Sex Differences in Perceived Motor Competence After the Children's Health Activity Motor Program Intervention.

This study examined the effects of a motor-skill intervention on children's perceived motor competence (PMC; object control, locomotor, and combined [total]) and explored if effects differed between the sexes. Preschoolers (N = 274; 47.96 months) completed either a motor-skill intervention (the Children's Health Activity Motor Program [CHAMP]) or recess. PMC was measured with the Digital Scale of PMC before and after each condition. Controlling for pretest scores, recess girls had lower posttest object-control PMC scores than CHAMP boys, CHAMP girls, and recess boys (all p < .05). CHAMP children had significantly higher posttest locomotor and total PMC (all p < .001) compared with children who engaged in recess. CHAMP partially eliminates sex differences in PMC, particularly for object-control skills. Girls who participated in recess did not increase PMC like children in CHAMP and boys who engaged in outdoor recess.

Protocol for a cluster randomized clinical trial of a mastery-climate motor skills intervention, Children's Health Activity and Motor Program (CHAMP), on self-regulation in preschoolers.

INTRODUCTION: Self-regulation (SR) is critical to healthy development in children, and intervention approaches (i.e., professional training, classroom-based curricula, parent-focused intervention) have shown to support or enhance SR. However, to our knowledge, none have tested whether changes in children's SR across an intervention relate to changes in children's health behavior and outcomes. This study, the Promoting Activity and Trajectories of Health (PATH) for Children-SR Study uses a cluster-randomized control trial to examine the immediate effects of a mastery-climate motor skills intervention on SR. Secondly, this study examines the associations between changes in SR and changes in children's health behaviors (i.e., motor competence, physical activity, and perceived competence) and outcomes (i.e., body mass index and waist circumference) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT03189862). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The PATH-SR study will be a cluster-randomized clinical trial. A total of 120 children between the ages of 3.5 to 5 years of age will be randomized to a mastery-climate motor skills intervention (n = 70) or control (n = 50) condition. SR will be assessed using measures that evaluate cognitive SR (cognitive flexibility and working memory), behavioral SR (behavioral inhibition), and emotional SR (emotional regulation). Health behaviors will be assessed with motor skills, physical activity, and perceived competence (motor and physical) and health outcomes will be waist circumference and body mass index. SR, health behaviors, and health outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention (pre-test and post-test). Given the randomization design, 70 children in the intervention group and 50 in the control group, we have 80% power to detect an effect size of 0.52, at a Type I error level of 0.05. With the data collected, we will test the intervention effect on SR with a two-sample t-test comparing the intervention group and the control group. We will further evaluate the associations between changes in SR and changes in children's health behaviors and health outcomes, using mixed effect regression models, with a random effect to account for within-subject correlations. The PATH-SR study addresses gaps in pediatric exercise science and child development research. Findings hold the potential to help shape public health and educational policies and interventions that support healthy development during the early years. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study was obtained through the Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board, University of Michigan (HUM00133319). The PATH-SR study is funded by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund. Findings will be disseminated via print, online media, dissemination events and practitioner and/or research journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier, NCT03189862.

Mastery-oriented motor competence intervention improves behavioral but not cognitive self-regulation in head start preschoolers: Randomized controlled trial results.

Motor competence and self-regulation develop rapidly in early childhood; emerging work suggests motor competence interventions as a promising way to promote self-regulation (e.g., behavioral inhibition; cognitive flexibility) in young children. We tested the impact of a mastery-focused motor competence intervention (Children's Health Activity Motor Program [CHAMP])1 on behavioral and cognitive aspects of self-regulation among children attending Head Start. Grounded in Achievement Goal Theory, CHAMP encourages children's autonomy to navigate a mastery-oriented motor skill learning environment. Children (M age = 53.4 months, SD = 3.2) were cluster-randomized by classroom (6 per condition) to an intervention (n = 67) or control condition (n = 45). Behavioral self-regulation skills were assessed using the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS). Cognitive self-regulation skills were assessed using working memory and dimensional card-sorting executive function tasks. Random-effects hurdle models accounting for zero-inflated distributions indicated that children receiving CHAMP, versus not, were almost 3 times more likely to have non-zero HTKS scores at post-test; OR: 2.98 (CI 1.53, 5.81); however, there were no effects on any cognitive aspects of self-regulation (all p's > 0.05). Mastery climate motor competence interventions are an ecologically valid strategy that may have a greater impact on preschoolers' behavioral than cognitive aspects of self-regulation.

