An Evaluation of Videomodeling on Fundamental Motor Skill Performance of Preschool Children

Abstract

Proficiency in fundamental motor skills (FMS) is important for both the health and the overall growth and development of young children. To identify factors that facilitate the development of FMS, the study provided preliminary data on the effect of videomodeling (VM) on the acquisition of FMS by typically developing young children. Participants were six conveniently selected typically developing preschool-age children from an early care and education center. A multiple-baseline-across-participants single-subject research design was used to evaluate VM effects. Motor skill acquisition was assessed with validated developmental sequences of the standing long jump and the overarm throw. The results demonstrated that the VM intervention improved participants’ FMS performance and the improvement was maintained even after the withdrawal of the VM, 2 weeks after the last VM session. Qualitative data collected via a self-report enjoyment scale and field notes with the instructors elicited four factors that might have affected participants’ performance: their attention and motivation to perform the task and the skill complexity and reproduction. The data suggest that VM may be an efficient strategy for teaching FMS to preschool-age children.