Does Skill Performance Influence Young Children's Perceived Physical Competence?

Children's self-perceived competence is critical for their engagement in fundamental motor skills (FMS), although these perceptions are highly inaccurate until around age seven (grade 2). Moreover, FMS competence is highly correlated with physical activity engagement in childhood. In this study we examined: (a) if children's perceptions of their FMS competence differed after they were allowed to perform the skill or observe their performance, and (b) if the accuracy of children's perceived competence changed under those conditions.

Preschoolers' Physical Activity Participation Across a Yearlong Mastery-Motivational Climate Intervention.

Purpose: This study sought to determine how children's participation in physical activity during a mastery-motivational climate changed during a 20-week intervention and to compare it to children's free-play activity during a typical day at their local day-care facility.

Method: Twelve 4-year-old children participated in a mastery-motivational climate physical activity program delivered 2 days a week for 20 weeks during a period of 8 months. All children were fitted with an Actigraph GT3X triaxial accelerometer.