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Contemporary learning and development models have identified parkour-style training as a vehicle for athlete enrichment. However, perceptions of team-sport coaches and their receptiveness to such models of athlete enrichment have not been investigated and remain unclear. To explore how parkour-style training could be integrated into athlete development programs in team sports, we interviewed sport practitioners to explore their preexisting knowledge of parkour and their perceptions on its potential applications. Experienced talent development (n = 10) and strength and conditioning coaches (n = 10) were interviewed using an open-ended, semistructured approach with a two-stage thematic analysis being conducted to identify themes. Three dimensions were identified: coaches' general perceptions of parkour, potential applications of parkour, and feasibility of integrating parkour into athlete development programs. Participant perceptions revealed that: (a) parkour activities were viewed as supplementary activities to enrich sport-specific training routines, including use of obstacle courses and/or tag elements; (b) parkour-style obstacle environments needed to be scalable to allow individual athletes and coaches to manipulate object orientation and tasks using soft play and traditional gym equipment; and (c) the implementation of continued professional development opportunities, athlete-centered approaches to learning designs in sport, and coach-parent forums were recommended to support the integration of parkour-style training.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate whether basic swimming training has effects on height, body weight, right and left hand grip strength, right and left hand lengths, shoulder width, chest circumference, standing long jump characteristics. The study is important in terms of making individuals in the growth period and investigating the physical development of major technical studies from force studies. It is known that regular sport has also developed physical features along with many other features. However, there is not a complete consensus about the sport, its violence, its frequency and duration. The study using the experimental research method included 114 individuals with a mean age of 11.03 ± 1.23 years. The study group, consisting of 58 subjects, received regular swimming lessons twice a week for two hours at a time over a period of 7 months. The sedentary control group included 56 subjects who received no sports instruction apart from their standard physical education classes. Prior to the start of the study, measurements were taken for height, body mass, right and left hand grip strength, right and left hand length, shoulder width, chest circumference, and standing long jump for both groups. The same measurements were taken again 7 months later, at the conclusion of the study. The differences between the initial and final measurements of both the study group and the control group were statistically compared within the group and between the groups. In this comparison, the General Linear Model method was used in the SPSS 21 Package program. As a result, it was found that the increase in height, body weight, right hand grip strength, right and left hand lengths, chest circumference and standing long jump mean values of swimming training subjects were found to be different at p <0.001 in the control group in seven months period. It was also found that the increase in the mean value of left hand grip strength in both groups was significantly different in favor of swimming training subjects (p <0.005). The increase in shoulder width mean values of the study group and the control group did not differ between the groups (p> 0,005).

Using the concept of a developmental lens (Brighton, 2007; Caskey & Anfara, 2014; Davis, 2006; J-F, Pullen, & Carroll, 2013; National Middle School Association, 2010; Peterson, 2010), this article focuses on young teenage students' perceptions of teachers. School teachers play an important role in the educational development of teenagers but little is known about how teachers cater for teenage students' social, emotional, physical and cognitive developmental domains. Even less is known about teenage students' perceptions of their teachers. The current study asked a cohort of Year 9 students in a secondary school in Brisbane, Australia (N=182) to comment on what they "liked" about their teachers. The students' responses were mapped against each of the four developmental domains. Analysis of the data showed that students' emotional and social domains were more salient than their physical and cognitive domains. Specifically, the young teenage students reported liking their teachers when the teachers' were emotionally positive and socially accommodating. The findings of this paper are discussed via a developmental lens with regard to the implications for teacher education.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical education and sports studies and institutional structuring, the developments before and during Turkey Training Community Alliance (TTCA) Period in the framework of social demands within the historical process. In the study, the screening model was taken as a basis, historical and descriptive methods were used. The periodicals belonging to the period of 1922-1936 were reviewed to address how TTCA activities in physical education and sport had influenced the social life, and what sort of discussions had been made about the subject. As a result, the physical education and sport are thought to be used as suitable tools for providing the physical and spiritual development as well as fulfilling the functions which would create powerful community; and it's seen that the effort was made to practice those ideas as much as possible.

