Motor Skills and Early Academic Achievement

Background/Purpose: Early childhood is a time filled with incredible growth in all areas of development and is a critical period for optimal learning.  Research also indicates early childhood as a critical period for motor development (Ulrich, 2010).  During early childhood (between the ages of 1-7 years), children develop fundamental motor skills.  An emerging body of literature suggests a positive relationship between motor skills early academic achievement (Becker et al., 2014). Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of motor skills and early academic achievement in young preschool aged children. 

Method: Ninety-one children, between the ages of 3-5 years, were assessed on motor skills and early academic achievement.  The average age was 51 months, ranging from 37 to 68 months.  Motor skills were assessed in the fall using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2^nd ed. (Folio & Fewell, 2000).  Early academic achievement was assessed in the spring of the same preschool year using sub-tests of the Woodcock-Johnson III.  These sub-tests included early literacy and early math skills (Woodcock & Mather, 2001). 

Analysis/Results: Separate multiple linear regressions predicting early academic achievement using motor skills were used to analyze the data.   Motor skills in the fall positively predicted early academic achievement in the spring.  Stationary skills, ( = .260, p=. 032)and visual motor skills ( = .504, p=. 001) positively predicted early literacy skills.  Grasping skills ( = .237, p=. 05) and visual motor skills ( = .463, p=. 001) positively predicted early math skills. 

Conclusions:

Children with better motor skills in the fall had better academic achievement skills in the spring.  These findings shed-light on the role motor skills play in early academic achievement for young preschool aged children.