Fundamental movement skills of six- to seven-year-old children in the first grade of elementary school: A pilot study

Background The aim of the study was to determine fundamental movement skills of elementary school first-graders and to seek whether fundamental movement skills correlate with the pupils' age and gender. Material/Methods The study involved students in the first grade of elementary school in Krosno. The study was conducted at the beginning of the 2015/2016 school year. A total of 98 pupils (43 girls and 55 boys) aged six and seven were tested, using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd Edition. Results The study showed that the results of fundamental movement skills depend on the children's age and gender. Older girls achieved better results in locomotor and object control skills than six-year-old girls. The analysis revealed that boys achieved better scores than girls in the object control skills subtest. Conclusions The findings of this study demonstrated that the results can serve as an argument in the debate on the validity of reducing the school age in Poland. Understanding the importance of fundamental movement skills and awareness of irregularities in motor skills may help to prevent children's later school problems.