La coordinación de movimientos para realizar con precisión diversas acciones de nuestro día a día hacen que la motricidad fina sea una de las destrezas que debe ser estimulada desde temprana edad en los niños para lograr un mejor desenvolvimiento en su vida diaria. Por ello frente a la problemática que se ha podido observar en una institución educativa se propuso como objetivo diseñar un taller de manualidades para potenciar la motricidad fina en niños de cuatro años de edad. La metodología empleada en esta investigación es de diseño propositivo donde se aplicó un pre-test a una población de 25 estudiantes a través de una lista de cotejo la cual fue validada por cinco expertos para su aplicación. Se obtuvo como resultados que el 90% de los niños se encontraba en un nivel de inicio con respecto a su motricidad fina. Tomando en cuenta los resultados obtenidos se dio paso a la creación de “manos a la obra” 14 talleres de manualidades donde los niños pueden potenciar su coordinación motora fina. Por lo tanto, se concluye que la creación de estos talleres ayudará a potenciar las habilidades motoras finas de los niños haciéndolos partícipes de la realización de estos. / The coordination of movements to accurately carry out various actions in our daily lives makes fine motor skills one of the skills that must be stimulated from an early age in children to achieve better development in their daily lives. Therefore, in response to the problems that have been observed in an educational institution, the objective was to design a crafts workshop to enhance fine motor skills in four-year-old children. The methodology used in this research is a purposeful design where a pre-test was applied to a population of 25 students through a checklist which was validated by five experts for its application. The results were that 90% of the children were at a beginning level with respect to their fine motor skills. Taking into account the results obtained, we gave way to the creation of “get to work” 14 craft workshops where children can enhance their fine motor coordination. Therefore, it is concluded that the creation of these workshops will help enhance children's fine motor skills by making them participate in carrying them out.

Syftet med denna studie är att öka kunskapen om hur lärare upplever att elevers skrivinlärning samt finmotorik påverkas av den digitaliserade undervisningen som breder ut sig allt mer. Studien utgår från den teoretiska utgångspunkten, TPACK, för att ge en djupare förståelse om ämnet. Undersökningen bygger på kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio lärare som integrerar digitala verktyg i läs- och skrivundervisningen. Analysen av resultatet genomfördes med hjälp av tematisk analysmetod. Resultatet visar att digitala verktyg kan vara ett bra tillvägagångssätt när det gäller skrivinlärning. De flesta av lärarna hävdar att elevernas motivation och skrivglädje för att skriva texter förstärks genom en ökad tillgänglighet för redigering och justering av textinnehåll, vilket i sin tur bidrar till ökad omfattning av textproduktion. Det finns dock en del negativa aspekter med digitala verktyg, vilket bland annat är att eleverna kan distraheras av hemsidor och diverse program som påverkar undervisningen negativt. Resultatet visar också att analoga skrivverktyg, såsom penna och papper, bör användas när eleverna tränar på att forma bokstäver då det bland annat gynnar arbetsminnets kapacitet och är väsentligt att kunna för deras framtida motoriska färdigheter. Sammanfattningsvis visar studien att de intervjuade lärarna anser att det mest gynnsamma för elevernas lärande är en integrering av både analoga och digitala verktyg inom ramen för läs- och skrivundervisningen.

