Physical Activity With Eduball Stimulates Graphomotor Skills in Primary School Students

Despite the general agreement that the interdisciplinary model of physical education (PE), based on the incorporation of core academic subjects into the PE curriculum, stimulates the holistic development of students, there is still a lack of methods for its implementation. Therefore, Eduball was created, i.e., a method that uses educational balls with printed letters, numbers, and other signs. Numerous studies have shown that children participating in activities with Eduballs can develop their physical fitness while simultaneously improving their academic performance, particularly in math and language, including some writing skills. However, little is known about the effects of Eduball on children’s graphomotor skills, which are key for the academic performance of students throughout the entire schooling process. Here, we investigate whether 6-month participation in PE with Eduball stimulates graphomotor skills in primary school students, such as drawing prehandwriting letter patterns on unlined or lined paper and rewriting text on unlined or lined paper. Our results show that the Eduball class (N = 28) significantly improved these skills compared to the control class (N = 26) participating in traditional PE. For example, students from the experimental group wrote with a lower pen pressure and better stability of the line, in contrast to those from the control group. Therefore, this study demonstrates that the Eduball method successfully supports teachers in developing graphomotor skills in children. More broadly, our findings make clear once again that there is the need to integrate physical and cognitive development in education, which can be achieved by using an interdisciplinary model of PE

Dziecięca matematyka

W rozdziale tym przedstawiono tradycyjne metody kształtowania kompetencji matematycznych dzieci, takie jak metoda samodzielnych doświadczeń, kierowania aktywnością, zadań i ćwiczeń; metody oparte na pokazie, przykładzie, udostępnianiu sztuki, rozmowie, opowiadaniu, zagadce, objaśnieniu, instrukcji, wierszu i piosence, czy też metody żywego słowa. Omówiono także alternatywne strategie, takie jak: metody bazujące na koncepcji pedagogicznej Montessori, Froebla, Steinera, Domana czy Friedrich, de Galgóczy i Schindelhauer, a także Naglaka, Rokity i Rzepy. Pokazano również nowe, oparte na technologiach informacyjno-komunikacyjnych, przestrzenie aktywności matematycznych: środowisko rzeczywistości wirtualnej i cyberparków. Odniesiono się ponadto do uczniów ze specjalnymi potrzebami matematycznymi, którzy wymagają jeszcze innych metod pracy. W tym kontekście wyjaśniono różnice między takimi problemami z matematyką jak akalkulia, dyskalkulia czy specyficzne trudności matematyczne. Wreszcie ukazano to, jak rozpoznać w klasie uczniów uzdolnionych matematycznie, jak z nimi pracować oraz wyróżniono kompetencje zawodowe, które powinien posiadać nauczyciel takich uczniów. Rozdział kończy krótkie podsumowanie zachęcające do refleksji nad procesem nauczania matematyki

Level of oxytocin prior to rugby and handball matches: An exploratory study among groups of Polish players

The aim of the present exploratory study was to assess the changes in urinary oxytocin (OT) concentration during the period between five days before, and on the day of match, among rugby and handball players. Nine male rugby players with a mean age of 27.62 years (SD = 4.21) and 18 male handball players with a mean age of 17.03 years (SD = 0.57) participated. Urinary oxytocin level was measured by ELISA immunoassay as a ratio to the concentration of creatinine [mg/ml] measured through colorimetric detection. The relative level of OT to creatinine (OT/CRE) significantly differed between the type of player (rugby or handball) but not between times of measurements. Significant differences were only between OT/CRE level in a day of match in rugby players and in 5 days before match in handball players (p<0.05). There was no change in oxytocin levels during the time periods between five days before and on the day of a match, in either of the two kinds of players. The change in oxytocin might be traceable during the match but not before a match and this perhaps depends on a more subtle context of competition, but not on the assumption of competition. Further studies are needed based on more homogenous group with higher number of matches

