motor skill performance and physical activity in preschool children. Obesity, 16, 1-6.
58. Ziviani, J., Poulsen, A. & Hansen, C. (2009) Movement skills proficiency and physical activity: a case for engaging and coaching for health (EACH)-Child. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 56, 259-265.