The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between body composition and physical fitness parameters in children. 286 male and 311 female students have voluntarily participated in the study. Data on body composition have been obtained through the measurements of the students' height, body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, length (sitting height, arm length, forearm length, leg length, thigh lengths), circumference (elbow, shoulder, biceps (flexion), buttock, knee, waist, calf, ankle). For somatotype characteristics, the Heat-Carter somatotype grading method has been used. The Sit-Reach Flexibility Test (cm) has been used to determine the characteristic of flexibility; the 20 m. Speed Test (seconds) to determine speed; the 20 m. Sit-up test to determine endurance; Takkei hand dynamometer to determine right-left hand grip strength; Takkei back and lift dynamometer for leg strength and the Flamingo Balance Test for balance have been used. In the analysis of data, the SPSS 16 software has been used and T test and Pearson correlation test have been carried out (p<0.05). Between the body composition and physical fitness parameters of female and male students, a statistically significant relationship has Gender been found with the exception of age, arm and waist measurements (p<0.05). In both genders, positive or negative relationships have been found between height, circumference measurements and somatotype characteristics and performance tests (p<0.05). It was found that there is a negative or positive relationship between the heights, circumference measurements and somatotype characteristics and their strength, endurance, speed, flexibility and balance characteristics of female and male children aged 10-12. As a result, it has been seen that the body composition of children aged 10-12 affects the physical fitness parameters. Children in this age group which is both a period of growth and development and skills selection period for numerous sports branches should regularly be followed by their physical education teachers, anthropometric measurements and performance tests should be carried out and the children should be directed towards suitable sports branches.

It is very crucial to know how the notion of physical education is perceived by the Principals who are responsible for the school administration and to know the mission and visions they have put on these concepts. The aim of this study is to reveal the metaphoric perceptions of school Principals about physical education concept. The research group is consisted of 153 school principals in Ankara in 2017-2018 academic year. The datum is like "Physical Education is like .........., it is because ......." It was gathered with an open-ended survey containing the sentence. Content analysis technique was used in data analysis and interpretation. In this research, the data were analyzed under the headings of coding and sorting, category development, validity and reliability, data interpretation by taking into consideration the content analysis stages. Metaphors were gathered in 6 different categories as a result of the grouping formed according to the common characteristics of 66 metaphors produced that are related to the concept of Physical Education and produced by school Principals. Among these metaphors, it is seen that the most used ones are lesson, activity, power, socialization, discharge and need.

This study was realized in order to determine the features of the male badminton players with physical disability, and to examine the effects of badminton on physical developments of individuals with physical disability. Totally 59 males voluntarily participated in the study, 35 of whom were male badminton players with physical disability (n = 35, average exercise age; 4.9) and the rest were physically handicapped (n = 24) as the control group. Forming the research group, the male badminton players with physical disability, were divided into two groups according to the disability classification of the International Paralympic Committee, SL-3, SL-4, SU-5 (on foot, n = 23), and WH-1, WH-2 (on wheelchairs, n = 12). As for the control groups, physically handicapped individuals (on foot, n = 13, wheelchair, n = 11) of inactive lifestyle were included into the study. In order to determine the physical features of the participants following tests and measurements were applied; stature, weight, BMI, length of upper extremity, arm, fore arm and hand length, arm and forearm circumference, flexibility, balance, modified sit-up, modified abdominal endurance, hand grip strength, plate tapping, and modified push-up tests. Tests and measurements were applied on dominant hand and foot. At the end of the study, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference in between badminton players on foot with disability (BMI, balance, modified sit-up, and modified push-up values) and players on wheelchair (BMI, forearm circumference, hand grip strength, and modified push-up values), (p<0.05). As a conclusion, it was determined that badminton develops physical features of the individuals with physical disability.

The aim of the study is to cultivate the educational process of physical education and sport in the universities in Turkey by discovering the features of the physical development, physical preparation and the specific technical-tactical preparation of the students, engaging with basketball and the elaboration of a system for control and evaluation of the basic signs of the specific workability. Research of the condition of the problem for physical development and the specific workability of the 69 students from 5 universities in Turkey, and comparative analysis of the physical development, the special physical and specific technical-tactical preparation of the basketball players uncover the factor structures and identify the basic factors for physical development and the specific workability of the basketball players who are the students in the different universities of Turkey. The factor structure of the physical development and the specific workability of the students from the basketball teams is based on 5 basic factors, which explain high percent (70,77%) of the starting dispersion of the researched occurrence. The first and the most important factor defines the significance of morphological signs which influence positively on the rapidity of movement and the speed endurance of the basketball players. Non-homogeneity is observed regarding the level of development of the functional capacity of the chest and the ability of the basketball players from the universities to lead the ball with high speed; the rest of the researched indicators are relatively stable, and the researched aggregate--relatively homogeneous regarding the signs, which these indicators carry information about. The evaluation of the body mass is in the zone of the norm, in general.

