PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S RESULTS IN MOVEMENT ABC TESTS: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GIRLS AND BOYS IN MOVEMENT DEFICIT

The aim of our study was to assess the children's motor skills on a sample of preschool children between the age of 4 and 5 (x = 4.44 ̅, SO = 0.46), using a checklist questionnaire and movement assessment battery for children. We wanted to know whether the examined sample shows any deficits in movement or any physical difficulties, as well as what are the differences in gender. The study included 100 children from three kindergartens on the Slovenian coastal region. We used the percentile norms for common evaluation of movement problems. The total score below 15 percentile which indicates movement problems, was determined in 27 % of children, of which 66.7% in girls and 33.3% in boys. Statistically significant gender difference was found in the skipping rope test (p = 0.005), where boys performed better (x ̅ = 0.21) than girls (x = 1.08). The findings show a high incidence of movement difficulties in preschool children, as a quarter of children do not reach the expected level of motor development, thus, this indicates the suspected occurrence of developmental coordination disorder. Further research is needed in the field of movement ABC tests application and in the incidence of movement deficites on a representative sample. It is also advisable to identify the factors that are associated with movement deviations in preschool children. In encouraging a child's motor developement a greater attention should be given to girls in particular. The results of the movement ABC tests needs to be considered from the perspective of the child's holistic development and their motivation to perform

Pomen naravnih oblik gibanja v prvem starostnem obdobju

Gibalna/športna aktivnost je tesno povezana z vzgojo najmlajših otrok. Z igro se uči gibati, uči pa se tudi z gibanjem (Tancing, 1979). Otroke je potrebno usmerjati, da iščejo svoje načine za rešitev zastavljene gibalne naloge in z lastno domišljijo odgovarjajo na nove izzive ter s tem sproščeno izražajo lastno ustvarjalnost in gibalno ekspresijo (Videmšek in Visinski, 2001). V članku bomo predstavili in analizirali pripravo otrok v starosti 2,5 do 3 let na izvedbo naravnih oblik gibanja s poudarkom na predvajah za preval naprej. Aktivnosti smo izvajali v vrtcu Hiša otrok Montessori v okviru Zavoda Antona Slomška v Mariboru. Naključno so bili izbrani otroci iz heterogene jaslične skupine v starosti od 2,5 do 3 let. Šest otrok, 4 deklice in dva dečka, smo opazovali med vodenimi vadbenimi urami. Vsi otroci so bili v času izvajanja gibalnih dejavnosti, od 17. 2. do 21. 4. 2011 zdravi, primerno oblečeni in obuti. Rezultate smo pridobili z opazovanjem otrok med vadbenimi urami. Zapise o vsakem opazovanem otroku smo individualno predstavili v tabeli. Tudi končni opis napredka vsakega otroka smo uredili v tabelo. Cilj naše naloge je bil realiziran, saj so otroci usvojili predvaje za preval naprej, z izborom zanimivih vsebin pa smo jim omogočili radostno doživljanje gibanj