Performance Metrics From Product-Oriented Measures of Fundamental Motor Skills-A Comparison and Developmental Perspective.

This study (a) examined the associations among different performance metrics derived from different strategies (i.e., maximum and average scores) and trials from product-oriented measures of motor skills, and (b) explored how different performance metrics from product-oriented assessments of motor skills change in young children with typical development. Children (N = 279; 156 girls; Mage = 4.44 years) completed a battery of product-oriented assessments for throwing (in meters per second, five trials); kicking (in meters per second, five trials); jumping (in centimeters, five trials); running (in meters per second, two trials); and hopping (in meters per second, four trials-two preferred foot, two nonpreferred foot). A total of 36 performance metrics were derived-throw (n = 7), kick (n = 7), jump (n = 7), run (n = 4), and hop (n = 11). Intraclass correlations examined reliability among performance metrics for each skill; linear mixed models examined whether variations changed across early childhood. There was excellent reliability among all performance metrics for each skill (all ICC> .90). Linear mixed models revealed that children's motor performance improved for two metrics of the throw, five variations of the jump, and three metrics of the hop (all p <.05). Researchers should be aware that some performance metrics from product-oriented assessments (e.g., maximum and average of three or five trials) are highly related and change, whereas others do not.

Structured Observations of Child Behaviors during a Mastery-Motivational Climate Motor Skill Intervention: An Exploratory Study.

This exploratory study aimed to quantify children's engagement behaviors during a mastery-motivational climate intervention. We also completed an exploratory factor analysis to elucidate if child engagement changed across intervention sessions. METHOD: 35 children (17 boys; 18 girls) completed a 10-week mastery-motivational climate motor skill intervention. Engagement was operationalized as the time children were appropriately involved in the intervention and was assessed using momentary time sampling during the motor skill practice portion of the intervention. RESULTS: Overall, children were engaged 36% of the motor skills practice time (37% for boys; 36% for girls). Children who initially had below-average skills engaged for 36% (36% for boys; 35% for girls) of the motor skills practice time, and children who were average or above-average at the start of the intervention engaged in skill practice for 39% (39% for boys; 36% for girls). Differences in engagement in skill type (e.g., locomotor vs. ball skills) and trends over time were observed. CONCLUSION: These findings support that children engage in mastery-motivation climates, but the amount of participation may be influenced by individual factors of sex and initial skill level.

Protocol for a multicenter-cluster randomized clinical trial of a motor skills intervention to promote physical activity and health in children: the CHAMP afterschool program study.

BACKGROUND: Promoting health-enhancing and sustainable physical activity levels across childhood and adolescence contribute to positive health outcomes as an adult. This study will aim to: a) examine the immediate (pre- to post-intervention) and sustained (1-year post-intervention follow-up) effects of the Children's Health Activity Motor Program-Afterschool Program (CHAMP-ASP) on physical activity, motor competence, and perceived motor competence relative to the comparison ASP, b) examine the immediate and sustained effects of CHAMP-ASP on secondary health outcomes, specifically health-related physical fitness (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, percent body fat) and weight status compared to children in the comparison ASP, and c) determine if perceived motor competence mediates the effect of CHAMP-ASP on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. METHODS: This multicenter cluster randomized trial will be implemented by ASP staff and will be conducted in ASPs located in two city-based cohorts: East Lansing/Lansing and Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Michigan. Children (N = 264) who are K-2 graders will participate 35 min/day X 3 days/week for 19 weeks (1995 min) in their afterschool movement program (i.e., CHAMP-ASP vs. comparison). The research team will train ASP staff to implement the program, which will be delivered within the existing ASP offering. Measures of physical activity (accelerometer), motor competence (process and product measures of fundamental motor skills), health-related fitness, perceived motor competence, and anthropometry will be collected pre-, immediately post-, and one-year post-intervention. Random-effects models will be used to assess the clustered longitudinal effect of the intervention on outcome measures. DISCUSSION: The long-term goal is to provide a sustainable, ecologically-relevant, and evidence-based program during the early elementary years that can be delivered by ASP staff, is health-enhancing, and increases physical activity in children. Findings hold the potential to help shape public health and educational policies and interventions that support healthy development and active living during the early years. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05342701 . ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained through the Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences IRB, University of Michigan (HUM00208311). The CHAMP-ASP study is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Findings will be disseminated via print, online media, dissemination events, and practitioner and/or research journals.