This study examined the benefits and risks associated with tree climbing on child development and resiliency. A mixed method survey instrument was administered to parents of children aged 3-13 years who climbed trees. The survey examined demographics, details of tree climbing activities, and the type of injuries that have resulted from this type of risky play. The results indicated that even though tree climbing can result in minor injuries, it is a relatively safe outdoor activity. Children afforded the opportunity to be involved in risky play such as tree climbing grow socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively, and creatively, and have increased resiliency.

The aim of this research is to determine the perceptions of sport managers in Turkey on the concept of sport by means of metaphors. 74 sport managers participated in the research. Phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. Content analysis method was used for the data analysis. Evaluation of the data showed that sports managers produced a total of 50 metaphors. These metaphors produced were collected in 6 different categories. As a result, it was determined that sport managers expressed the concept of sport by means of metaphors in a very rich and diverse perspective. Therefore, the metaphors determined in this study may lead the sport managers and candidates responsible for the administration of sports services and activities in terms of offering a different perspective on the practice of sport management.

This paper examined the outcome of growth and developmental challenges on the behavioral dispositions of in-school Christian adolescents in Nigeria. The study randomly sampled 222 respondents in Township of Kogi State, Nigeria. Six research questions and one null hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Instrument used for data collection was questionnaire, which has 41 questionnaire items, and it covered the areas of physical, emotional, social, moral, cognitive growth and development, and the possible challenges that they could pose. Data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation while the null hypothesis was through the use of t-test. The findings of the study among others were that the in-school Christian adolescents have healthy physical, emotional, social and moral growth and development in spite of the challenges that accompany. But they however scored low in the area of cognitive growth and developments. Based on these, recommendations and implications for further studies were made.

This paper attempts to analyze the educational work of Stanislav Shatskii which was aimed at the formation and development of pupil government. His first pedagogical experiments were carried out in the early twentieth century. He made a great contribution to the development of pedagogical theory and practice. The Russian educator Stanislav Shatskii paid a lot of attention to the formation of a children's team, the development of pupil government in the learning process. He organized educational and research work in experimental school-colonies. Its purposes, structure and functions were one-of-a-kind in the world. The educational model of Stanislav Shatskii can serve as a basic matrix for the specialized education of modern Russia, as it contains the grounds, means and mechanisms for the implementation of learning and educational strategies that meet the interests of society, mentality and social basis of the Russian people.

The purpose of this study was to investigate female pre-service preschool teachers' attitudes towards sport in relation to the variables of grade level, the state of having done sport in the past, the reason for not doing sport in the past, the state of doing sport regularly, the level of interest in sport and the existence of a family member doing sport. Participants included 383 pre-service preschool teachers attending Ahmet Kelesoglu Education Faculty of Necmettin Erbakan University in the 2015 to 2016 academic year. In determining participants' attitudes towards sport, "The Scale of Attitudes towards Sport" was used. In the statistical analysis of the collected data, frequency analysis, Kruskal Wallis H test and Mann Whitney U test in SPSS 22.0 program were used. At the end of the study, it was found that female pre-service preschool teachers' levels of psychosocial development, physical development and total attitude levels are high yet their mental development attitude level is medium. When the data were evaluated on the basis of the demographic features, it was found that their attitudes towards sport vary significantly depending on the variables of the state of having done sport in the past and the state of doing sport regularly (p<0.05). However, their attitudes towards sport do not vary significantly depending on the variables of grade level, the reason for not having done sport in the past, the level of interest in sport and the existence of a family member doing sport (p>0.05). As a result, it can be argued that having done sport in the past and doing sport regularly at present positively affect the attitudes towards sport.

Background: In the United Kingdom, creative dance is classified as part of physical education rather than an important core subject. Purpose: Taking the U.K. National Curriculum as an example, the article's primary aim is to examine literature exploring the benefits of creative dance, for children aged 3 to 11 years in mainstream state education, to evaluate whether creative dance can be categorized as experiential learning. Methodology/Approach: The literature review included key words in several databases and arrived at potential benefits which can be framed within experiential learning. Findings/Conclusions: The findings identify benefits of creative dance in socioemotional, arts-based, transferable, embodied, physical, and cognitive learning. Conceptualizing creative dance as experiential learning could support it filling a more central role in the curriculum. Implications: This article recontextualizes the role of creative dance in children's learning through reviewing related literature. Creative dance might play a more central role in the curriculum when the benefits and its process are framed as experiential learning.

