Fundamental motor skills are important markers of child development, yet gold standard measurement of these skills may be infeasible in large surveillance studies. The SUNRISE study examines movement behaviors and fundamental motor skills among an international sample of preschool-aged children. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of…

There is a common assumption that changes in developmental movement patterns (process) leads to better skill outcome performance (product); however, limited longitudinal data evaluate this assumption. This study examined (a) the longitudinal relationship among process and product motor skill scores across early childhood (3.5-6 years) and (b) the…

Introduction: Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are categorized into three groups (stability, locomotion, and object control) and are crucial for enabling the practice of physical activity in children with physical disabilities. Their development is influenced by the specific nature of each child's disability. FMS can be evaluated by process-…

This study's objective was to examine whether the relationship between actual motor competence and physical activity (PA) in children is mediated by perceived motor competence (PMC) and physical activity enjoyment. The participants consisted of a total of 167 students (male = 92, female = 75) in 10 different schools in the fourth grade of primary…

Indoor and outdoor home space may support physical activity (PA) and enhance motor skills (MS). However, there is limited knowledge about how indoor and outdoor home space affect PA and MS parent-child dyads. This cross-sectional study examined whether indoor and outdoor home spaces affect PA and MS in children and their parents. MS was measured…

The first years of life are an optimal time for developing motor competence. However, the evidence regarding motor competence in early childhood is fragmented and needs to be clearly synthesized and presented. To establish effective evidence-based decision making in research, practice, and policy for the early years, this expert statement, on…

Physical education (PE) programs are uniquely situated to promote the development of fundamental movement skills (FMS). The aim of this systematic review was to examine the elements of PE-based interventions globally for the development of FMS, as assessed through the test of gross motor development (TGMD). A systematic literature search was…

Parents tend to play a vital role in their child's motor competence for youth with visual impairments. However, little research has explored parental mindsets and support (e.g., transportation) surrounding their child's motor skills and how it may predict motor competence. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which parents'…

We aimed to calculate interrater reliability of the Test of Gross Motor Development--Third Edition (TGMD-3) after raters reached a consensus regarding measurement criteria. Three raters measured the fundamental movement skills of 25 children on the TGMD-3 at two different times: (a) once when simply following the measurement criteria in the TGMD-3…

The purpose of this study was to determine the associations of device-based assessments of physical activity (PA) and health-related fitness (HRF) with gross motor skills (GMS) in preschool-aged children. Participants were 3- to 5-year-old children (N = 316; 49.6% female) who participated in the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey. GMS was assessed…

Motor competence as an indicator of gross motor development is characterized by changes in movement patterns and outcomes. The Test of Gross Motor Development-3 consists of six locomotor and seven ball tasks used to assess the quality of fundamental motor skills in children. The purpose of this study is twofold--to produce a Slovenian translation…

Background: Understanding how or whether sedentary behavior affects motor competence in young children is important considering that children spend a lot of time sedentary. The aim of this study was to examine whether sedentary behavior predicts motor competence in young children. Methods: A longitudinal study with a total of 372 children aged 3.5…

Improving the development of the social, emotional, and physical domains during early childhood impacts the overall trajectory of a child's well-being. However, researchers often address these independently, leaving a gap for a more integrated approach to promoting development. This study explores the effects of a dual-component intervention on…

This study was conducted to determine how total fundamental movement skill (FMS) score and, separately, locomotor skill (LMS), and object control skill scores in children 3-8 years old predicted their specific-intensity physical activity 3 years later. Overall, 441 Finnish children (51.7% female, baseline mean age of 5.6 years) participated in the…

Rater training is necessary to accurately evaluate fundamental motor skills among children with developmental disabilities (DD). The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the impact of an online rater training program for novice raters on scoring accuracy of the run and two-hand strike skills on the Test of Gross Motor Development-Third…