Effect of physical activityon gross motor development among preschoolers

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Effect of physical activityon gross motor development among preschoolers

Chewang D.B., assistant professor Sikkim Government College Namchi-Kamrang (India)

Singh R.M., associate professor Department of Physical Education and Sports Pondicherry University (India)

Abstract

Background: The study was to examine the effect of physical activity programme on gross motor development in preschoolers.

Methodology: In this experimental study thirty children (3-5 years old) from two anganwadicentres from Trivandrum district of Kerala were selected randomly and assigned to two groups, an experimental group (n = 15) and control group (n = 15). The toolused for the purpose was «Gross Motor Development - 2 Ulrich, 2000». The test was conducted Pre and post training programme on both the groups. The experimental group underwent a semi-structured activity programme three times a week for twelve weeks. Paired t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used for analysis of the results.

Result: Twelve weeks of semi- structured physical activity programme for the experimental group made significant difference in all the variables of the study, but not in case of control group.

Conclusion: According to the obtained results, it can be concluded that the semi-structured physical activity programme along with their regular education process in anganwadi children was able to improve their gross motor skills significantly.

Keywords: Physical activity programme, Gross motor skills, Preschooler

Introduction

preschool children physical activity

In India, anganwadi centres under the governance of Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India has been functioning in different parts of states with the aim of providing nutrition, vaccination, health education, health check-up for mothers and children, along with preschool education to the children till the age of six years.

There are many factors that may encroach on the development and well - being of the budding life. If we watch a kitten chasing its tail, or a young child racing up and down the passage way of their homes, we are persuaded to feel that physical activity is a needed and inherent characteristic of a developing mammal [7]. Children have dominant characteristics of behavior of extraordinary urge and desire for physical movement. Children enjoy physical movement even without any specific aims or objectives. Children grow, develop, and learn through physical activity. Anganwadi children between the ages of 3-6 years is the phase of early childhood. Itis also known as the phase of perfection of basic movements [8]. It is also the phase of rapid motor development. The basic movements which the child learns in the earlier phase are refined and mastered. These movements are walking, running, throwing, jumping, climbing, pulling, pushing, rolling and so on. Most of the child's time when awake are spent in physical activities. It is obvious that motor activity programme has a significant function in their total growth and development.

Hence, participation in physical activity during childhood is a precious time for nurturing the development of a healthy life style.Through free play, rhythmic activities, action songs and stories and movement education makes the child physically and mentally aware of the movements of its body in various concepts, aspects and situation. Through bodily movements about space, force, time flow they develop clear relationship with their surroundings. The merit s of physical activity for children in terms of normal growth, development, and health related physical fitness are supported by a large body of research [1, 4, 6]. Children have different body proportions than adults, sometimes affecting their motor performances. Motor development is an important part of infancy and early childhood as it contributes to intellectual and skill development. Thus, regular and systematic physical activity during the preschool or early childhood could lead to development of several motor abilities and movements which may help in specific sport training by the end of the early childhood. Therefore, a need to take a right step of engaging the children with physical activity may not only benefit but also enhances their development process.

Methodology. The purpose of the study was to know the effect of physical activity programme on gross motors development in anganwadi children. To achieve this purpose thirty children between the age group of 3-5 years from two anganwadi centres from Trivandrum, Kerala, were selected as participants. They were randomly assigned to a control group and an experimental group of fifteen each for the period of twelve weeks. The participants of control and experimental groups were administered with TGMD- 2 Ulrich, 2000 before the start of the experimental training session and finally after the experimental training session. The data was statistically analyzed by using descriptive statistics, ANCOVA, and paired t- test to find out the significant difference if any. The level of significance chosen was P < 0.01 and P < 0.05.The experimental group performed the prescribed activity programme thrice a week for a period of twelve weeks with duration of 45-60 minutes. The training sessions included warming up, stretching exercise, ladder drills, aerobic/endurance dance, coordination exercise, ball games, folk songs and limbering down.

Stastical Analysis. The Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used as a statisticaltool, to test the significance of `adjusted posttest mean' difference between the control and experimental groups for each of the selected variables. The level of significance was fixed at 0.01 level of confidence.

Findings & Discussion. The calculated F ratio in the adjusted posttest was 85.94, 195.27 which was significant (p < 0.01) at 0.01 level since the table values for F with degrees of freedom (df) 1/27was 4.23 at 0.05 level and 7.72 at 0.01 level (1 df is lost because of the covariate). This significant F ratio for the adjusted posttest gross motor skills and GMQ scores shows that the two post mean scores, viz. the post mean score in the control group and experimental group do differ significantly after they have been adjusted for differences in pretest scores.

Table 1ANCOVA for adjusted post- test TGMD- 2 Ulrich 2000, Gross motor skills scores of experimental and control groups

**Significant at 0.01 level

The analysis of the results revealed that in the case of experimental group, significant changes were seen in the variables of TGMD-2 following the twelve week exercise programme. No changes were noticed in the control group.

Fig. 1. The percentage gain of Gross motor skills scores in Control and Experimental groups

Fig. 2. The percentage gain of GMQ scores in Control and Experimental groups

Significant improvement was seen in the gross motor development (locomotors and object control variables) following twelve weeks of physical activity programme. Significant improvement was seen in all the six locomotor variables i.e. run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, and slide [9]. Also arrived at a similar result in their study that a 40-week locomotor program resulted in significant improvements in motor skills. Pre-school children are in an age of rapid motor skill development. They learn to use and test their bodies. Children were provided wide range of activities of moving the body through space like-walking, running, hopping, jumping, rolling, dancing, climbing and leaping, ladder drills. These activities were used for the purpose of investigating and exploring the relationship between themselves, space and object in space. Thus, locomotion played a major role in motor and skill development. Involving in physical activity resulted in loss of baby fat and children become leaner. This «Slimming down» and increasing motor coordination enables the preschooler to participate with more confidence in the locomotor activities [5].

Following the twelve weeks of physical activity programme a significant improvement was found in the experimental group. At the beginning, it was found that preschoolers gross motor quotient for both the experimental and control group was found to be average (90-110) with the percentile score (25^th - 75^th) but after the intervention programme in the experimental group they improved to an above average score (111-120) and in some cases even upto superior (121-130) scores with percentile between (76^th - 98^th) whereas, no such change was seen in the control group [2]. Also concurred that physical activity programme was effective in increasing vigorous physical activity levels in the intervention group. Another suggestion wasthat physical activity is a strong determinant in the early development of the brain, not just motor control [3].

Conclusion

Based on the result of the study, it was concluded that twelve weeks of physical activity programme resulted in significant improvement of gross motor development and positive development behavior in preschoolers.

References

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4. Malina R. M., Bouchard C. Growth, Maturation and Physical Activity. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1991.

5. Morrison G. S. Early Childhood Education Today (6th ed). New Jersey: A Simon & Schuster Company, 1995.

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9. Sugden D. A., Chambers M. E. Intervention in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: the role of parents and teachers. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 2003. Vol. 73, pp. 545-561.

10. Ulrich D. A. Test of Gross Motor Development (2nd ed). Austin, TX; Pro-Ed, 2000.

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