This study analyzed data on the early developmental status of 7352 children, aged from 36 to 59 months, using the "Early Childhood Developmental Index" (ECDI) to assess literacy-numeracy, physical, social-emotional, and learning domains. The study explored correlates of developmental status with a range of socio-demographic and environmental factors that may impact children's development. The analyses use data from the "Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 2012-2013." Overall, about 65% of children had potential for healthy development, with highest rate of being "on track" being in the physical domain (~ 94%) and the lowest rate in the literacy domain (~ 23%). Older children, who had been breastfed, whose mothers had higher education, and who lived in urban areas were more likely to be developmentally "on track." Children, whose family members engaged with them in four or more stimulating activities and read books, were more likely to be on a consistent and positive developmental trajectory. Children who were male, malnourished and experienced physical punishment were less likely to be on a positive developmental track. Policymakers need to invest in early childhood development including the funding of interventions so that children in Bangladesh can achieve their developmental potential.

A review of Animal-Assisted Therapy and related terms such as "Animal-Assisted Activities" is presented as an introduction to the exploration of additional equine applications with children. Animal-Assisted Therapy has been studied, but Animal-Assisted Activities with children facing normal developmental struggles has not received much attention. Definitions and research for various animal activities and therapies are reviewed. Subsequent focus will be on equines helping children via Animal-Assisted Activities to meet normal developmental challenges. Creating parallels using a horse is an avenue to working with children, aiding them in the process of introspection, self-monitoring, self-efficacy, self-esteem, metacognitions, and overcoming angst associated with normal development hurdles. Horses can give accurate and unbiased feedback via their reactions to a child's behavior, thus increasing self-awareness of the impact of behavior on others. There are many different modalities utilizing equines, all of which have positive impacts on the individual.

In the research it was aimed to examine the effects of basic table tennis trainings, which were implemented on girls aged 10-12 for 16 weeks, on certain physical and physiological parameters. A total of 40 students, as randomly selected 20 test groups and 20 control groups at an age range of 10-12 participated in the research. These students were first applied pre-test measurement, and final test measurement was performed following application of basic table tennis trainings for 16 weeks. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS 20.0 statistical package program. Mann Whitney U test was used in comparison of two variable groups, and the result being p<0.05 was considered significant when examined statistically. Statistical differences between measurements of body fat percentage, flexibility, vertical jumping, standing long jump, 30 m sprint, anaerobic strength, right and left hand grip strength, visual and audio reaction times, resting heart rate, and VC, FVC, FEV and FEV1 were found to be significant in favour of the test group (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences occurred between the two groups in height, body weight, body-mass index, maxVo2, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure values (p<0.05). Consequently, it was observed that the table tennis trainings, which were performed for 16 weeks, provided positive contributions to certain physical and physiological properties of girls aged 10-12, and improved them.

The fact that balances can also be a factor in performance distinction between athletes in athletic skills, and is considered to provide positive acceleration for physical development in which motor skills are exhibited. Human's skill to ensure balance can be defined as a determinant factor in development of other motor skills. From this point of view, the purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of Aerobic Loading on Proprioception in Young Athletes. The research was composed of 18 young athletes registered in Agri Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports Athletics Club. Tests of the participant athletes of the research were conducted in the Performance Laboratory of Agri ibrahim Çeçen University Department of Physical Training and Sports. After the data were collected, comparisons were made using percentage distributions, medians, and t-test. As a result of the research, it was seen that no effect at desired level occurred in static balances of athletes. It was detected that there was no significant difference between the static balance values taken prior to loading and the static balance values taken after loading (p>0.05). In lactate measurements performed in order to detect fatigue conditions, differences at significant level (p=0.05) were detected when the data taken before and after the study were compared. When the general characteristics of the participants are considered, the fact that they are elite athletes reminds that they may carry a high level of motor learning process along with them. This skill may be effective in the fact that static balance values remained unchanged following maximal loading.

