A longitudinal study of sport participation and perceived social competence in youth

Purpose: Participation in sport presents a unique setting for positive youth psychosocial development. Evidence supporting the relationship between sport and perceived social competence, however, is lacking longitudinal evidence; therefore, it is unknown how the relationship changes through late childhood to early adolescence. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the association between sport participation and self-perceived social competence over 4 years of early adolescence. Methods: The data for this study are from the longitudinal cohort Physical Health and Activity Study. A total of 2,278 children in grade 4 were followed for 4 years until age 13–14 years. Self-perceived social competence (SPSC) was measured using Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Children. Sport participation was measured using the Participation Questionnaire. Mixed effects models were used to evaluate the effect of sport as a continuous and categorical variable on SPSC. Results: There was a significant association of sport at baseline (b = .06, 95% CI: .04–.08) and a significant association of sport over time (b = .01, 95% CI: 4 × 10 to .017) on SPSC for both males and females. When examining sport participation categorically, compared with no sport participation, participation in any category of sport (in-school, out-of-school, or both) is positively associated with SPSC. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that higher participation in sport is associated with small gains in perceptions of social competence during late childhood to early adolescence, suggesting that sport may be a small yet important contributor to young adolescents' perceptions of their social capabilities

Evaluation of the Move 2 Learn program, a community-based movement and pre-literacy intervention for young children

Background: The Move 2 Learn (M2L) program is an evidence-based intervention designed to improve movement and pre-literacy skills in children ages 1.5–6 years. Purpose: The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention as delivered by non-experts in a community-based setting. Methods: Staff from four community centers were trained to implement M2L. Two sites were evaluated using a quasi-experimental design and the remaining two were evaluated using a pre–post design. Movement and pre-literacy skills were assessed twice in all children. Implementation fidelity was assessed using a weekly checklist and through site-visits. Results: Thirty-one children (15 girls and 16 boys; age range 23–53 months) participated in the study. The results of the quasi-experimental study (n = 17) showed that there was an overall effect of the program on time 2 total gross motor scores (standardized beta = 1.3,

Psychological distress and parent reporting on child health: the case of developmental delay

Background: Caregiver-completed screening questionnaires are a common first step in the identification of developmental delay. A caregiver's mood and anxiety level, however, may affect how he or she perceives and reports possible problems. Aims: In this article, we consider the association between caregiver distress and the accuracy of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), a widely-used screen. Methods and procedures: Our sample includes 857 parent-child dyads drawn from the Psychometric Assessment of the NDDS Study (PANS) and the NDDS Alternate Responses Study (NARS). Parents completed the ASQ and the K6, a brief measure of generalized distress. Children were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Child Development (BSID). We divided children on BSID result and used logistic regression to examine how distress influenced the ASQ's accuracy in each group. Results: Of our 857 children, 9% had at least one domain below −2 standard deviations on the BSID, and 17.3% had positive ASQ results. Caregiver distress predicted a positive ASQ substantially and significantly more strongly among BSID-positive children than among others. This translates into slightly reduced ASQ specificity but greatly improved sensitivity among caregivers with higher distress. Conclusions: At low to moderate levels of distress, greater distress is associated with greater ASQ accuracy

Towards a physical literacy framework to guide the design, implementation and evaluation of early childhood movement-based interventions targeting cognitive development

In this commentary, an argument for using physical literacy as a guiding framework for the design, implementation and evaluation of physical activity interventions targeting cognitive development in early childhood is offered. While physical activity and exercise have been shown to be positively linked to cognitive development, selecting the right kinds of activities for children, particularly in the first six years of life, is critical to ensuring children stay engaged and benefit from participation. The concept of "thinking movement" has been described before, where emphasis is placed not only on the importance of physical activity, but the combination of cognitive (e.g., problem solving) and movement based skills together as necessary for stimulating positive change in cognitive ability. Physical literacy offers great potential as a framework beyond thinking movement because it focuses not only on movement (motor skill) and physical activity, but also affective (fun) and motivational domains such as competence and confidence. The intersections of motor skill, positive affect and motivation are the core elements required to ensure children want to be active and are critical for maintenance of physical activity across the life-course.5 page(s

A quasi-experimental study of a movement and preliteracy program for 3-and 4-year-old children

