Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners are essential in governing foundational aspects, such as gross motor development and participation in physical movement. Aim: This study aimed to determine ECD practitioners in Vanderbijlpark's awareness of gross motor milestone acquisition and movement guidelines for children birth to 4…

Environmental characteristics of kindergartens are important for the development of kindergarten-aged children. However, knowledge of the role of kindergarten play environments in developing children's fundamental movement skills is limited. A pilot study was carried out to compare the fundamental movement skills of 3.5- to 5-year-old children in…

Purpose: To analyze associations between physical activity (PA) during school hours and fundamental movement skills (FMS) of young children with and without PE classes. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 201 children of both sexes (102 girls, 50.7%), aged 3-5 years old (4.51 ± 0.79), who were engaged (n = 129) or not (n = 72) in physical…

Due to the lack of tools that can be easily used by practitioners, there is a need to develop acceptable embedded ways to assess children's fine motor skill development within early childhood education and care settings. This study examined the validity and reliability of a brief and ecologically valid fine motor assessment tool for preschool-aged…

Background: Motor development of many children in rural areas of South Africa is compromised because of various socio-economic factors, hence, the need to address these developmental needs. Aim: To examine the immediate and sustainable effects of a 9-week movement programme on fundamental movement skills (FMS) of school children. Setting: Seven to…

Background: Researchers continue to investigate the predictive validity of motor assessment in learners with disorder of attention, motor control and perception (DAMP). Aim: Determine the prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD); assess their association in Grade 1 children. Setting:…

This dissertation aimed to investigate the impact of technology use in preschool classrooms on student motor skill development. The study involved analyzing the pass/fail Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) scores of students and whether their preschool classroom used technology or not. A chi-square test was performed on two variables for…

Developing children's FMS and executive function is a critical aspect of early childhood. The aim was to evaluate the fundamental movement skills (FMS) and executive function. The objectives were to investigate the locomotor and object control skills as well as inhibitory control and working memory of the selected children. Grade 1 (6-8-years-old)…

The Montessori philosophy and environment offers opportunities for free movement within the classroom. Physical development includes the acquisition of fundamental movement skills (FMS) which children acquire through different opportunities for movement. Previous research has shown that Montessorian pre-schoolers were more physically active during…

Children's motor competence (MC) levels tend to be low, and the investigation of variables that facilitate skillfulness is an important concern. The socioecological model is a useful framework to explore factors that influence MC and to inform the development of targeted interventions. This cross-sectional study aimed to perform an exploratory…

This study aimed to determine the motor creativity of preschoolers, to develop a music education programme suitable for the interests and needs of children, and to investigate whether music education is effective in motor creativity. A quasi-experimental design was used to test the effect of music education programme on children's motor…

Background: Smartphones are a resource noticeably inserted into people's daily lives, but they are not nearly as present within the various educational systems around the world. The improper use of smartphones can certainly carry some risks, such as a sedentary lifestyle or even addiction. For the aforementioned reasons, promoting literacy by…

Background: Early childhood development (ECD) practitioners are crucial to young children's motor milestone achievement, motor development and physical activity (PA) participation. Their role in helping young children reach appropriate PA levels and gross motor milestones has not received sufficient attention. Aim: This study examined the…

"Research Findings:" The influence of early childhood teachers' professional development on fundamental movement skills remains unknown in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to examine how early childhood teachers' professional development in physical education (PE) contributes to predicting children's fundamental…

This theoretical article examines the crucial role of play-based learning (PBL) in enhancing the mathematical skills of children in the Early Childhood Phase, referred to as Foundation Phase (Grade R-3) learners, within a South African context. The article argues that the traditional approach to teaching early childhood mathematics, where teachers…