Can Kinesiological Activities Change "Pure" Motor Development in Preschool Children during One School Year?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an additional, organized, and more intensive kinesiological treatment on "pure" motor abilities in preschool children. In the present study an experimental treatment was carried out on a sample of 37 preschool boys by applying kinesiological activities. The 60 minute treatment was applied over a period of one school year (9 months), twice a week. A control group of 31 boys were trained according to the regular program for preschool institutions. Treatment effects were assessed by 8 motor ability tests and 5 anthropometric measures. The significant differences between the groups, which were observed after the final measurement and compared to the initial one, proved that the kinesiological treatment had a positive impact on the general development of "pure" motor abilities. The most significant effect of experimental kinesiological treatment was the improvement in whole body force, flexibility and coordination of preschool boys. These findings, obtained only in one school year, point to the importance of physical exercise and the application of additional kinesiological activities with various modalities, to improve motor development, even morphological growth and development in preschool children. The effects of the perennial application of kinesiological activities, under the supervision of kinesiological professionals, could be beneficial and could form the basis for a better biological and motor development in older age.

The effects of kinesiological activity on motor and intellectual functioning of children in relation to their physical constitution at birth.

At birth, all children are characterized by different values of body weight and body length, caused by both genetic factors and the conditions and characteristics of their prenatal development. It is important to investigate whether these differences expressed at birth, particularly those values that are below average, can be improved by implementing a six-month period of kinesiological activity during childhood. With this purpose, a research was conducted using a sample of 214 children, aged 6,13 +/- 1,04 decimal years (experimental group of 93 boys and 29 girls, control group of 43 boys and 49 girls), which was divided into two subsamples by using K-mean cluster analysis based on body weight and length of children at birth. The formed subsamples were defined by the average values of the applied variables as groups of children that were below average and above average, according to their development at birth. Motor status of children was assessed by using a battery of 7 standard motor tests, and intellectual status by applying Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices. Quantitative effects of the applied kinesiological treatment were analyzed based on the initial and final status of young participants in the examined variables by using multivariate analysis of variance and covariance. Qualitative differences were defined by results of factor analyses. It was established that there were no statistically significant differences in the variable space between boys and girls in the initial measurement, in relation to the experimental and the control group, so the sample was further treated as the overall sample of children. The effects of the experimental treatment have shown significant improvement of motor and intellectual functioning of children in the experimental group of children with below average and above average development at birth.

Do kinesiologic activities change aberrant behavior in preschool children?

An experimental treatment was carried out in a sample of 117 preschool children by applying kinesiologic activities. The treatment lasting for 60 minutes was applied for a period of 9 months, twice a week. Control group of 139 children were trained according to the program for preschool institutions. Treatment effects were assessed by 7 motor ability tests, one intellectual test (Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices) and 36-item questionnaire for assessing aberrant behavior, which was filled out by parents. Aberrant behavior reduced significantly when motor abilities improved through systematic exercise. These findings point to the importance of motor exercise and applying additional kinesiologic activities with various modalities to reduce aberrant behavior in preschool children.

Effects of kindergarten period on school readiness and motor abilities.

A battery of 4 school-readiness tests and 16 motor tests were administered in a sample of 660 preschool children (333 male and 327 female) just about to enroll in the first grade, in order to analyze the effects of kindergarten period on school readiness and motor abilities. The sample of children was divided into six groups according to sex and duration kindergarten attendance (kindergarten period of 5 years, 3 years and 8-9 months). Study results showed the entire education and motor activities in kindergarten to contribute significantly to school-readiness and motor abilities ofchildren. The highest school readiness was found in the children that attended kindergarten for the longest period, whereas lowest school readiness was recorded in children that attended kindergarten for only one academic year or less before enrolling in the first grade.