EmmaRozario

ECE252
ProfessorWestfall
12May,2017
ResearchArticleReview

ArticleDetails

MotorFunctionandSocialParticipationinKindergartenChildren
YairBarHaimandOritBart
May2006
Ebscohost(CSNLibraryonline)
ResearchArticle

Question

ThequestiontheresearcherisseekingananswertoisArethereassiociationsbetweenchildrens
motorabilitiesandsocialandnonsocialparticipationinplay?

Hypothesis

Theresearchershypothesizethattherewillbeaconnectionbetweenmotorabilitiesandplay
behaviorandparticipation.Inspecific,theysuggestthatthechildrenwithhighmotorability
woulddisplayahigherfrequencyofsocialplaycomparedtothosewithlowmotorskillability.

Methodology

88childrenparticipatedinthisresearchstudy,andtheywereallfrom7randomlyselected
publickindergartenclasses.Noneofthesechildrenhadmajordevelopmentaldisorderssuchas
cerebralpalsyorautism.Themeanagewas5.8,howeveroverhalfwereage4.95%ofthe
childrensfathersand98%ofthechildrensmothershadaneducationalbackgroundofhighschool
orhigher.ThechildrenwereassessedthroughRubinsPlayObservationScale,andwereassessed
overadurationof8visitsbytheresearcherstoeachkindergarten.Theywereassessedonsocial
play(playingroupsandwithpeers),reticentbehavior,solitarypassiveplay,andsolitary
functionalplay.Theywerethenassessedonmotorfunction,attheirhomes,by3trained
occupationaltherapystudents.Inthe60minutehomevisit,thestudentsperformedstandardized
assessmentsofbalance,kinesthesia,imitationofpostures,muscletone,andvisualmotor
integration.Basedontheresultsfromtheseassessments,thechildrenwereplacedintothree
groups.Onegroupconsistedof22childrenrepresentingthebottomquartileformotorfunction.
Thesecondgroupwasalso22children.Theywereverywellcoordinatedandfeaturedthetop
quartileformotorfunctioninthedistribution.Thethirdgroupconsistedof44childrenwhos
scoredwereinthemiddlequartileofthedistribution.

Conclusion
Theresultsofthetestingrevealedthatchildrendisplayedahigherfrequencyofsocialplay
moresooutdoorsthanindoors.Thetestingandresearchalsoshowedthatchildrenwithlow
motorabilitiesshowedlowerfrequenciesofsocialplaycomparedtothechildrenwithaverage
andhighmotorabilities.IntheSocialReticencecategory,ahigherfrequencyofsocialretience
wasdisplayedindoorsthanoutdoors.Thosechildrenwithalowmotorabilityshowedahigher
frequencyofsocialretience.Inthestudy,itwasconcludedthatpoormotorabilitymakes
physicalactivitythatisassociatedwithsocialengagementmoredemandingforchildren,
ultimatelyreducingthechildscapacitytodealwiththattypeofenvironment.Thechildrenwith
lowmotorabilitymayfeelanxiousaboutthemotorchallengesposedbysocializing.Thefinding
fromthisstudyprovestheresearchershypothesisandindicatesasignificantassociationbetween
socialengagementandmotoradeptness.

Publish

Yair,BarHaimandOritBart."MotorFunctionandSocialParticipationinKindergarten
Children."SocialDevelopment,vol.15,no.2,May2006,pp.296310.EBSCOhost,
doi:10.1111/j.14679507.2006.00342.x.

PublishedinMayof2006,byYair,BarHaim,andOritBart.

YourCritique

Thisstudywasperfomedverywell.Itgaveconfirmationandfactstobackthesuggestionthat
motorabilitescanimpactachildssocialengagementandtheirmotivationforthatsocial
engagement.Thestudyreallybrokedownhowlowmotorskillsimpairachild.Iamvery
satisfiedonreadingthisstudyandreviewingit.

Application

Thisinformationisvitalintheearlychildhoodfield.Itstimulatesyourmindonwaystohelpa
childgainmotorskillsanddevelopgoodmotorskills.Also,ithelpstounderstandwhythese
motorskillsaresooftenmentioned,andwhytoprioritizethem.Knowingthathavingpoormotor
skillscancauseachildtofeelanxiousaboutsocialenvironmentsgivesus,teachersandfuture
teachers,asolidreasontoworkonthesefinemotorskillswithchildren.Italsoanswersquestions
astowhyachildmaybeshy,avoidant,andanxious(socialreticence).Thisstudyisonethatall
earlyeducationadministers,teachers,andaspiringteachersshouldtakealookatbecauseitcan
makeeveryonethatmuchmoreunderstandingofthewayachildisactingandwhy.