Are Gross Motor Skill Interventions an Equitable Replacement for Outdoor Free Play Regarding Children's Physical Activity?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if children engaged in equal amounts of physical activity during an established gross motor skill intervention (the Children's Health Activity Motor Program (CHAMP)) and outdoor free play. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; sample: Ninety-nine children (Mage = 4.21, 51% boys) were randomly divided into two movement environments: CHAMP (n = 55) or control/outdoor free play (n = 44). MEASURES: Physical activity was assessed using GT3X+ Actigraph accelerometers worn on the waist across four mornings. Average physical activity across the four days during either CHAMP or outdoor free play was extracted and categorized as light, moderate, vigorous, or MVPA. Physical activity data were reduced in the Actilife software using the cutpoints from Evenson et al. ANALYSIS: A 2 (treatment) x 2 (sex) mixed measures ANOVA was used to compare the amount of time children spent in light, moderate, vigorous, and MVPA. RESULTS: There was a significant main effect for treatment for light PA (F(3,95) =13.60, P<.001, partial η2=.125), and post hoc t-tests support that children in the control/outdoor free play group engaged in more light PA compared with children in CHAMP (t95 = -3.75, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results show that children in CHAMP engaged in less light PA but equal amounts of all other physical activity behaviors than their peers in outdoor free play.

Examining the psychometric properties of the digital scale of perceived motor competence in young children.

This study examined the psychometric properties (i.e., reliability and validity) of the Digital Scale of Perceived Motor Competence (DSPMC) in preschool-aged children. One hundred eighteen children (Mage  = 4.5) completed Study 1 on internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and 87 children (Mage  = 4.5) completed Study 2 on construct validity. Study 1 results support that the DSPMC demonstrates an acceptable internal consistency at both the initial (α = 0.78) and retest (α = 0.75) and good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.76-0.89). Study 2 results demonstrate that the DSPMC is significantly correlated to two other measures of perceived competence (rrange  = 0.25-0.39) and all actual motor skill subscales (rrange  = 0.23-0.39). These results support that the DSPMC is a valid and reliable tool to measure perceived competence in young children.

Using process- and product-oriented measures to evaluate changes in motor skills across an intervention.

The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine if process- and product-oriented measures similarly evaluate changes in motor skills across an intervention and (2) examine the relationship between preschoolers' motor skills when assessed using process-oriented and product-oriented measures before (pretest) and after (posttest) the intervention. Preschoolers (n= 65, M age= 4.6±0.42 years) completed both process- and product-oriented measures of six FMS- run, hop, jump, catch, throw, and kick, before and after a high-autonomy motor skill intervention. Aggregate total, locomotor, and ball skills, as well as each individual skill, were examined. Children demonstrated improvements in process-oriented (p<0.01) skills, but only improved on the product hop, throw, and kick (p<0.001) after the intervention. Children's ranks on process- and product-oriented measures were correlated at pretest (r s = 0.28-0.72) and posttest (r s = 0.39-0.68). Therefore, process- and product-oriented measures assess different aspects of motor competence and do not equally evaluate intervention efficacy.

Perceived Physical Competence Predicts Gains in Children's Locomotor but Not Ball Skills across an Intervention.

The purpose of this pre/post experimental study was to examine if children's perceived physical competence predicted changes in motor skills across an intervention. Sixty-seven children (Mage = 53.2 ± 3.7 months) participated in a 16-week, mastery-climate motor skill intervention. Perceived physical competence was assessed before the intervention using the physical competence subscale of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children. Motor skills were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3rd Edition before and after the intervention. Results revealed that controlling for pretest skills, perceived physical competence significantly predicted posttest locomotor (p < 0.05) and total skills (p < 0.05) but did not predict posttest ball skills (p > 0.05). These results indicate that perceived physical competence may be a significant factor that predicts children's gains in locomotor or total skills, but not ball skills, across an intervention.

An Intervention-Related Comparison of Preschoolers' Scores on the TGMD-2 and TGMD-3.

