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…

Aim: This systematic review aims to summarize evidence on correlates of fundamental motor skills in typically developing children aged 0-4 years. Methods: A literature search (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) was performed from 2000 till 23 May 2022. Inclusion criteria was cross-sectional and prospective studies examining associations…

Background: Several studies have reported low adherence to World Health Organization sedentary behavior (SB) guidelines in the early years. The purpose of this review is to examine the associations between time spent in different types of SB (screen time and habitual SB) and motor competence (MC; fundamental motor skills, fine and gross motor…

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…

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…

The main aim of the present study was to identify motor difficulties in Greek preschoolers. Secondary aims were to identify possible differences in prevalence of motor difficulties related to gender, age, body mass index, place of residence, and hand preference. 302 preschoolers were assessed using the first age band (3-6 years) of the Movement…

This study aimed to develop and evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a web-based platform for parents to support preschoolers' development of physical literacy. Specifically, this intervention focused on children's motor and social-emotional skill development. Twenty parents (M[subscript age] = 35.7, SD = 4.2) of preschool-aged children…

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…

The main objective of this study was to examine the existence of Relative Age Effect (RAE) and analyze the effect of gender on Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) of preschool children aged 4-5 years old. A total of 298 healthy preschool children were evaluated. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) was used to evaluate preschoolers' FMS. The…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…