Thesis (MScSportSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a sensory motor development programme could have an effect on some of the underlying physical and perceptual abilities that support school readiness. The control group consisted of 23 children and the two intervention groups of 79 children in total. All of the children were enrolled in a pre-primary school programme in a local community. They were all six years old by the end of the intervention. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Henderson & Sugden, 1992) was used to assess the children on their manual dexterity, eye-hand coordination, static balance and dynamic balance. The intervention programme consisted of two phases of 10 weeks each, during which the sensory motor development activities were presented to the two intervention groups. Results of the investigation revealed there were significant improvements for some of the children on selected variables that underlie school readiness. It can be concluded that participation in a sensory motor development programme can make a significant contribution to school readiness for many children. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om te bepaal of 'n sensories-motoriese ontwikkelingsprogram enige uitwerking op bepaalde onderliggende fisiese en perseptuele vermoëns wat tot skoolgereedheid by jong kinders bydra, sou kon hê. Die kontrolegroep het uit drie-en-twintig kinders bestaan. Die twee tussentredende groepe het altesaam uit nege-en-sewentig kinders bestaan. Die kinders was almal pre-primêre skoolprogramleerders vanuit 'n plaaslike gemeenskap. Teen die einde van die intrede het al die betrokke kinders sesjarige ouderdom bereik. Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Hendersen & Sugden, 1992) is as riglyn gebruik om die kinders se handvaardigheid, oog-hand-koërdinasie, statiese en dinamiese balans te evalueer. Die tussentredeprogram het bestaan uit twee fases van tien weke elk. Die sensoriese-motoriese ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite is terselfdertyd vir die twee tussentredegroepe aangebied. Die resultate van die ondersoek het beduidende vordering in sommige kinders getoon, spesifiek ten opsigte van bepaalde veranderlikes onderliggend aan skoolgereedheid. Hierdie bevinding dui daarop dat sodanige deelname in 'n sensories-motoriese ontwikkelingsprogram wel 'n betekenisvolle bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van skoolgereedheid in baie kinders kan maak.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Children in preschool are at an optimal time for the development of gross and fine motor skills. Children who enter into preschool with developmental delays struggle to keep up with their peers. These developmental delays often perpetuate into later school years, with negative effects. Visual-motor integration (VMI) is a hugely important skill that children need to develop before formal schooling commences. It forms the basis for academic skills like reading and writing, as well as many sport skills. Having a VMI and/or gross motor development delay can affect a child’s academic experience greatly. When referring specifically to reading and writing, many underlying gross motor processes occur simultaneously to enable the child to perform tasks successfully. Success in the classroom depends a great deal on developed VMI and gross motor skills. Research shows investigation into various factors that account for differences and delays in motor skills. Socio-economic status is mentioned as a factor that can negatively affect VMI and gross motor skills development. Gender differences have also been known to be a reason for varying success in VMI or fine motor skills and gross motor skills. It is most important that delays and differences in VMI and gross motor skills success should be the focus of preschool education curriculums. The purpose of the current study was to improve the VMI skills of children who presented below average VMI skills scores. The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration 6th Edition (DTVMI) was used to measure the participants VMI skills, and the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd Edition (TGMD-2), was used as a measure of gross motor skills. The supplemental tests of the DTVMI, as well as the subtests of the TGMD-2, were performed. Two preschools were conveniently selected to participate in the study, one from a high socio-economic background and one from a low socio-economic background. Of the total participants initially tested (N=77), only a small number (N=23), scored below average VMI scores and continued to participate in the study. From these participants (N=23) an experimental (n=12) and a control group (n=11) were randomly selected. The experimental group participated in a 14-week intervention programme, two sessions per week each with a duration of 45 minutes, that focused on the underlying gross motor processes that relate to reading, writing and VMI skills. After the 14 weeks