An exploratory study of the relationship between motor skills and indicators of cognitive and socio-emotional development in preschoolers

Motor skills develop rapidly during early childhood and are considered important for optimal child development. However, little is known about the relationship of motor skills with indicators of cognitive and socio-emotional development in typically developing preschoolers. In view of this, the present study examined the association of gross motor and fine motor skills with executive functions and prosocial behaviour in preschoolers. The study sample consisted of 111 participants between 3 and 5 years of age, who were assessed using the short version of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, second edition (BOT-2); the head-toes-knees-shoulders task; the Corsi block-tapping test (CBTT); the dimensional change card sort test (DCCS); and a teacher-rated prosocial behaviour questionnaire (PBQ). The results revealed significant positive associations between motor skills and executive functions as well as prosocial behaviour. Specifically, fine motor skills were twice as strong as a predictor for response inhibition compared to gross motor skills whereas gross motor skills dominated over fine motor skills in predicting prosocial behaviour. The findings of the study highlight the need to promote motor skills during early years of development.