Motor Games And Their Influence On Visual-Motor Coordination In The Preschool Stage Autores
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i1.695Keywords:
Visuomotor Coordination, Motor Games, Early Childhood Education, Psychomotor Development, Early Childhood, Visual-Motor IntegrationAbstract
Introduction: Visuomotor coordination is a fundamental skill for integral child development, particularly relevant for the acquisition of literacy skills. However, increasing screen exposure and reduced active play time have raised concerns about motor development in early childhood. Objective: To analyze the influence of a motor games-based intervention on visuomotor coordination development in 4-year-old children. Methodology: A quasi-experimental design with a control group was implemented, with a sample of 48 children (24 experimental group, 24 control group) from the Ikids Early Education Center in Quito, Ecuador. The intervention consisted of 24 motor game sessions over 12 weeks. The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery VMI-6) was used as a pre and post-intervention assessment instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired and independent samples t-tests, and effect size calculation (Cohen's d). Results: The experimental group showed a statistically significant improvement in visuomotor integration scores (pre: M = 89.42, SD = 8.71; post: M = 101.25, SD = 7.84; t(23) = -6.82, p < .001, d = 1.39), while the control group showed no significant changes (p = .342). Post-intervention intergroup comparison revealed significant differences favoring the experimental group (t(46) = 4.28, p < .001). Conclusions: Motor games constitute an effective pedagogical strategy to enhance visuomotor coordination in preschoolers, with relevant implications for curricular planning in early childhood education.
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