the participants were tested again to measure the effects of the intervention programme. All data collected were statistically analysed.The most relevant result found in the current study showed that participants from the low socio-economic school showed significantly lower VMI skills than participants from the higher socio-economic school. No differences in VMI skills were found between the genders. Overall in both VMI and gross motor skills the intervention programme was beneficial to the participants, although these results were not found to be statistically significant. This study emphasises that the disparities in VMI skills between children from low- and higher socio-economic backgrounds should be addressed before they enter school. This will ensure that these differences become minimised. This study suggests that gross motor activities can be beneficial to VMI skills of preschool children. More research is needed to fully determine the potential of gross motor intervention programmes in improving academic skills such as VMI. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Voorskoolse kinders bevind hulle in ʼn optimale periode van groot- en fynmotoriese ontwikkeling. Kinders van hierdie ouderdom met ontwikkelingsagterstande sukkel om op skool by hulle eweknieë by te bly. Hierdie ontwikkelingsagterstande duur gewoonlik voort tot in latere skooljare met negatiewe implikasies. Visueel-motoriese integrasie (VMI) is ʼn baie belangrike vaardigheid wat kinders voor hulle formele skooljare in aanvang neem, moet ontwikkel. Dit vorm die basis vir akademiese vaardighede soos lees en skryf, asook vir baie sportvaardighede. ʼn Kind se akademiese ervaring kan baie nadelig deur ʼn VMI en/of groot motoriese ontwikkelingsagterstand beïnvloed word. Met spesifieke verwysing na lees en skryf, moet baie onderliggende groot motoriese prosesse gelyktydig plaasvind om die kind in staat te stel om take suksesvol uit te voer. Sukses in die klaskamer is grootliks van ʼn ontwikkelde VMI en groot motoriese vaardighede afhanklik. Navorsing toon ondersoeke na verskeie faktore wat vir verskille en agterstande in motoriese vaardighede verantwoordelik is. Sosio-ekonomiese status word beskou as een van die faktore wat VMI en groot motoriese ontwikkeling negatief kan affekteer. Dit is ook bekend dat geslagsverskille ʼn rede vir variërende sukses in VMI- of fyn motoriese- en groot motoriese vaardighede is. Dit is van uiterste belang dat agterstande en verskille in VMI- en sukses met groot motoriese vaardighede die fokus van voorskoolse opvoedkundige kurrikulums moet wees. Die doel van die huidige studie was om die VMI vaardighede van kinders met ondergemiddelde VMI vaardigheid tellings te verbeter. Die Beery-Buktenica Development Test of Visual-Motor Integration 6th Edition (DTVMI) is gebruik om die deelnemers se VMI vaardighede te bepaal en die Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd Edition (TGMD-2) is gebruik om hulle groot motoriese vaardighede te bepaal. Die aanvullende toets van die DTVMI, asook die sub-toets van die TGMD-2, is uitgevoer. Twee voorskoolse skole, een uit ʼn hoë sosio-ekonomiese- en een uit ʼn lae sosio-ekonomiese omgewing is met ʼn gerieflikheidsteekproef geselekteer om aan die studie deel te neem. Van die totale aantal deelnemers (N-77) wat aanvanklik getoets is, het slegs ʼn klein aantal (N=23) ondergemiddelde VMI tellings behaal om met die studie voort te gaan. Vanuit hierdie deelnemers (N=23) is ʼn eksperimentele- (n=12) en ʼn kontrole groep ewekansig geselekteer. Die eksperimentele groep het aan ʼn 14-week intervensieprogram, twee keer per week, wat elk 45 minute geduur het, deelgeneem. Die intervensieprogram het op die onderliggende groot motoriese prosesse wat net lees, skryf en VMI vaardighede verband hou, gefokus. Na afloop van die 14 weke is die deelnemers weer getoets om die effek van die intervensieprogram te bepaal. Al die ingesamelde data is statisties verwerk. Die mees relevante resultaat wat in die huidige studie gevind is, dui daarop dat die deelnemers van die lae sosio-ekonomiese skool beduidende laer VMI vaardighede as die deelnemers van die hoër sosio-ekonomiese skool getoon het. Geen verskille in VMI vaardighede is tussen die geslagte gevind nie. Alhoewel die resultate nie statistiese betekenisvol was nie blyk dit dat in geheel beskou die intervensieprogram, in beide VMI- en groot motoriese vaardighede, voordele vir die deelnemers ingehou het. Die huidige studie beklemtoon dat die verskille in VMI vaardighede tussen kinders vanuit lae- en hoë sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde aangespreek moet word voordat hulle in skole toegelaat word. Dit sal verseker dat hierdie verskille tot die minimum beperk word. Hierdie studie suggereer dat groot motoriese aktiwiteite voordele vir die VMI vaardighede van voorskoolse kinders kan inhou. Verdere navorsing is nodig om die potensiaal van groot motoriese intervensieprogramme op die verbetering van akademiese vaardighede soos VMI ten volle te verstaan.

