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Evaluation of a 12-Week Classroom-Based Gross Motor Program Designed to Enhance Motor Proficiency, Mathematics and Reading Outcomes of Year 1 School Children: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

This study explored whether Year 1 school children exposed to a 12-week classroom-based gross motor program progressed differently than Year 1 children undertaking their regular school program in motor proficiency, mathematics, and reading outcomes. Fifty-five Australian Year 1 school children (25 boys, 30 girls, mean age 6.77 ± 0.40 years) were exposed to either (i) their normal school program (Class N) or (ii) a 12-week program comprised of gross motor circuits and physically active: a) reading lessons (Class R) or b) mathematics lessons (Class M). Motor proficiency and academic performance in mathematics and reading were assessed using the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (2nd Edition) and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test—2nd Edition—Australian Standardised Edition, respectively. Differences in outcomes between classes following the 12-week program were assessed. Mean change scores for the mathematics composite were significantly greater for participants in Class R (9.61 ± 5.62, p = .001) and Class M (7.57 ± 5.79, p = .019) than for participants in Class N (0.76 ± 8.00). Mean change scores for reading (11.54 ± 7.51, p = .017) and total motor composites (6.12 ± 5.07, p = .034) were also significantly greater for participants in Class M than Class N (4.47 ± 3.50 and 0.82 ± 4.38 respectively). A 12-week classroom-based gross motor program may be beneficial for motor skill development and learning in Year 1 school children. This pilot evaluation may usefully inform future experimental studies to further investigate whether classroom-based motor skill programs have a beneficial effect on motor proficiency and academic outcomes in children in the early years of primary school.

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Acknowledgements

The authors of this study would like to thank the school staff and children who participated in the study. We would also like to thank the university health professional students involved in the Tweed Healthy Schools Project for their assistance with this study. The Tweed Healthy Schools Project received funding through the North Coast Interdisciplinary Clinical Training Network competitive grants scheme. This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physiotherapy Program, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Kirstin Macdonald, Nikki Milne, Rodney Pope & Robin Orr

  2. School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, NSW, Australia

    Rodney Pope

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  1. Kirstin Macdonald
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  2. Nikki Milne
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Contributions

KM Developed the research methodology, prepared submission of application for ethics approval, recruited participants, collected the data, designed and implemented the 12-week program, analysed the data, prepared initial draft of manuscript, subsequent manuscript preparation and edited the final manuscript; NM Assisted with the development of the research plan, aided in the submission for ethics approval, assisted in post-test data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation and editing; RP Assisted with the development of the research plan, aided in the submission for ethics approval, assisted in the data analysis, manuscript preparation and editing; RO Assisted with the development of research plan, aided in the submission for ethics approval, assisted in the data analysis, manuscript preparation and editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kirstin Macdonald.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no competing interests.

Ethics Approval

Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the Bond University Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol number RO1836), and research approval was provided by the State Education Research Approval Process in New South Wales, Australia (Reference number 2014075).

Informed Consent

Parental consent was obtained in writing to confirm participation of each student involved in the study.

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Macdonald, K., Milne, N., Pope, R. et al. Evaluation of a 12-Week Classroom-Based Gross Motor Program Designed to Enhance Motor Proficiency, Mathematics and Reading Outcomes of Year 1 School Children: A Pilot Study. Early Childhood Educ J 50, 811–822 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01199-w

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