A review of the effects of generational poverty on the development of children and the well-being of their families is compared with nine years of experience by Generation One, a non-profit organization that operates a school and a revitalization program in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas. Analysis of student behavior and the level and quality of parent involvement points to the children's lack of self-control (tantrums, disruptions, etc.) and their parents' limited engagement in school or the community as the key barriers to their learning. In the research of brain/cognitive, language/literacy, personal-social, emotional, and physical development, as well as parenting, and family well-being, generational poverty is shown to negatively impact all areas of child development (even prenatally) irritate family relationships, and create home environments of hopelessness and toxic stress. Six factors were identified by Generation One for ameliorating these negative effects: 1) hope, 2) early intervention, 3) social-emotional learning (SEL), 4) parent/caregiver relationships, training, and involvement, 5) home, school, and community environment, and 6) community awareness and collaborative action. Possible solutions are Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), School-Family Partnerships (SFPs), and comprehensive Community Coalitions. Early intervention is based on long-term commitment, one-to-one trust relationships, resident empowerment by awareness and skill training, and creation of environments of encouragement and support where positive mindsets and hopeful visions for the future thrive.

With the exception of balance, adolescents with and without hearing impairment (HI) could have similar motor skills. However, the motor proficiency traits in this age group have not been clearly defined under the same integrated Physical Education (PE) environment. This study compared the gross and fine motor skills of twenty four female adolescents (HI group: n = 7; Hearing group: n = 17; age range: 13-15 years) in a regular school. Non-significant difference was found in overall gross and fine motor skills (p > 0.05). However, the HI group scored significantly poorer in kinaesthetic integration than the Hearing group (p = 0.05). The findings of this study imply poorer balance abilities of adolescents with HI when compared to their hearing peers. Therefore, structured individualised physical activities focusing on balance development in addition to their regular PE lessons are proposed to improve their balance proficiency for better inclusivity.

The Philippines and Malaysia are members of ASEAN who respond to the challenge of EFA goals and Work Plan on Education 2016-2020, particularly on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 4.2: "By 2030 ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education." In response to this, the Philippines Department of Education (DepEd) through its K-12 Program, has made Kindergarten Education mandatory in the Basic Education Curriculum which paves way to the formulation of the new Kindergarten Curriculum Framework. On the other hand, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Malaysia has also come up with its revised Kurikulum Standard Prasekolah Kebangsaan or National Preschool Standard Curriculum (NPSC) to meet new policy demands under the 2013-2025 Malaysia Education Development Plan (PPPM) and current needs. This paper takes cognizance on the role of curriculum as one of the significant components of the Kinder program as it compares the National Curriculum Standards of the two countries for the Kindergarten program with the aim to look into its developmentally appropriate curriculum features for better child growth, learning and development. Using Documentary analysis and NVivo, themes are identified and categorized from the interview and FGD of the kindergarten teachers, parents and principals from the selected government kindergarten school-respondents. Consequently, this study reveals some points of similarity and difference on kindergarten learning domains, teaching-learning processes, and issues in the current implementation of the Kindergarten program. The paper recommends that action be taken by the different program stakeholders in order to address quality delivery of the Kindergarten program.

As adults with Down syndrome (DS) age, their strength decreases resulting in difficulty performing activities of daily living. In the current study, we investigated the use of video modeling for teaching three adults with DS to perform weight lifting techniques. A multiple probe design across behaviors (i.e., lifts) was used to evaluate intervention effectiveness. Data indicated variable effects across participants and lifting techniques. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The aim of the research was to examine the quality of adolescents' lives in order to assess how much it serves the purpose of effective lifelong education. The sample consisted of 220 pupils from the first to the fourth grade of secondary school on the territory of Serbia. The quality of life of the respondents was assessed by means of a questionnaire on the quality of life--PedsQL™. The following was examined: Emotional, Social and Physical functioning. The results of the research showed a high level of life quality related to the aspects of physical functioning and social functioning, while emotional functioning is marked as a dimension with a lower degree of quality. Factor analysis revealed six relatively independent factors. The results indicate that the quality of students' life is still not at an enviable level and that it is important to work systematically in this field.

Given its importance in children's development and learning, researchers have rigorously studied play, and many teachers have used it as a classroom tool. Music researchers have observed that music regularly accompanies children's play because music is part of their culture, and "playing with music" is the most natural form of expression of their existence as musical beings. Hence, play is at the heart of early childhood music, and music teachers design activities that are playful using manipulatives, instruments, movements, and musical sounds to engage children. However, scant research has explored the types of play enacted in guided music settings and how children construct musical understanding through play. This article discusses children's play and related theories, illustrates how children "play with music" in the guided music setting, and offers practical applications of play in guided music activities.