D. Litt et Phil. / The major objective of this study was to develop and to investigate the merit of a stimulation programme for improving the abilities of preschool children with delayed fine-motor and/or language development. There are many different kinds of programmes available for stimulating the abilities of preschool children. Teachers, home-schoolers and mothers utilise these to supplement the preschool curriculum for their preschool children. It is believed that children with developmental delays are at risk for formal education and that stimulation can offset these delays ensuring that children are able to actualise their potential. An intervention programme was designed with the aim of improving school readiness abilities in children. Although many research studies support educational stimulation, to date, insufficient attention has been paid to researching stimulation programmes of this kind. Subtests from Sonnekus and Le Roux’s Group Test for the Evaluation of School Readiness were selected for the screening test. Subtests were selected to identify children with fine-motor and/or language delays. Two hundred and twenty-five children of five years of age turning six years during the course of the year were screen-tested at four different schools. Forty-three children achieving the lowest scores on the screening test at two of the most homogeneous schools in terms of socio-economic grouping were allocated to the experimental or control groups of the Pretest-Posttest Control Group design. The experimental group consisted of 21 participants and the control group, of 22 participants. Quantitative analysis involved determining statistically significant differences between pre-intervention and post-intervention test scores on the six subscales of the Revised Griffiths Scales of Mental Development and the Draw-a-Person test for the two groups of preschool children identified as fine-motor and/or language delayed. The effect of the intervention was also examined on male and female children separately. The male to female ratios were: Group 1: 15:6 and Group 2: 14:8. Overall, the gender ratio was 67,4 % male to 32,6 % female. The programme of stimulation includes vocabulary and language, eye and hand co-ordination, visual and auditory perceptual training, numerical and alphabetical stimulation, and reasoning skills. It was designed for implementation over 20 sessions, each of an hour in duration. The programme was completed in a school term, three sessions per school week for six weeks and two in the seventh week. The intervention programme was effective in improving certain school readiness abilities of children with delays in language and/or fine-motor co-ordination. The following statistically significant results were obtained: With regard to all the children exposed to the intervention programme, improved scores were obtained on the Personal-Social and Eye-Hand Co-ordination subscales of the Griffiths Scales and the Draw-a-Person test for the children. Negative scores were obtained on the Locomotor Scale. For male children, the intervention programme improved the scores on the Speech and Hearing and Eye and Hand Co-ordination subscales of the Griffiths Scales and Draw-a-Person test. Regarding female children, the intervention programme improved the scores on the Eye and Hand Co-ordination subscale of the Griffiths Scales and the Draw-a-Person test. Negative results were obtained on the Locomotor subscale for female children. The gender differences obtained confirm that differences exist between the genders at this stage of development. Consistent positive results were obtained on the Eye and Hand Co-ordination subscale of the Griffiths Scales and the Draw-a-Person test. The Eye and Hand Co-ordination subscale is a measure of visual-motor co-ordination. The Draw-a-Person test reveals the progression in intellectual development toward greater conceptual complexity and maturity. The intervention programme thus contributed to the school readiness abilities of the children. Generalisation of findings is limited for two main reasons. Original settings can never be replicated in educational research and extraneous variables (some measureable and some unknown) may have influenced outcomes. The study was finally evaluated using Payne’s (1994) model of programme evaluation and the Program Evaluation Standards (Sanders, 1994). Regarding Payne’s (1994) model of programme evaluation which involved an evaluation of the research design, data collection, data analysis, results and cost effectiveness, the study can be judged positively. A single negative aspect was the lack of pilot testing which would have served the researcher better in planning for more effective implementation. Positive affirmation for the study was further obtained in applying the Program Evaluation Standards (Sanders, 1994) of Utility, Feasibility, Propriety and Accuracy. This study endorses the belief that preschool development is best promoted by varied educational stimulation within a recognised preschool programme guided by qualified teachers. It is hoped that the development, quantitative analysis and assessment of this intervention programme has contributed to this most important field of preschool intervention and will serve to encourage further research in this area.

