SUPERVISED PHYSICAL TRAINING IMPROVES FINE MOTOR SKILLS OF 5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN

O TREINAMENTO FÍSICO SUPERVISIONADO MELHORA AS HABILIDADES MOTORAS FINAS EM CRIANÇAS DE 5 ANOS

EL ENTRENAMIENTO FÍSICO SUPERVISADO MEJORA LAS HABILIDADES MOTORAS FINAS EN NIÑOS DE CINCO AÑOS

ABSTRACT

Introduction:  Fine motor skills are important for children not only in the activities of daily living, but also for learning activities. In the present study, the effects of supervised physical training were investigated in normal children.

Objective:  To evaluate the effects of supervised training by combining full-body exercise and the eye-hand coordination activities to improve fine motor skills in a group of five-year-old normal children.

Methods:  Fifty-two children were selected and randomized in exercise and control groups. The exercise group participated in three 30-minute training sessions per week for 24 weeks.

Results:  The fine motor skills and hand grip strength of the exercise group were significantly increased, while there was no significant change in the control group during the experimental period.

Conclusion:  The results indicate that the current exercise training program is effective and can be applied to 5-year-old normal children to improve their fine motor skills. In addition, this program has simple physical activities that are appropriate to the physical and mental level of child development. The 30-minute training session would be easily implemented in the kindergarten program. Level of Evidence I; High quality randomized trial with statistically significant difference or no statistically significant difference but narrow confidence intervals.

Keywords: Physical training; Motor skills; Child