Improving fine motor skills in young children: an intervention study
Brown C.G. Educational Psychology in Practice 2010; 26(3): 269-278
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Primary Movement
programme on the fine motor skills of children in an early years setting in an area
of high social disadvantage. Primary Movement is a programme which can be used
as an early intervention technique to help children inhibit persistent primary
reflexes that have been shown to adversely affect motor and cognitive
development. Previous research has found that the programme can have significant
effects in increasing the motor and academic attainments of children, aged 8–11
years. A repeated measures design was used to evaluate the impact of the Primary
Movement intervention, in comparison to a control intervention, on the fine motor
skills of 65 Reception children, aged four to five years. The results from this study
provide evidence that the Primary Movement programme had a significant effect
on improving the fine motor skills of the children. This research provides further
evidence to support the use of the programme within the Early Years curriculum.