This investigation examined the development of young children's behaviors on swings in the outdoor play environment and their emerging understanding of the physics principles associated with those behaviors. The children's language interactions were also examined in an effort to determine the relationship between language and cognitive development in their construction of physical knowledge. The procedures involved observing the children's behaviors and collecting samples of their spontaneous language interactions during their swinging activities. Informal interviews were also conducted with individual and groups of children. The findings indicate that young children's swinging behaviors develop in eight hierarchical stages. As these behaviors develop, children experiment with the physics principles of balance, gravity, force, resistance, and resonance. Children's swinging behaviors develop in a social context. Many early behaviors are acquired through observing and modeling other children. Language provides the medium for more-experienced peers to assist novice swingers through encouragement and direct instruction. The stage development of swinging behaviors is compared to Cratty's Theory of Perceptual-Motor Development and Harrow's Taxonomy of the Psychomotor Domain. Children's cognitive processing and language interactions are discussed in the context of Piagetian and Vygotskian theories of development. Implications for instruction and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-12-09Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:40:46Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 farias_alp_dr_rcla.pdf: 394609 bytes, checksum: 13782eb9581a309ee3ab3cb13e20ca14 (MD5) / Desenvolvimento motor é interpretado como o processo de mudanças que ocorrem no comportamento motor ao longo do ciclo de vida e é caracterizado por mudanças qualitativas, envolvendo as necessidades biológicas subjacentes as ambientais e ocupacionais, que influenciam o desempenho motor e as habilidades motoras dos indivíduos. O objetivo deste estudo foi diagnosticar e descrever o desenvolvimento das habilidades motoras fundamentais de crianças, em idade do Ensino Fundamental I, no Estado da Paraíba. A amostra foi composta por 410 crianças distribuídas nas quatro regiões paraibanas (Mata, Borborema, Sertão e Agreste), sendo 209 meninos e 201 meninas, na faixa etária de 6 a 10 anos. A obtenção dos dados ocorreu na própria escola que a criança estudava, tendo sido as crianças filmadas realizando as habilidades motoras dos subtestes locomotor e controle de objeto do TGMD-2 (Ulrich, 2000). Após a filmagem, a análise dos dados foi feita por três avaliadores devidamente treinados. Os valores brutos referentes ao subteste locomotor realizado em regiões e grupos etários foram diferentes entre os grupos etários, F(4,390)=52,61, p<0,001, entre as regiões, F(3,390)=9,34, p>0,001, e interação entre grupos etários e regiões, F(12,390)=2,41, p>0,01. No controle de objetos, foi observada diferença entre os grupos etários, F(4,390)=58,26, p<0,001, entre as regiões, F(3,390)=13,44, p>0,001, e interação entre os grupos etários e as regiões, F(12,390)=4,07, p<0,001. Nos valores brutos referentes ao subteste locomotor, em função do gênero e grupos etários, foi observada diferença entre os grupos etários, F(4,400)=60,04, p<0,001, porém não revelou diferença entre gêneros, F(1,400)=2,12, p>0.05, e interação entre os grupos etários e os gêneros, F(4,400)=1,57, p>0.05. No controle de objetos... / Motor development can be understood as a process or as a product. As a process, it is characterized by qualitative changes, influenced by underlying biological needs, environmental and occupational factors that influence motor performance and motor skills of individuals. The goal of this study was to describe the development of fundamental motor skills of children, in Elementary School age, in the state of Paraiba. The sample consisted of 410 children divided into four regions of the state of Paraiba (Mata, Borborema, Sertão, and Agreste), with 209 boys and 201 girls, aging from 6 to 10 years. The data collection occurred at school in which children were enrolled, with the children filmed performing motor skills of the locomotor and object control subtests of the TGMD-2 (Ulrich, 2000). After the video recording, data analysis was performed by three trained raters. Raw scores of the locomotor subtest compared among regions and age groups were different among age groups, F(4,390)=52.61, p<0.001, among regions, F(3,390)=9.34, p>0.001, and interaction between age groups and regions, F(12,390)=2.41, p> 0.01. Regarding the object control, differences were observed among age groups, F(4,390)=58.26, p<0.001, among regions, F(3,390)=13.44, p>0.001, and interaction between age groups and regions, F(12,390)=4.07, p<0.001. Raw scores for the motor subtest regarding gender and age groups, differences were observed among age groups, F(4,400)=60,04, p<0.001, but showed no difference between genders, F(1,400)=2.12, p>0.05, and interaction between age groups and gender, F(4,400)=1.57, p>0.05. Differently, differences were observed for the object control values among age groups, F(4,400)=71.51, p<0.001, between genders, F(1,400)=8,82, p<0,005. The results indicate that the development of fundamental... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