Objective: Approximately 28% of children are not ready for kindergarten, 91% are inactive according to current guidelines, and 21% are overweight/obese. Early intervention to strengthen movement and preliteracy skills may help to curb the concerning rates of poor school readiness, inactivity, obesity, and subsequently positively impact health across the lifespan. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a motor and preliteracy skill program for a community sample of 3- to 4-year-old children. Methods: A quasi-experimental study design was used. The program was run for 1 h/week for 10 weeks and consisted of movement skill instruction, free play, and an interactive reading circle with care-giver involvement throughout each session. Movement and preliteracy skills were assessed in all children pre- and post-intervention using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2nd edition, the Preschool Word and Print Awareness tool, and the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening tool. Results: Nineteen families (experimental group, n = 8; control group, n = 11) were recruited (mean age = 3 years, 8 m; 47% male). There was a significant effect of group on gross motor raw scores overall [F(1, 16) = 4.67, p < 0.05; ω2p=0.16] and print-concept knowledge [F(1, 16) = 11.9, p < 0.05; ω2p=0.38]. Conclusion: This study was one of the first to examine the impact of a community-based movement skill and preliteracy program with care-giver involvement in preschool children. Future research should continue to explore the effects of the program with larger and more diverse samples on multiple health and developmental outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration: Play and Preliteracy among Young Children (PLAY) NCT02432443

Evaluation of a Direct-Instruction Intervention to Improve Movement and Preliteracy Skills among Young Children: A Within-Subject Repeated-Measures Design

Objective: School readiness involves the development of foundational skills such as emergent literacy and fundamental movement skills as well as the capacity to attentively engage in instructional situations. Children do not develop these skills naturally; therefore, they need the opportunity to develop these skills in their early years prior to entering school. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a direct-instruction movement and preliteracy intervention in children aged 3-4 years. Methods: A within-subject repeated-measures design, embedded within a wait-list control study, was used to evaluate the intervention. The intervention was run across 10 weeks with 1 h weekly sessions. Each weekly session consisted of 30-min of movement skill instruction (e.g., through single-step acquisition strategies), 15-min of free play during which time children had access to a variety of equipment (e.g., balls, hula hoops, etc.) or toys (e.g., puzzles, building blocks), and a 15-min interactive reading circle during which children read a storybook and were taught 1-2 preliteracy skills (e.g., alphabet knowledge, narrative knowledge, etc.). A convenience sample of 11 children (mean age = 45.6 months, SD = 7.3) was recruited. All children were assessed four times: baseline (Time 1), pre-intervention (Time 2), post-intervention (Time 3), and 5-week follow-up (Time 4). Gross motor skills and preliteracy skills were assessed at each time point. Results: There was a statistically significant effect of time on the change in gross motor skills (Wilks' lambda = 0.09, p =.002), print-concept skills (Wilks' lambda = 0.09, p =.001), and alphabet knowledge (Wilks' lambda = 0.29, p =.046). Post hoc analyses reveal non-significant changes between time 1 and 2 for motor and print-concept skills and significant changes in all three outcomes between time 2 and time 3. Conclusion: Participation in a direct-instruction movement and preliteracy program led to positive improvements in gross motor skills, print-concept knowledge, and alphabet knowledge in 3-to 4-year-old children over time. Future research needs to evaluate the effectiveness of this movement and preliteracy skill intervention on various other indicators of child development and health

The acceptability and feasibility of a preschool intervention targeting motor, social, and emotional development