PlayWisely is a novel approach to early learning designed to target the positive development of a wide range of cognitive and physical/motor abilities by stimulating the rapidly developing brain of very young children (from 4 months to 3 years of age). The current pilot study represents a first step toward providing an evidence base for the efficacy of this approach by conducting a small-sample (N = 17) randomized controlled comparison of the cognitive and motor abilities of a group of children who were administered 16 weeks of PlayWisely training with a wait-list group of children who were administered this training 5 months later. Results showed a marginally significant 20% greater differential increase in the overall total cognitive scale scores over the 10-month study period coupled with significant differential increases in both fine motor and visual motor subscale scores and a marginally significant differential increase in the speed of processing subscale scores (as measured by the Merrill-Palmer-Revised Scales of Development).

The Michigan State University (MSU) Motor Performance Study (MPS) was initiated in 1967 and was known across the United States for its unique blend of teaching, service, and research. Dr. Vern Seefeldt began the study as a means to begin research with children on-campus. The instructional portion of the program ended in 1999; data collection continued until 2004. The purpose of the MPS was to examine longitudinal relationships among physical growth, biological maturity, and motor skill acquisition in youth. Four distinct eras of research contributed to the design of the MSU MPS: a) The genetics and maturation period; b) The classification period, involving identification of the motor domain and factor structures of movement skills; c) The perceptual-motor era; and d) The physical fitness era. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe how each of the four research areas specifically contributed to the design and conduct of the MSU MPS.

The Michigan State University Motor Performance Study (MPS) was initiated in 1967 and lasted 32 years. Three central components existed: 1) Educational component, in which students experienced applied work with youth; 2) Instructional component, whereby enrolled youth received sport-specific skill instruction; and 3) Research component. The primary goals of the research component of the MPS were to examine: 1) the changes over time that occur in the physical growth, biological maturity, and motor skill acquisition of children and youth; 2) the processes involved in the attainment of basic and complex motor skills; and 3) the influence of changes in the learners' environment on their rates of motor skill acquisition. Several growth and maturation, motor competence, and physical performance/fitness variables were collected, and a follow-up study examined participants' adult physical activity, sport participation, and health outcomes. This manuscript describes methods used in the research component of the MPS and the follow-up.

In Pangbisa village in Paro, Bhutan, a unique institution is a testament to His Majesty the King's recognition of the critical role of education in enriching the lives of people and the society, nurturing successive generations of leaders and building a strong, secure, and prosperous nation. The Royal Academy consists of three centers--the School, the Education Research Center, and the Teacher Development Center--that interact in an exceptional way. encouraged. The Academy focuses on research-based curriculum and teacher development, aiming to reach new heights in terms of excellence in education. The system followed at The Royal Academy aspires to help learners (children and adults alike) actualize their innate potential across Five Areas of Development, which are presented in this article: (1) Emotional; (2) Physical; (3) Cerebral; (4) Social; and (5) Spiritual.

This article investigates how particular conceptions of physical development (PD) are enacted in early childhood studies in Toronto, Canada. Following critical childhood studies scholars who emphasize the urgency of re-formulating relationships with taken-for-granted concepts in the field, we argue for a practice of noticing, tracing, naming, and questioning how PD comes to matter as a strategy toward becoming accountable for the ethical and political consequences of how we use, teach, and critique PD. We trace three formations of PD relevant to Toronto: (1) PD informed by bioscientific knowledges; (2) PD as synonymous with physical literacy and (3) PD as a distinct mode of learning. With each conceptualization, we interrogate how PD is produced as a concept worthy of concern, take seriously the possibilities for children's learning and lives enabled by each understanding, and then draw upon interdisciplinary perspectives to complexify how we might 'do' PD otherwise. We conclude by offering our practice of tracing, interrogating, and doing PD as an ongoing commitment, whereby scholars, students, and practitioners might continually re-visit how and why we come to understand PD with particular relations, knowledges, resources, and intentions.

At preschool age, it is generally accepted that children's main pursuit is play. In particular, pretend play has a major role in supporting a preschooler's learning processes. Early pretend play involves object substitution, before later progressing to the incorporation of invisible objects. The purpose of the presented study was to validate that pretend play contributes significantly to children's emotional, social, physical and intellectual development and can achieve the skills promoted by The Curriculum for Preschool Education in Romania. A questionnaire-based survey was undertaken, consisting of factual items (age, grade teacher), closed questions with pre-coded answers that were easily quantifiable and open questions that required analysis. The questionnaire was administered to a non-probabilistic sample, consisting of 80 kindergarten educators which were arbitrarily selected from nine kindergartens. The findings support the hypothesis of the advantages of pretend play in relation to The Curriculum for Preschool Education in Romania.