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This thesis describes three boys diagnosed with dyspraxia and their whanau (families and extended families) as they enter and become part of a community gymnastics group in a city in New Zealand. The study builds on literature that has defined dyspraxia in terms of dysfunction, but generally failed to resolve the disorder. Through the social perspective of health and well-being, participation of children and adults with disabilities has been explored in terms of the person and the environments in which they participate; however, the influence activity itself has on participation has not been thoroughly described. There has been a growing interest in the participation of children with disabilities in recreation and leisure activities and this study provides an in depth cultural perspective of such participation in New Zealand context. This study aims to answer the question "What do children with dyspraxia and their whanau do in a gymnastics group, and what does it mean to them to participate?". The overarching question is "What is the culture of a community gymnastics group in which children with dyspraxia participate?". Ethnographic methodology is employed to ensure that the participants' perspectives, including the beliefs, values and meaning that their participation holds is portrayed, while the associated activities and behaviours are also captured. As the boys with dyspraxia and their whanau entered the gym, they built on their previous experiences to make sense of what they needed to do and what meaning the environment held. I had not planned on the boys being integrated with an established group, but on the first night they spontaneously joined in with a noncompetitive, mixed age, boys group. The parents perceived the Club as professional, while the boys were initially intimidated. Fortunately, the equipment, which made the gym look like a playground, enticed the boys to participate. To shift the boys from their initial perception of the gym being a playground, the coaches used two styles of An Ethnography of Children with Dyspraxia Participating in Gymnastics coaching to support and encourage their participation, while suppressing behaviour that did not fit with the norms of the Club. The boys needed to develop gymnastics skills and fit into the group to become gymnasts. The boys succeeded in fitting into the group by both developing skills and adapting their behaviour, while the type of boys without dyspraxia, the style of coaching afforded, the range of equipment and the activity of gymnastics itself meant that some of their initial difficulties were accommodated and they were seen as group members. The participants developed values and beliefs about what the boys participation in the group meant. Having fun and developing confidence and fitness were highlighted, while the social aspects (making friends and the whanau experiences) were also seen as important. The parents and coaches felt that the boys' experiences in gymnastics had an impact on them that would transfer to the world beyond the gym. This study contributes a qualitative perspective on the participation of children with disabilities in a sports occupation, with a focus on the cultural context of their participation.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Nancy Getchell, Dept. of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Phil.(Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences))--University of Pretoria, 2002. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Previous research has shown that fundamental movement skills (FMS) proficiency influences physical activity (PA) in children, such that those who are more proficient tend to be more active. Sufficient PA engagement in childhood has been associated with positive health outcomes, but little is known about PA levels in children with disabilities. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) represent the largest diagnostic group in pediatric rehabilitation. In one systematic review and six studies, FMS proficiency and PA levels among children with CP were measured, analyzed, and compared with typically developing children. The lack of a valid objective PA measurement method for children with CP was determined in the systematic review, and the first study (Chapter 2) validated the Actigraph accelerometer as a valid objective PA measurement instrument in this population group. FMS measurement in children with CP was addressed in the second study (Chapter 3), which showed that process-and product-oriented measurement are both important in characterizing FMS proficiency in a holistic manner. With the said measurement techniques validated, the third study (Chapter 4) utilized a cross- sectional study design to examine FMS proficiency and PA in children with and without CP. It was found that children were less active and more sedentary during weekends than weekdays. FMS proficiency was negatively associated with sedentary time and positively associated with time spent in moderate to vigorous PA in both groups of children. Process-oriented FMS measures were found to have a stronger influence on PA in children with CP than in typically developing children. With the intention to examine these relationships in a cause-effect study design, a theoretical model for FMS training programs was tested in children with and without disabilities in the fourth and fifth studies (Chapter 5). A movement training approach that minimized the amount of practice errors was found to facilitate improvements in FMS proficiency. This approach was then utilized in the sixth study (Chapter 6), wherein the relationship of FMS proficiency and PA were examined in a quasi-experimental design. It was found that by training FMS, weekend PA was heightened and weekend sedentary time was decreased among children with CP. In comparison, typically developing children manifested decreased weekend sedentary time after FMS training. The findings from these studies contribute to understanding the measurement of FMS and PA in children with CP, the implementation of FMS training in children in general, and the relationship between FMS and PA in children with and without disabilities. / published_or_final_version / Human Performance / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy