Motor abilities and school readiness of disadvantaged children

Abstract

From the day a person is born motor development is very important. There are different phases of motor development, and if some of the phases are omitted, the child will probably have difficulties in physical, social and psychological development. Physical activity is positively related to academic achievement (Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves, & Malina, 2006), cognitive functioning (Ellemberg, 2010) and physical and general self-validation (Crocker, Kowalski, & Hadd, 2008). Unfortunately, not every child has an opportunity for healthy motor development. Furthermore, the majority of disadvantaged children start school with social, cultural and educational disadvantages. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between typically developed children and disadvantaged children in the first grade of primary school in the areas of school readiness and motor abilities. A battery of 7 school-readiness tests (DIFER) and 7 motor tests was administered to a sample of 19 disadvantaged children (M=7.56, SD=0.87) and 25 typically developed children (M=7.53, SD=0.35). Significant differences (F=5.43; p≤0.05) between the groups were observed in both areas. The disadvantaged children were falling considerably behind their peers. In those preschool and primary school institutions where the disadvantaged children from lower social status are enrolled in large numbers, a straightforward form of motor skills development ought to be implemented. A developmental programme would provide further help for preparing disadvantaged children for academic learning.