The challenges of backlogs experienced amongst Grade R-learners, results in learners not being school and learning ready when entering Grade 1. Obstacles for example are insufficient stimulation, under developed perception, and poor gross and fine motor skills, require early intervention and ought to receive attention in Grade R. From the socialecological perspective and taking into consideration the great amount of learners in South Africa originating from deprived environments, the study is focused in the domain of the Social Deprivation Theory. The bio-ecological context within which learners find themselves, influence the cognitive and perceptual development of every learner. Epistemologically the study focuses on the similarity between Critical Theory and Interpretivism. Critical Theory highlights the meaning of experience as manifested in relation to social circumstances and developmental background. Interpretivism in this study focuses on the meaning which individuals attach to their experiences in the spotlight and results in greater understanding and insight of the researched phenomenon. Circumstances of deprivation occur worldwide, even in developed countries like United States of America (USA) and England. Already for decades in USA young children gain in their development through intervention in early childhood (Ludwig & Phillips, 2007). Duncan and Brooks-Gunn (2000) identified a relation between child poverty/deprivation and poor school performance in the USA. Research in England (Thompson, 2000) shows that the impact of social neglect of children have serious consequences. The National Education Policy Act (Pandor, 2008; SA DvO, 1997:2) uses Early Childhood Development (ECD) as an umbrella term which refers to the development processes whereby children physically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, morally and socially grow and develop from birth to the age of nine years (SA, DoE, 1995, White paper 5,). The kind of education learners receive in Grade R is crucial to their further development in the education system (Van Zyl, Le Roux & Janse van Rensburg 2011, DvO, 1997:2). Learners lacking an adequate foundation may experience difficulties throughout their school career. In South Africa there is concern as to the standard of education and training, manifesting in a low pass rate on Grade 12-level. This study is undertaken to determine the current shortages in the South African educational system which may hinder the learning potential of Grade R-learners. An attempt is made to determine which handicaps/backlogs Grade R-learners experience, which fits the framework of the deprivation theory, which can undermine learner readiness. This study determine whether intervention by means of a perceptual-motor skills programme can enhance the school readiness of pre-school learners. Finally to determine which shortages/ backlogs exists in the perceptual-motor skills of Grade R nlearners from deprived backgrounds in South Africa. Guidelines for a perceptual-motor intervention program was developed through this study. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data-analysis is used in this study (Onwuegbuzie, Johnson en Collins, 2009). The dissertation is compiled in article format. In the first article of the study, the issues of teacher development and support mechanisms and equipment at primary schools and kindergartens are explored. Qualitative and phenomenological research was undertaken and information was gathered by means of questionnaires directed at teachers. In the following article the school readiness of 48 Grade R-learners from deprived backgrounds were tested. The research participants came from similar sosio-economic background, from quintile one and two schools. Seeing that those were the only primary schools with Grade R classes in that area, they were identified on behalf of their availability. In this study the data was analysed and descriptive statistics (means, averages, standard deviations, minimum and maximum values, percentages) and t-tests were used to determine variations in terms of perceptual motor skill development and learning readiness. An experimental group of 21 Grade R learners followed a 10 week long perceptual-motor skills intervention programme. In the follow-up school readiness test (article 3), results indicated that the intervention showed a positive response with regards to the school readiness of the Grade R learners. Drawing to a conclusion (article 4), the intervention programme is critically discussed and recommendations were made to all those concerned with Grade R teaching (teachers, principals, Departments of Education). The conclusion according to the results of the research shows that the intervention had a positive effect on the school and learning readiness of this group of Grade R learners. / Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Barn spenderar en stor del av sin tid i olika institutioner som skola och fritidshem. I den delen av vardagen som definieras som fritid gör barn olika val av aktiviteter. Begreppet motorik är i detta sammanhang en aspekt av aktiviteter som är intressant att undersöka. Människors rörelseförmåga och rörelsemönster är den generella definitionen på motorik som delas in i finmotorik och grovmotorik. Tidigare forskning visar att pojkar generellt har en mer utvecklad motorik än flickor och att dessa skillnader blir större ju äldre de blir. Syftet med vår uppsats är att undersöka barns val och deltagande i finmotoriska och grovmotoriska aktiviteter på fritidshemmet. Vi har även tittat på hur faktorer som miljö, verksamhet och pedagogers samspel med barnen och deras aktiviteter relaterar till varandra. Studiens resultat grundar sig i observationer på två olika fritidshem i Sverige. Resultatet har granskats med hjälp av våra teoretiska utgångspunkter, genus och sociokulturellt perspektiv. Det som har framkommit i denna studie är att i valet av aktiviteter som är grovmotoriska eller finmotoriska väljer pojkar generellt grovmotoriska aktiviteter och flickor finmotoriska. Sammanfattningsvis i denna studie framgick det att miljö, pedagogers handlingar, barns intressen, förväntningar, föreställningar, normer och olika grader av strukturer i verksamheten utgör faktorer som kan ha betydelse för barns aktivitetsval på fritidshemmet.