This study compared preschoolers' fundamental motor skills (FMS) on the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd and 3rd editions (TGMD-2 and TGMD-3) before (pretest) and after (posttest) a motor skill intervention. This study also compared FMS changes (TGMD raw and percentile scores for total score, and locomotor and object control/ball subscales) across the intervention when FMS were measured using the two editions. Sixty-four preschoolers (Mage = 4.4, SD = 0.44 years) completed the TGMD-2 and TGMD-3 before and after a motor skill intervention. We determined the level of agreement between assessments using intra-class correlations (ICC), Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficient, and Bland-Altman plots. Overall, our results support an acceptable relative agreement between the TGMD-2 and TGMD-3 for raw scores, but there were variable strengths of agreement (by subscales) for percentile scores. Both assessments supported the efficacy of the intervention. This consistent demonstration of efficacy but varied strength of agreement suggests that the TGMD-2 and TGMD-3 are similar but not interchangeable.

The Motor skills At Playtime intervention improves children's locomotor skills: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Interventions are needed to teach fundamental motor skills (FMS) to preschoolers. There is a need to design more practical and effective interventions that can be successfully implemented by non-motor experts and fit within the existing gross motor opportunities such as outdoor free play at the preschool. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a non-motor expert FMS intervention that was implemented during outdoor free play, Motor skills At Playtime (MAP). METHODS: Participants were preschoolers from two Head Start centres (N = 46; Mage = 4.7 ± 0.46 years; 41% boys) and were divided into a MAP (n = 30) or control (outdoor free play; n = 16) group. Children completed either a 1,350-min MAP intervention or control condition (outdoor free play) from January to April of 2018. FMS were assessed before and after each programme using both the Test of Gross Motor Development-3rd Edition and skill outcome measures (running speed, hopping speed, jump distance, throwing speed, kicking speed and catching percentage). Intervention implementation feasibility was measured through daily fidelity checks. Fidelity was evaluated as the percentage of intervention sessions that included all explicit intervention criteria. FMS data were analysed using linear mixed modelling. Models were fit with fixed effects of time and treatment, covariates of sex and height, and a random intercept for each individual. RESULTS: The non-motor expert was feasibly able to implement MAP with high fidelity (>93%). There was a significant treatment effect for MAP on process and product locomotor FMS (P < 0.05) and a trend for a treatment effect for MAP on total process FMS (P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Results support that MAP was successfully implemented by a non-motor expert and led to improvements in children's FMS, especially locomotor FMS.

The effect of the CHAMP intervention on fundamental motor skills and outdoor physical activity in preschoolers.

PURPOSE: Physical activity (PA) and fundamental motor skills are important components of current and future trajectories of health in young children. This study examined the effects of a 5-week motor skill intervention on preschoolers' motor skill competence and their PA behaviors while participating in the motor skill intervention or outdoor free play (recess). METHODS: A total of 102 preschoolers served as participants and were part of a motor skill intervention group (n = 64) or a control/outdoor free play group (n = 38). Children's motor skills were assessed before and after the intervention using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3rd edition. PA during the motor skill intervention and outdoor free play was assessed using accelerometers both immediately before the start (baseline, Week 0 or Week 1) and end (late, Week 5 or Week 6) of the intervention. RESULTS: All children significantly improved their motor skills from baseline to late assessment (p < 0.05). Children in the motor skill intervention demonstrated greater rates of change (p < 0.001) and scored higher on all motor skills at the late assessment compared with the control group (p < 0.001). There was no effect of group (control vs. intervention), but there was a significant effect of sex on children's PA during outdoor free play at baseline (p < 0.05). Similarly, there was no effect of group on PA during days with the movement program (intervention vs. outdoor free play) at either time point, but boys were more active than girls at the late assessment (p < 0.05). Last, children in the intervention engaged in more PA while participating in the intervention toward the end of the intervention than at the beginning. CONCLUSION: The 5-week motor skill intervention was effective at improving preschoolers' motor skills and rates of change in motor skills were higher for children who completed the intervention compared with children in the control group. Preschoolers in the intervention did demonstrate PA changes while participating in the intervention, but these changes did not translate outside of the intervention setting.

The Effect of CHAMP on Physical Activity and Lesson Context in Preschoolers: A Feasibility Study.

PURPOSE: This feasibility study compared the effects of 2 movement programs, traditional and mastery climate (i.e., the Children's Health Activity Motor Program [CHAMP]), on lesson context and children's physical activity (PA) levels. A secondary aim was to examine sex differences in PA levels in both programs. METHOD: Seventy-two preschoolers served as participants and were assigned to a movement program. Physical activity levels and lesson context were assessed with the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time. RESULTS: Preschoolers in CHAMP spent more time walking (p < .05, d = 3.3), more time in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA; p < .05, d = 3.6), and less time standing (p < .05, d = 3.8) compared with those in a traditional movement program. Boys in both programs spent less time standing (p < .05, d = 4.8) and more time in vigorous activity (p < .05, d = 5.8) and MVPA (p < .05, d = 4.4) compared with girls. During CHAMP, children spent less time engaged in management and knowledge (p < .05, d = 1.4, and p < .001, d = 0.9, respectively) and more time in skill practice (p < .05, d = 1.5). CONCLUSION: The findings support that participation in CHAMP elicits more MVPA in preschool-age children compared with a traditional movement program. The Children's Health Activity Motor Program provided children with more class time devoted to skill practice. The program appears to be an innovative approach that is beneficial for PA engagement and could contribute positively to children's health.

A Ball Skills Intervention in Preschoolers: The CHAMP Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: Fundamental motor skills (FMS) contribute to positive health trajectories. A high level of competence in ball skills (a subset of FMS) is a predictor for time spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity during adolescence. This study examined the effects of a ball skills intervention on ball skill competence among preschool-aged boys and girls. METHODS: This is a two-armed randomized controlled trial. A total of 124 preschoolers (Mage ± SD = 48.14 ± 6.62 months) were randomly assigned to one of two groups, the Children's Health Activity Motor Program (CHAMP; n = 81) or control (n = 43). FMS were measured before, after (9 wk), and at retention (18 wk) using the object control subscale of the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second Edition. Changes in ball skill scores were calculated (pretest-posttest, pretest-retention, posttest-retention) and were compared using one-way ANOVAs with post hoc Scheffe analysis. RESULTS: Findings support that groups demonstrated significantly different rates of change from pretest to posttest (F3,117 = 179.45, P < 0.001), pretest to retention (F3,113 = 95.8, P < 0.001), and posttest to retention (F3,113 = 189.89, P < 0.001). Compared with their control group peers, CHAMP boys and girls had greater positive rates of change from pretest to posttest and pretest to retention as well as greater negative rates of change from posttest to retention. CONCLUSIONS: CHAMP was effective in improving and maintaining ball skills in preschool-age boys and girls. Findings support that providing a high-quality motor skill program in early childhood settings could potentially be a sustainable public health approach to promoting FMS and positive developmental trajectories for health.

Using Achievement Goal Theory in Motor Skill Instruction: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, achievement goal theory (AGT) has been used as a theoretical framework to design and implement motor skill programming in young children. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of AGT in motor skill interventions and programming in children aged 0-12 years. METHODS: This systematic literature search was conducted using three databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, and EBSCOhost. Studies were included if they met the following four inclusion criteria: (1) had an intervention with a gross motor outcome, (2) used an intervention grounded in AGT, (3) included young children (aged 0-12 years), and (4) were written in English. Studies were rated according to methodological reporting quality. All literature searches and reporting were consistent with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies met all inclusion criteria and were included in the sample. All studies reported that AGT motor skill interventions were effective for improving motor skills in young children. Studies varied in regard to intervention groups, duration, dosage, and the personnel responsible for implementing the intervention. None of the included studies met the requirements to be considered as having high methodological quality. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, AGT is an effective theoretical approach for designing and implementing motor skill interventions for young children.

Promoting ball skills in preschool-age girls.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence supports that girls are less proficient than boys at performing ball skills. This study examined the immediate and long-term effects of a ball skill intervention on preschool-age girls' ball skill performance. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Girls (Mage=47.24±7.38 months) were randomly assigned to a high autonomy, mastery-based 9-week motor skill intervention (the Children's Health Activity Motor Program; CHAMP, 540min; n=38) or a control group (free-play; n=16). Ball skill proficiency was assessed at pretest, posttest, and retention test (after 9 weeks) using the object control subscale of the Test of Gross Motor Development - 2nd Edition. Treatment efficacy was examined using linear mixed models. Two models were fit: one for short-term changes (pretest to posttest) and one for long-term changes (pretest to retention). RESULTS: Linear mixed models revealed a significantly time*treatment interaction for both models. Post hoc analysis confirmed that girls in CHAMP experienced significant gains in ball skills from pretest to posttest (p<.001) and pretest to retention (p<.001). Moreover, girls in CHAMP were no different from the control group at pretest (p>.05) but had significantly higher ball skills scores at both posttest (p<.001) and retention (p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the positive effects of a ball skill intervention (i.e., CHAMP) on improving girls' ball skills both short- and long-term. Findings suggest that early childhood interventions that focus on the development of ball skills in young girls might be an avenue to improve girls' ball skill performance.