Sex Differences in Body Composition Changes after Preseason Training in Elite Handball Players

The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in the estimated body composition of elite female and male Polish handball players during a five-week preseason training camp. Height and weight were measured, while body composition was estimated with bioelectrical impedance in 18 male and 17 female handball players before and after the five-week training protocol. Components of body composition included total body water (TBW), fat-free mass (FFM), muscle mass (MM), and absolute and relative fat mass (FM). Weight and body mass index (BMI) did not change in males, but declined in females after five weeks of training. FM and %FM declined, while estimated TBW, FFM, and MM increased significantly after training in both males and females. In contrast, comparisons of log transformed ratios for changes in weight, the BMI and body composition in males and females, respectively, suggested that estimated TBW, FFM, and MM increased relatively more in females than in males, while FM and %FM decline relatively more in males than females. Overall, the five-week preseason training program modified the body composition of male and female handball players. FM and %FM decreased, while estimated TBW, FFM, and MM increased, in both males and females after the preseason training program. Comparisons of log transformed ratios for changes in body composition in males and females suggested sexual dimorphism in response to intensive preseason training

Edubal as a new teaching method with the use of ball-centered fun activities – research review

The aim of this study was to sum up the experiences gained during twelve-year research on effects of using educational balls called ‘edubal’ in PE classes in grades 1 to 3 of the primary school (i.e. children aged 7 to 10). The research was carried out in Poland an in Germany. The authors focused their attention on objectives and tasks of contemporary education of children aged 7 to 10 – first of all supporting and stimulating comprehensive development of children, especially with regard to improving coordinative motor abilities which determine, inter alia, reading and writing skills. Employment of ‘edubal’ education balls in early school education (grades 1 to 3 of the primary school) activates cognitive, emotional and physical spheres of a child and hence contributes to the integration of the subject content. The children while participating in PE classes with the use of education balls learn about letters, spelling rules, colours, mathematical signs and punctuation marks as well as numerous rules which are useful in linguistic and mathematical education and they shape their coordination abilities and improve physical skills. Moreover, they also develop their coordination abilities. ‘Edubal’ education balls have a much wider scope of application than it was the case twelve years ago. They are also used in occupational therapy of disabled persons and in work with dyslectic children who attend therapeutic schools

Time-space orientation in students with specific learning difficulties

Background. Time-space orientation is one of the specific coordination motor abilities. To a large extent, it is genetically conditioned by neurosensory and psychic abilities. Time-space orientation has significant impact on adaptation to rooms of various sizes, perception of obstacles, identifying space patterns, objects and distance. The purpose of this study was to compare level of time-space orientation of students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia with their peers (without learning disabilities). Material and methods. The research sample included 40 third grade students of two primary schools (18 students from Therapeutic Primary School No. 11 and 22 students from Primary School No. 15 in Wroclaw). In order to determine the level of time-space orientation, a modified Reactive Shuttle Drill test and the research tool Smart Speed System, (similar to that described by Ljach – “run for a ball”, 2003) were used. Results. students (both boys and girls) without any learning disabilities obtained better results. They were not statistically significant. When comparing boys’ and girls’ results, those of statistical significance appeared only in the second test

The level of selected coordinative motor abilities vs. ten-years-old childrens` results of the international Physical Fitness Tests

Introduction. During P.E. classes primary school students (grade 4) ought to improve their level of physical fitness, including coordinative motor abilities, as well as to acquire motor skills which enable them to take part in various forms of physical activity in an active and safe way. Unfortunately, in physical education of children and young people the main emphasis is still placed on the improvement of fitness abilities. We have to bear in mind, however, that the level of coordinative abilities limits significantly the improvement of necessary fitness abilities and vice versa. Our research was aimed at determining what dependencies exist between the results of selected coordinative motor abilities and ten-year-old children’ results of the tests designed by the International Committee for the Standardization of Physical Fitness Tests. Material and methods. The research group consisted of 93 students of primary schools in the town of Wołów. In order to determine the level of the particular components of physical fitness we employed the trials of the International Committee for the Standardization of Physical Fitness Tests (ICSPFT). For assessing the particular coordinative abilities we used the following tests: ‘run for the balls’, ‘stopping the rolling ball’, ‘long standing jump with 50% of maximum possibilities’, ‘long standing jump forward and backward’. Results. According to research findings there is a relationship between the improvement of the selected coordinative motor abilities and some of the components of physical fitness. Conclusions. Therefore, a physical education teacher are advised caution in choosing physical exercises and games, taking into consideration comprehensive motor development of students, including their coordinative motor abilities

