Motor Development: Exploring the motor competence of 4-year-old Norwegian children

This study set out to explore motor competence in 4-year-old children. This age group has not been previously tested in Norway. Ninety-one 4-year-old children from ten nursery schools were tested using the Movement ABC test. The most striking finding was that only one out of 91 children would be classified as clumsy within the fifth percentile of the USA norms, with seven children being 'borderline'. The study also showed that out of the eight children failing in the motor impaired and borderline groups, seven were boys. Clear sex differences were also apparent in the development of motor skills. On the total scores and in the two of three sections (manual dexterity and balance) boys were significantly worse than girls. There were no significant differences between the sexes with respect to ball skills competence.     

Motor Competence in 11-Year-Old Boys and Girls

By using the Movement Assessment Battery (MABC), the present study investigated possible gender differences in several tasks of motor competence in children. The sample included 67 Norwegian sixth-grade children (Girls N?=?29; Boys?=?39). Boys' performance exceeds that of girls in ball skills and in one of the balance skills. No differences were revealed between girls and boys in manual dexterity and in total score of MABC. The results may support the theory of task-specificity. Furthermore, they may challenge the school as an arena of physical activity for developing as appropriate motor skills as possible contributing to further engagement in physical activity.