The challenges of backlogs experienced amongst Grade R-learners, results in learners not being school and learning ready when entering Grade 1. Obstacles for example are insufficient stimulation, under developed perception, and poor gross and fine motor skills, require early intervention and ought to receive attention in Grade R. From the socialecological perspective and taking into consideration the great amount of learners in South Africa originating from deprived environments, the study is focused in the domain of the Social Deprivation Theory. The bio-ecological context within which learners find themselves, influence the cognitive and perceptual development of every learner. Epistemologically the study focuses on the similarity between Critical Theory and Interpretivism. Critical Theory highlights the meaning of experience as manifested in relation to social circumstances and developmental background. Interpretivism in this study focuses on the meaning which individuals attach to their experiences in the spotlight and results in greater understanding and insight of the researched phenomenon. Circumstances of deprivation occur worldwide, even in developed countries like United States of America (USA) and England. Already for decades in USA young children gain in their development through intervention in early childhood (Ludwig & Phillips, 2007). Duncan and Brooks-Gunn (2000) identified a relation between child poverty/deprivation and poor school performance in the USA. Research in England (Thompson, 2000) shows that the impact of social neglect of children have serious consequences. The National Education Policy Act (Pandor, 2008; SA DvO, 1997:2) uses Early Childhood Development (ECD) as an umbrella term which refers to the development processes whereby children physically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, morally and socially grow and develop from birth to the age of nine years (SA, DoE, 1995, White paper 5,). The kind of education learners receive in Grade R is crucial to their further development in the education system (Van Zyl, Le Roux & Janse van Rensburg 2011, DvO, 1997:2). Learners lacking an adequate foundation may experience difficulties throughout their school career. In South Africa there is concern as to the standard of education and training, manifesting in a low pass rate on Grade 12-level. This study is undertaken to determine the current shortages in the South African educational system which may hinder the learning potential of Grade R-learners. An attempt is made to determine which handicaps/backlogs Grade R-learners experience, which fits the framework of the deprivation theory, which can undermine learner readiness. This study determine whether intervention by means of a perceptual-motor skills programme can enhance the school readiness of pre-school learners. Finally to determine which shortages/ backlogs exists in the perceptual-motor skills of Grade R nlearners from deprived backgrounds in South Africa. Guidelines for a perceptual-motor intervention program was developed through this study. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data-analysis is used in this study (Onwuegbuzie, Johnson en Collins, 2009). The dissertation is compiled in article format. In the first article of the study, the issues of teacher development and support mechanisms and equipment at primary schools and kindergartens are explored. Qualitative and phenomenological research was undertaken and information was gathered by means of questionnaires directed at teachers. In the following article the school readiness of 48 Grade R-learners from deprived backgrounds were tested. The research participants came from similar sosio-economic background, from quintile one and two schools. Seeing that those were the only primary schools with Grade R classes in that area, they were identified on behalf of their availability. In this study the data was analysed and descriptive statistics (means, averages, standard deviations, minimum and maximum values, percentages) and t-tests were used to determine variations in terms of perceptual motor skill development and learning readiness. An experimental group of 21 Grade R learners followed a 10 week long perceptual-motor skills intervention programme. In the follow-up school readiness test (article 3), results indicated that the intervention showed a positive response with regards to the school readiness of the Grade R learners. Drawing to a conclusion (article 4), the intervention programme is critically discussed and recommendations were made to all those concerned with Grade R teaching (teachers, principals, Departments of Education). The conclusion according to the results of the research shows that the intervention had a positive effect on the school and learning readiness of this group of Grade R learners. / Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Development Innovation and Evaluation))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The overall purpose of this thesis is to investigate, discuss and problematise different aspects of movement ability. The four sub-studies of the thesis deal with various issues concerning assessment of movement ability. First, the focus is on how the concept of physical literacy has influenced the steering document of the subject physical education and health (PEH) in Sweden. The question is: What kind of tensions and conflicts arise when different approaches and interpretations of movement ability are used in an educational context? Second, a structural validation is conducted of the NyTid test, an assessment tool developed to assess basic and complex movement skills at the ages of 12-16 years. The question is: Which categories of movement skills are identified through the validation of the NyTid test? Third, the study examines how ‘ability’ is conceptualised, configured and produced in movement tests and movement assessment tools. Finally, an investigation of how or whether an assessed low or high movement ability at the age of 15 matters for developing an interest in, or taste for, sport and physical activities nine years later, in young adulthood. Movement ability is studied from different perspectives, including a multidisciplinary sport science approach using mixed methods. The theoretical standpoint in the sociocultural analyses is inspired by Bourdieu’s theories and concepts of habitus, capital, field and doxa, which are used as analytical tools. Different theories relating to the evaluation of movement abilities as product- or process oriented assessment are also made use of. Movement abilities tests and assessment tools are also found to construct a specific and narrow form of physical capital strongly related to traditional sports. Accordingly, the social construction of movement ability through assessment tools is far from neutral and could affect how children see themselves and their sense of ‘ability’. Furthermore, the assumption that an acquired high level of movement ability plays a central role for being physically active is challenged in the thesis. Even though pupils at the age of 15 had a low level of assessed movement ability, it did not prevent them from acquiring a taste for sport and physical activity later in life. However, more studies on movement ability and the underlining mechanisms and factors for engaging in physical activities are necessary. / Forskningslinjen Utbildning