Poor physical development in young children has been shown to impact readiness for school, behaviour, social development and academic achievement. This research sought to explore levels of physical development in young children in the term that they started school. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) was used to assess 115 children (aged 4-5) from four schools and 25 teachers completed an online survey. Findings from both instruments revealed a decline in physical development. It is concluded that a thorough examination of what is known and understood about young children's physical development is urgently needed (for those working in both health and education), and further research to explore training provision in this area is suggested.

This paper examines the intergenerational effects of maternal education on adolescents' development in education and health by using data from the China Education Panel Survey. The ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares estimates indicate that maternal education increases both children's cognitive test scores and the probability of being nearsighted and overweight. The net effects of maternal education on the economic well-being of adolescents is inconclusive. We further find that family environment and parenting style are the most relevant mediating mechanisms through which maternal education affects the development of adolescents.

This review is intended to point out the role played by motor skills proficiency in the academic achievement of typically and atypically developing pupils who are attending primary school. First, the interplay between motor and cognitive development will be presented. Next, the cognitive phenotype, not yet deeply investigated, of a neurodevelopmental condition associated with the atypical development of motor functions (known as Developmental Coordination Disorder) will be illustrated. Thus, the contribution of motor functions to academic learning and the impact of motor difficulties for pupils attending primary school will be discussed. In addition, the importance of developing observational tools to be used in educational settings and the need for effective interventions designed to empower motor functioning and academic achievement of atypically developing pupils with motor deficits will be highlighted. Finally, future directions within the educational agencies for the early detection of the atypically developing motor trajectories and their treatment will be traced.

Gross motor skills on children must be optimized much earlier since it plays important role not only on their interaction process but also in supporting other multiple developments. One of the means in developing child's motor skill is by providing innovative games i.e. modified games including game format, game timing, and game sequence. The objective of this research was to prove the effects of modified games to the development of gross motor skill of preschoolers. Research method was pre-experimental with One Group Pre-post test Design approach. Research samples were the students of Group B Kindergarten in the districts of Gedeg as many as 180 students which were conducted by using purposive sampling. Research instrument was observation during one month. The data was analyzed by Wilcoxon sign rank test. The results suggested that there was effect of modified games to the development of preschool gross motor skill with p-value = 0.000. Changes on motor skill development were obtained from those who were initially on the beginning stage, as many as 101 respondents, became 14 respondents after intervention. Development stage proceeded as expected, from initial 65 respondents the number increased to 130 respondents. At the end of the intervention, there were even 36 respondents whose development stage beyond where they were supposed to be. This proved that the provision of modified games had positive effects on physical, cognitive, and social development. Modified games triggered children's interest and made them be willing to train their activities as well as muscle development, decreased saturation, and improved their skills in a fun way.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of regular sport training implemented at Integrated Disabled Athlete Department on autistic children's adolescence development of individual abilities as motor proficiencies. Method: The subject group of this study is composed of 12 boys with autism who practiced physical education programs in running speed and agility, balance, coordination, and strength for 13 weeks. They were trained for one hour a day and for three days a week. In order to analyse the result of that training program, both preliminary and post-test techniques and particularly Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor (2nd ed.) (BOT-2) were implemented. Results: The result of preliminary and post-tests showed that there is a significant difference between motor levels (running speed and agility, balance, coordination, and strength). This result was interpreted that physical education has positive effects on the subjects. Conclusions: Regular sports training provided to children with autism were found to promote the development of physical properties.

We review the development of the Jamaican home visiting intervention for children under 4 years and its evidence base. The intervention has focused on supporting mothers to promote the development of their children through interacting in a responsive way, labelling the environment and activities. The curriculum is structured and cognitively orientated. It has been used in 13 studies in 4 countries, 7 in Jamaica, 6 in Bangladesh, one each in Colombia and Peru. In all studies some benefit to children's cognitive and language development has been found. Different types of children from severely malnourished to children living in poverty have benefited. Three long term follow ups have found sustained benefits to cognition; the longest study went to 22 years and found comprehensive benefits, to behaviour, school attainment and achievement, IQ, depression and wages. The curriculum is currently being used in 8 different countries and different delivery strategies are being evaluated including mother and child groups with meetings of different frequencies. A web package, Reach Up, to facilitate training with manuals and demonstration videos has been developed. Some unanswered questions include, what is the most effective age and duration for the intervention to have sustained benefits? Research is needed to find cost-effective implementation models and how to monitor and maintain intervention quality when going to scale.

