Promoting Fundamental Motor Skills in the Transition From Kindergarten to School

The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of interventions promoting fundamental motor skills (FMS) in preschoolers and first-year schoolchildren in north-east Slovenia and to investigate possible gender differences. The study involved 143 children with typical development aged four to seven years, divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group took part in a 13-week intervention programme, while the control group followed the standard curriculum for physical education in Slovenian public kindergartens and schools. The test of gross motor development 3 was used to assess the improvement of FMS. The results showed that after the intervention, the improvement in locomotor and ball skills were in preschool children higher than in first-year schoolchildren. No gender differences were found in FMS improvement. These results have important implications for the development of FMS in young children and for the design of intervention programmes promoting these skills.