Educators Perspectives on the Value of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Fundamental Movement Skills for Early Years Foundation Stage Children in England

Impact and Implementation of an Early Years Fundamental Motor Skills Intervention for Children 4-5 Years

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are the cornerstone of a child's motor development, but concerns remain on the current level of FMS competencies, and intervention is required. This evaluation investigated if a targeted Early Years FMS intervention, delivered by a specialist physical education (PE) provider, improved the FMS of 4-5-year-old children across multiple sites.

METHODS

The Early Years FMS intervention ran for 18 weeks, 1 h/week, using a standardised programme of activities to develop FMS competencies across 219 children from 15 schools in the Midlands, UK. An adapted assessment was employed as a measure of FMS, assessing locomotor, object control, and stability skills at weeks 1, 9, and 18. The FMS were each rated as green = competent, amber = working towards, or red = not meeting the standards of the skill. A description of key programme implementation characteristics was described.

FINDINGS

Statistically significant increases in FMS competencies were achieved for 80% of participants at 18 weeks. Key implementation characteristics for the intervention included consistent staffing, a standardised programme, and a variety of pedagogical approaches delivered by specialist PE staff.

CONCLUSION

This evaluation provided important insights into the effectiveness and implementation of the Early Years FMS intervention to improve FMS competencies in children aged 4-5 years.

Direct Parent Engagement to Improve Fundamental Movement Skills in Children: A Systematic Review

Fundamental movement skills (FMS) are basic movements in children that represent the building blocks for more complex motor skill development and act as a prerequisite for enduring sport and physical activity (PA) engagement and positive health-related behaviours. The FMS proficiency is currently inadequate worldwide, and consequently there are alarming levels of inactivity and childhood obesity. However, parents are role models to their children and possess the power to influence their PA behaviour. This review investigated if parent-focused interventions could improve FMS in 2-7-year-old children and evaluated which setting and method of parent engagement was most impactful. Keyword searches were conducted via Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Only nine articles met the inclusion criteria. No research originated from the United Kingdom, highlighting the urgent need for further FMS interventions involving parents. The FMS improved in all nine studies, with significant changes in seven of the articles (p < 0.05). Parent-child co-activity, the education and empowerment of parents, and the provision of clear FMS guidance, messaging, and structure can positively influence children's FMS. Recently, smartphone apps have increased the feasibility and accessibility of FMS practice at home and may be integral to future interventions. Further research with direct parental involvement is clearly warranted.

Improving Fundamental Movement Skills during Early Childhood: An Intervention Mapping Approach

The earlier in life that a child can begin mastering fundamental movement skills (FMS), the more positive their physical activity (PA) trajectories and health outcomes are. To achieve sufficient development in FMS, children must be guided with tuition and practice opportunities. Schools and educators provide an opportunity for interventions that improve health behaviours and outcomes for children. The aim of this study was to use intervention mapping (IM) to design a programme of school-based intervention to improve FMS for children aged 4-5 years old. Following the six steps of IM, with each step comprising three to five tasks that require the input of a planning group formed by key stakeholders, a programme of intervention was planned. Prior knowledge and primary and secondary evidence was used to support the development of the programme. A logic model of the problem as well as logic models of change, programme design, production, implementation, and evaluation were proposed or completed within the study. The results can be used to begin to implement an FMS-focussed intervention within school settings within England and propose a sustainable and realistic approach for helping children to develop FMS with the support of well-informed educators who are confident to deliver better FMS practice and PA opportunities.

Examining the impact of physical education and physical skills development on preschoolers' physical and mental health

With greater socio-economic development and the popularization of scientific child-rearing methods, education has become of primary importance in contemporary society. This study attempts to promote the physical and mental health of preschoolers and improve their comprehensive learning ability. To understand the impact of sports skills and Physical Education (PE) on preschoolers' physical and mental health, we utilized the Questionnaire Survey (QS) and expert evaluation. First, the development of sports skills and the basic connotation of sports were expounded. Second, the characteristics of preschoolers and the importance of preschool education were discussed. Finally, the physical and mental health of 60 preschoolers was evaluated based on physical skill development and sports. The results revealed that the respondent preschoolers were grouped reasonably, and the research results had high reference values. In the control group, the physical conditions of four preschoolers changed significantly in the best case. By comparison, in the experimental group, preschoolers with significant physical changes had reached nine at best. In addition, as high as nine respondents showed obvious improvement in their mental state in the best case. Therefore, this study demonstrates that physical skill development and PE significantly impact preschoolers' physical and mental health, which has an important impact on preschoolers' learning. This finding provides a reference for preschoolers' sports skills development and contributes to their comprehensive PE teaching.

Social justice equity in healthy living medicine - An international perspective

Irrespective of geographical location, disadvantaged people are disproportionately affected by unnecessary disease and suffering caused by inequalities in health. Although equal access to opportunities for healthy living medicine regardless of legal, political, economic, or other circumstances should be a basic human right, it is increasingly improbable for scores of people, particularly in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, to acquire this. In recent times, global initiatives have attempted to make 'healthy lifestyles' more equitable by pledging to be relevant to all economies, promoting prosperity, environmental protection, climate change interventions, and purposeful action to meet the needs of vulnerable populations, including women and children. Yet there remains much to be done to address and reduce the substantial international health equity gaps. Reducing disparities that disproportionately affect the lower end of social strata must entail collaborative and systemic action from important stakeholders across the whole system, an approach that translates theory and research into practice. Ideally, realist approaches that appreciate the importance of the context of problems and assume nothing works everywhere or for everyone, should be prioritised over linear/simple and non-scalable intervention strategies.