Children of all ages who have the opportunities, time, and materials to explore science content in a self-directed manner will develop higher level understandings, and demonstrate more sophisticated approaches to science. A vast and growing body of research supports the academic benefits of self-directed or authentic scientific inquiry, which is defined as a line of questioning that belongs to the individual (Llewellyn, 2011; Akerson, Hanson, & Cullen, 2007; Cacciamani, 2010; Eick, Meadows, and Balkcom, 2005). Embedded within a child's distinctive ownership of the inquiry process is a highly beneficial, yet often overlooked aspect, and that is the child's choice to engage in play. Playing around in science presents children with opportunities to think creatively and divergently, to solve problems in innovative ways, and to develop a unique scientific identity. This article will discuss the benefits of play in science to the whole child as well as some of the obstacles that diminish or extinguish play behaviors and scientific exploration.

The aim of this study was to examine muscle strength and flexibility of judoka with and without visual impairments. A total of 32 male national judoka volunteered to participate in this study. There were 20 male judoka without visual impairments (mean ± SD; age: 19.20 ± 5.76 years, body weight: 66.45 ± 11.09 kg, height: 169.60 ± 7.98 cm, sport age: 6.20 ± 1.15 years). There were 12 male judoka with visual impairments (mean ± SD; age: 24.50 ± 4.06 years, body weight: 75.58 ± 22.49 kg, height: 173.50 ± 7.23 cm, sport age: 8.08 ± 1.44 years). Judoka were also assessed on several strength measurements including standing long jump, right hand grip, left hand grip, vertical jump, leg strength, sit-up and push up, and flexibility with sit and reach. We found significant differences between with and without visual impairments in leg strength, left and right hand grip and push-up (p<0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between with visual and without impairments in vertical jump, sit-up, flexibility, and standing long jump (p>0.05). In conclusion, it is considered that visual impairment issue does not have negative effects on physical development and muscle power performance levels for ones doing judo sport because elite active athletes' training levels are close to each other.

Reforms in K-12 science education and their implications for PreK teaching, make this a critical time for developing a unified vision for early childhood science education. The goal of this essay is to provide a vision of what it might look like to leverage the best of both early childhood and K-12 science education reform efforts for meaningful science learning opportunities for young children. The essay suggests to best support young children, PreK science education must implement the holistic approach of early childhood education (i.e., physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development) while at the same time taking up the richer scientific disciplinary practices put forth in recent science reform efforts. Bringing together the strengths of both early childhood and science education will support young children in making sense of natural phenomena in the world around them while valuing them as capable science learners with prior experiences.

Visual information is crucial for postural control. Visual processing in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was hypothesized to be less efficient and thus they would display a less stable standing posture than typically developing children. The present study compared the static standing responses and attentional demands of 15 children with ASD and 18 control participants in conditions of eyes open and eyes closed. The results showed that postural responses and attention invested in standing were similar between the participant groups in the two visual conditions. Both groups displayed a more stable posture when their eyes were open in comparison to eyes closed. The finding suggests that normal postural control development could occur in children with ASD.

This qualitative study examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in learning designs from the perspective of learning sciences. The literature on the topic indicates that there is not enough research on including diverse learning outcomes in the designs for learning. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand how AI and robots impact physical, social-emotional and intellectual learning outcomes through the implementation of learning designs that are guided by selected design principles. In this study, the design-based research (DBR) methodology was employed for investigating learning in naturalistic contexts. The intervention was implemented in a primary school in which learners used educational robots. The main findings reveal that the development of an integrated analytical framework, which considers a broader spectrum of human potential, allows for analyzing students' learning outcomes in a more integral, inclusive and balanced way. This, in turn, promotes students' learning by using AI and robots. Another finding reveals that the impact of using AI and robotics on learning designs is reflected in learners' personal trajectories having different pathways and paces. Finally, the lessons learned and the challenges to be overcome are summarized, and recommendations are made for future research for the enhancement of learning experiences that use AI and robotics.