This diploma thesis considers dance and child and how dance can influence the development of child's individuality. Theoretical part deals with characteristics and history of the dance, child within the age range 6 - 11 years, physical, psychical and spiritual aspects of people personality. It brings information about "movement and dance education" - as a new subject in the Curriculum framework for basic education. The research part of the thesis is oriented only on "movement and dance education" and how the people are informed about its implementation to schools. It also analyses the possibilities of influence on selected areas of development of child. It also tries to demonstrate positive effect on some of these areas.

This dissertation adresses the issue of preparation and readiness of a preschool child before his/her entrance to elementary school. The theoretical part is divided into four chapters. The first chapter is concerned with the definitions of basic terms, such as school maturity and school readiness. The second chapter is dedicated to developmental psychology of a preschool child. The third chapter is concerned with diagnosis of a preschool child from the position preschool education, and the last chapter is centered on a child at risk in elementary school. The practical part is dedicated to qualitative experimental investigation which obser- ves the advancement of teak parts in selected sample of children from normal and spe- cial class of kindergarten school and it is supported by an intervention program.

The diploma thesis is focused on educator's function in development of nonspeech areas of children with communicative disability. The thesis consists of two main parts. The theoretical part is divided into four chapters which gradually introduce the development of the child at a younger school age, communicative disability, nonspeech areas of comunication and education of children with communicative disability. This information provides a basic insight into issues of work and makes it easier to be well informed about topic. The empirical part presents the qualitative research in which four pupils with communicative disability are involved. The aim of the research is to find out the difficulties in nonspeech areas and what influence the educator of the after-school club can have on their development. Sensory perception, cognitive processes and motor skills are analyzed in accoradance with these goals. Changes between investigations are also observed. The chapter contains case studies of pupils that include personal and family history, individual children's abilities, social interaction and information about speech therapy. Furthermore, the results of the entry and control examination are presented in detail. Based on evaluation of results, answers to research questions are formulated. The chapter...

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito do biofeedback (BIO) associado à terapia ocupacional (TO) e à estimulação elétrica funcional (FES) na espasticidade, movimento ativo e função do membro superior de pacientes hemiplégicos. Este estudo foi realizado na Divisão de Medicina de Reabilitação do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Cinqüenta e nove pacientes acometidos por acidente vascular cerebral participaram do estudo por um ano; 31 receberam TO+FES duas vezes por semana + BIO uma vez por semana e 28 receberam somente TO+FES duas vezes por semana. Os pacientes foram avaliados inicialmente, após 6 meses e após 1 ano através da Avaliação da Função Manual, do Teste de Destreza Manual Minnesota, do Teste de Amplitude de Movimento e da Escala de Ashworth modificada. TO+FES+BIO melhoraram significativamente a amplitude de movimento e função dos membros superiores após 6 meses e 12 meses, quando comparado com somente TO+FES. Ambos os grupos melhoraram significativamente a espasticidade, após 6 meses e 12 meses, com diferença não significante entre eles. O uso adicional do biofeedback mostrou efeito positivo em amplitude de movimento e recuperação da função do membro superior no grupo estudado e pode representar uma importante ferramenta para a reabiltação de pacientes hemiplégicos / The objective of this was to study the effect of biofeedback (BIO) associated to occupational therapy (OT) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) on spasticity, range of motion and upper extremity function of hemiplegic patients. The study took part at the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine. Fifty-nine stroke patients were studied for one year; 31 received OT+FES twice a week + BIO once-a-week and 28 received only OT+FES twice-aweek. The patients were evaluated initially, after six months and after one year with the use of Manual Function Evaluation, Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test, Range of Joint Motion Test and Modified Ashworth Scale. OT+FES+BIO significantly improved range of motion and upper extremity function after 6 months and 12 months, compared to only OT+FES. Both groups showed significant improvement of spasticity, after 6 months and 12 months, with no significant difference between them. The additional use of BIO had a positive effect in range of motion and function recovery of upper extremity in the studied group and may represent an important therapeutic tool for stroke rehabilitation