Development of a Digital-Based Instrument to Assess Perceived Motor Competence in Children: Face Validity, Test-Retest Reliability, and Internal Consistency.

Assessing children's perceptions of their movement abilities (i.e., perceived competence) is traditionally done using picture scales-Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Acceptance for Young Children or Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. Pictures fail to capture the temporal components of movement. To address this limitation, we created a digital-based instrument to assess perceived motor competence: the Digital Scale of Perceived Motor Competence. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity, reliability, and internal consistency of the Digital-based Scale of Perceived Motor Skill Competence. The Digital-based Scale of Perceived Motor Skill Competence is based on the twelve fundamental motor skills from the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd Edition with a similar layout and item structure as the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence. Face Validity of the instrument was examined in Phase I (n = 56; Mage = 8.6 ± 0.7 years, 26 girls). Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were assessed in Phase II (n = 54, Mage = 8.7 years ± 0.5 years, 26 girls). Intra-class correlations (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha were conducted to determine test-retest reliability and internal consistency for all twelve skills along with locomotor and object control subscales. The Digital Scale of Perceived Motor Competence demonstrates excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.83, total; ICC = 0.77, locomotor; ICC = 0.79, object control) and acceptable/good internal consistency (α = 0.62, total; α = 0.57, locomotor; α = 0.49, object control). Findings provide evidence of the reliability of the three level digital-based instrument of perceived motor competence for older children.

Effect of the Children's Health Activity Motor Program on Motor Skills and Self-Regulation in Head Start Preschoolers: An Efficacy Trial.

Self-regulatory skills are broadly defined as the ability to manage emotions, focus attention, and inhibit some behaviors while activating others in accordance with social expectations and are an established indicator of academic success. Growing evidence links motor skills and physical activity to self-regulation. This study examined the efficacy of a motor skills intervention (i.e., the Children's Health Activity Motor Program, CHAMP) that is theoretically grounded in Achievement Goal Theory on motor skill performance and self-regulation in Head Start preschoolers. A sample of 113 Head Start preschoolers (Mage = 51.91 ± 6.5 months; 49.5% males) were randomly assigned to a treatment (n = 68) or control (n = 45) program. CHAMP participants engaged in 15, 40-min sessions of a mastery climate intervention that focused on the development of motor skills over 5 weeks while control participants engaged in their normal outdoor recess period. The Delay of Gratification Snack Task was used to measure self-regulation and the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd Edition was used to assess motor skills. All measures were assessed prior to and following the intervention. Linear mixed models were fit for both self-regulation and motor skills. Results revealed a significant time × treatment interaction (p < 0.001). In regard to motor skills, post hoc comparisons found that all children improved their motor skills (p < 0.05), but the CHAMP group improved significantly more than the control group (p < 0.001). Children in CHAMP maintained their self-regulation scores across time, while children in the control group scored significantly lower than the CHAMP group at the posttest (p < 0.05). CHAMP is a mastery climate movement program that enhance skills associated with healthy development in children (i.e., motor skills and self-regulation). This efficacy trial provided evidence that CHAMP helped maintain delay of gratification in preschool age children and significantly improved motor skills while participating in outdoor recess was not effective. CHAMP could help contribute to children's learning-related skills and physical development and subsequently to their academic success.

Acute exercise enhances preschoolers' ability to sustain attention.

A growing body of research has illuminated beneficial effects of a single bout of physical activity (i.e., acute exercise) on cognitive function in school-age children. However, the influence of acute exercise on preschoolers' cognitive function has not been reported. To address this shortcoming, the current study examined the effects of a 30-min bout of exercise on preschoolers' cognitive function. Preschoolers' cognitive function was assessed following a single bout of exercise and a single sedentary period. Results revealed that, after engaging in a bout of exercise, preschoolers exhibited markedly better ability to sustain attention, relative to after being sedentary (p = .006, partial eta square = .400). Based on these findings, providing exercise opportunities appears to enhance preschoolers' cognitive function.