Background: Children and youth are facing three major challenges: (1) poor mental health, (2) physical inactivity, and (3) lack of school readiness. Fundamental movement skills (FMS) and social–emotional learning (SEL) are two developmental domains that are associated with each of these challenges. Currently, there is little focus on interventions that target both FMS and SEL. Thus, the purposes of this study were to: (1) examine the acceptability and feasibility of an FMS and SEL program (Move 2 Smile) and (2) assess the impact of Move 2 Smile on FMS and SEL in children. Methods: An exploratory, pilot study using a within-subjects design was conducted. Descriptive statistics were computed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of the Move 2 Smile program. Changes in FMS and SEL were analyzed using a paired sample t-test. A focus group was conducted with parents to gain feedback after the program ended. Results: Eleven children (four girls; M = 50.56 months, SD = 8.63) participated, with families attending 80% of the sessions. The children and parents rated the enjoyment of the program 4.1/5 and 4.7/5, respectively. The instructor rated the children's perceived enjoyment 4.6/5 and feasibility of the sessions 4.7/5. Parents engaged in the FMS take-home activities once per week and the SEL activities three times per week. The intervention had a non-significant small to medium effect on FMS (d = 0.42, p = 0.19), a significant large effect on social skills (d = 1.38, p = 0.001) and emotion expressiveness (d = 0.79, p = 0.03), and a non-significant small to medium effect on emotion knowledge (d = 0.58, p = 0.10) and emotion regulation (d = 0.44, p = 0.17). The results from the focus group suggest that parents and children enjoyed the program and that the program was useful and effective at impacting FMS and SEL. Conclusions: This intervention is one of the first to intentionally target both FMS and SEL. Children, parents, and instructors deemed this program as acceptable and feasible. These preliminary findings warrant future evaluations of Move 2 Smile, including a randomized controlled trial

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of physically active classrooms on educational and enjoyment outcomes in school age children.

ObjectivesDespite the relationship between physical activity (PA) and learning outcomes, the school system has not been able to support the inclusion of PA throughout the day. A solution to this problem integrates PA into the academic classroom. The objective of this review is to determine the impact of active classrooms compared to traditional sedentary classrooms on educational outcomes of school-aged children.DesignWe searched ERIC, PubMed, PsychINFO, and Web of Science, reference lists of included studies for randomised controlled studies. Independent reviewers screened the texts of potentially eligible studies and assessed the risk of bias. Data were pooled using random-effects models on standardized mean differences.ResultsThis review identified 25 studies examining educational outcomes, including approximately 6,181 students. Risk of bias was assessed as either some or high risk of bias for most of the studies and outcomes. Pooled data from 20 studies and 842 participants measuring academic performance shows a small positive effect of active classrooms compared with traditional, sedentary classrooms (SMD = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.47).ConclusionsPhysically active classrooms may slightly improve academic achievement compared to the traditional sedentary lessons. Future research is needed to ensure that studies are adequately powered, employ appropriate methods of randomization, and measure a wide range of important student outcomes across the full spectrum of the school-age

Evaluation of a Direct-Instruction Intervention to Improve Movement and Preliteracy Skills among Young Children: A Within-Subject Repeated-Measures Design

ObjectiveSchool readiness involves the development of foundational skills such as emergent literacy and fundamental movement skills as well as the capacity to attentively engage in instructional situations. Children do not develop these skills naturally; therefore, they need the opportunity to develop these skills in their early years prior to entering school. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a direct-instruction movement and preliteracy intervention in children aged 3–4 years.MethodsA within-subject repeated-measures design, embedded within a wait-list control study, was used to evaluate the intervention. The intervention was run across 10 weeks with 1 h weekly sessions. Each weekly session consisted of 30-min of movement skill instruction (e.g., through single-step acquisition strategies), 15-min of free play during which time children had access to a variety of equipment (e.g., balls, hula hoops, etc.) or toys (e.g., puzzles, building blocks), and a 15-min interactive reading circle during which children read a storybook and were taught 1–2 preliteracy skills (e.g., alphabet knowledge, narrative knowledge, etc.). A convenience sample of 11 children (mean age = 45.6 months, SD = 7.3) was recruited. All children were assessed four times: baseline (Time 1), pre-intervention (Time 2), post-intervention (Time 3), and 5-week follow-up (Time 4). Gross motor skills and preliteracy skills were assessed at each time point.ResultsThere was a statistically significant effect of time on the change in gross motor skills (Wilks’ lambda = 0.09, p = .002), print-concept skills (Wilks’ lambda = 0.09, p = .001), and alphabet knowledge (Wilks’ lambda = 0.29, p = .046). Post hoc analyses reveal non-significant changes between time 1 and 2 for motor and print-concept skills and significant changes in all three outcomes between time 2 and time 3.ConclusionParticipation in a direct-instruction movement and preliteracy program led to positive improvements in gross motor skills, print-concept knowledge, and alphabet knowledge in 3- to 4-year-old children over time. Future research needs to evaluate the effectiveness of this movement and preliteracy skill intervention on various other indicators of child development and health.Clinical Trial RegistrationPlay and Pre-Literacy among Young Children (PLAY) NCT02432443