Fundamental Motor Skills

The Fundamental Motor Skills app was developed to support the teaching and assessment of children’s motor performance. It features 21 sequential illustrative images and corresponding animations. There are four character options that demonstrate the execution of balance, locomotor, and ball skills. It functions as a visual aid for demonstrating fundamental motor skills during instruction, practice, and assessment. It can also be used to motivate and encourage children to engage in practice. Each skill execution portrays a proficient model, with specific motor criteria for each skill, developed based on literature in the field. These criteria serve as a reference for evaluating motor performance, instructing, and planning tasks that promote child development. Motor Skills: Balance: One-foot balance and walk along a line. Locomotor: Run, slide, gallop, dodge, skip, leap, hop, horizontal jump, and vertical jump. Ball Skills: Two-hand catch, two-hand pass, one-hand dribble, one-hand strike, two-hand strike, overhand throw, underhand throw, kick, punt, one-foot dribble. Features: When selecting a motor skill category, a set of skills becomes available for selection. Upon choosing a desired skill, visual aids, performance criteria, and evaluation guidelines are provided. An emoji scale is available for children to self-assess their perceived competence after performing the motor skill. The app allows access to the phone camera to record the child performing the task, which can later be shown to them. Motor assessment enables checking whether a child can perform motor skills proficiently, based on performance criteria. Process: Process criteria indicate a proficient way the child coordinates and organizes body segments while performing the skill. These are evaluated based on key positions of body segments and their actions. Product: Product refers to a quantitative measure resulting from performing the skill, i.e., the outcome of motor performance. This is measured by a single, specific criterion for each skill, which can vary in terms of accuracy, continuity, repetition, distance, or time. An Excel spreadsheet and PDF forms are available for download via a Google Drive link, where scores can be entered. Copy and paste in your browser: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1A5ieNd2IHzGMaQ08gPowGtTBwgCczdgA?usp=sharing Who This App is For: Teachers and Therapists: To assist in the teaching and learning process of fundamental motor skills during classes or therapy sessions, serving as a tool for demonstration, motivation, and encouragement in skill practice. Researchers: As a visual aid for various populations, neurotypical or with neurodevelopmental disorders, used to investigate the effectiveness of teaching and learning processes in fundamental motor skills. Parents and Children: The animations are attractive and fun for children to imitate, which may stimulate motor skill development and provide a proficient execution model. How to Cite this App: Copetti, F., Valentini, N.C. (2023). Fundamental Motor Skills. [Mobile app]. Play Store. App Developed by: Prof. Dr. Fernando Copetti – Federal University of Santa Maria – CEFD Prof. Dr. Nadia C. Valentini – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – ESEFID Illustrations – Luísa M.H. Copetti Animations – Bruno B. Kieling Programming – Bruno Bayer Netto Financial Support: Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education – CAPES