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…

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…

The motor and social skill difficulties experienced by many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can create challenges when participating in age appropriate physical activity contexts. Although behavioral interventions can increase the general social communicative skills of children with ASD, often the skills targeted are not relevant to…

Background: Irish school children have demonstrated poor proficiency in fundamental movement skills (FMS) and consistent with international literature, females and overweight children tend to be less skilled than males and non-overweight children. Interventions that are suitable for children of all abilities and which provide long-term…

It is widely accepted that children in Scotland, as in other high-income countries, are not engaging in sufficient moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), the consequences of which can be adverse for health and wellbeing. In this paper, it is contended that active play (a form of gross motor or total body movement in which…

According to SHAPE America, quality physical education promotes physical literacy by addressing five core standards: motor skills, knowledge, health-related fitness, personal and social behavior, and values. The purpose of this article is to introduce a physical literacy index, identify resources that could be used to assess physical literacy, and…