BRAINballs Program Improves the Gross Motor Skills of Primary School Pupils in Vietnam

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the BRAINballs program on second graders’ gross motor skills in a primary school in Vietnam. A total of 55 students (23 boys and 32 girls) aged seven years participated in the study. The research used the method of a pedagogical experiment and parallel group technique (experimental and control group) with pre- and post-testing. The study was conducted in the school year 2019/2020. The gross motor skills performance was assessed by the Test of Gross Motor Development—2nd Edition. The BRAINballs program was conducted twice a week and combined physical activity with subject-related contents by means of a set of 100 balls with painted letters, numbers, and signs. The results showed that the experimental and control groups improved their motor skills after one school year (p &lt; 0.001). However, the analysis of covariance demonstrated that students from the experimental group, compared to students from the control group, showed significantly better scores in both subtests: locomotor (p = 0.0000) and object control skills (p = 0.0000). The findings of this study show that the BRAINballs program had a positive effect on children’s motor performances and may help to better understand the development of basic motor skills of seven-year-old students in Vietnam

No Motor Costs of Physical Education with Eduball

Numerous neuroscience studies demonstrate that when motor and cognitive tasks are performed simultaneously, there is dual-task interference. Experiments show that the cost is a temporal deterioration in motor functioning. However, there is no comprehensive research on the developmental costs of dual-task exercises incorporated into physical education (PE). Such an approach is called the interdisciplinary model of PE and is used to stimulate cognitive development. Therefore, there is a knowledge gap regarding the motor costs of methods based on this model, e.g., Eduball. The Eduball method integrates core academic subjects with PE using a set of educational balls printed with letters, numbers, and other signs. To fill this knowledge gap, we replicated the Eduball experiment, focusing on motor development. The half-year intervention occurred in one primary school class. The control group was a peer class participating in traditional PE, not based on dual tasks. We tested students’ space-time orientation and graphomotor, locomotor, and object control skills. We found no motor costs of the intervention. Eduball-based PE stimulated motor development as much as traditional PE. Our study suggests that methods based on the interdisciplinary model of PE are safe for motor development. As such, it is worth considering their use in children’s education

Everyone Can Implement Eduball in Physical Education to Develop Cognitive and Motor Skills in Primary School Students

Studies suggest that incorporating core academic subjects into physical education (PE) stimulates the development of both motor and cognitive skills in primary school students. For example, several experiments show that children&rsquo;s participation in Eduball, i.e., a method that uses educational balls with printed letters, numbers, and other signs, improves their physical fitness while simultaneously developing their mathematical and language skills. However, the question of who should conduct such classes to make them most effective (regular classroom teachers, physical education teachers, or maybe both in cooperation?) remains unanswered. Here, we replicated a previous Eduball experiment, but now, instead of one experimental group, there were three. In the first, Eduball-classes were conducted by the classroom teacher, in the second, by the physical education teacher, and in the third, collaboratively. After one year intervention, all experimental groups significantly improved both their cognitive (mathematical, reading, and writing) and gross motor (locomotor and object control) skills, and these effects were larger than in the control group participating in traditional PE. Importantly, there were no differences in progression between the Eduball-groups. Thus, our study demonstrates that methods linking PE with cognitive tasks can be effectively used by both PE specialists and general classroom teachers