About this trial

This study protocol aims to analyze and compare the effects of combined movement and storytelling intervention (CMSI) on fundamental motor skills (locomotor skills and object control), language development (language comprehension, language expression, vocabulary and language description), and physical activity levels (light, moderate to vigorous intensity, and sedentary time) in children aged 3 to 6 years. The sample will consist of 144 children of 12 classes group, randomly assigned to 3 experimental groups (n= 72 children) and 3 control groups (n= 72 children), belonging to 4 classes group of upper middle level classes (2 experimental and 2 control), 4 transition level 1 classes (2 experimental and 2 control) and 4 transition level 2 classes (2 experimental and 2 control). The experimental groups will perform the CMSI for 3 sessions (40-minute per session) per week over 12-weeks (using one motor story per week), while the control groups will not receive any treatment. The main outcome will provide information about fundamental motor skills, language development, and physical activity levels. It is hypothesized that the CMSI has the potential to generate significant increases in selected assessments. If this intervention proves to be beneficial, if could contribute to preschoolers children curricula.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Be enrolled in the educational center (school, college or kindergarten) that commits to participate in the intervention.

Age range between 3 to 6 years old.

Attend ≥ 85% of the sessions scheduled for the CMSI.

Disqualifiers

Children with musculoskeletal injuries or medical contraindications (i.e., congenital heart disease, fever, diarrhea or general malaise) that would prevent their normal performance in the assessments and intervention.

Children with permanent educational needs mentioned in Decree Nº83 of the Chilean Ministry of Education, such as, visual, hearing, intellectual or multiple disabilities, dysphasia or autistic disorder.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

Combined Movement and Storytelling Intervention
Other intervention
The 40-minute sessions will include three moments: (i) warm-up (5 minutes), which consists of joint mobility exercises and introduction to the motor story of the week; (ii) main part (25 minutes), which incorporates the narration of the motor story by the educator initially, as well as the participation of the children, through their own corporeality with movements based mainly on FMS (locomotion skills and object control) and two way verbal interaction based on questions allusive to the narration delivered by the educator or direct verbal participation cast by each child and; (iii) cool down (10 minutes), where space is provided for the children to gradually return to calm, together with feedback on the contents addressed during the session.

Treatment groups

144 Participants

are divided into 6 treatment groups

6

Treatment groups

See each treatment group below.

Group A: Upper middle level experimental groupsExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group B: Upper middle level control groupsNo intervention 0 interventions

Group C: Transition level 1 experimental groupsExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group D: Transition level 1 control groupsNo intervention 0 interventions

Group E: Transition level 2 experimental groupsExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Group F: Transition level 2 control groupsNo intervention 0 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Change from fundamental Motor Skills

It will be assessed by means of the test of gross motor development-second edition (TGMD-2). This battery measures 12 fundamental motor skilss in two different domains (locomotor skills and object control), the locomotor skills domain contains 6 assessments: (i) running, (ii) galloping, (iii) hopping on one foot, (iv) long jumping, (v) horizontal jumping and, (vi) lateral sliding. The object control domain also includes 6 assessments: (i) batting a stationary ball, (ii) stationary dribbling, (iii) catching a ball, (iv) kicking a ball, (v) throwing a ball and, (vi) rolling a ball. Estimated administration time is ≤ 10 minutes per children. The 6 locomotion skills and 6 object control include 24 criteria, allowing a total score from 0 to 48 points. The higher score, better FMS.

Time frame

2 weeks

2

Change from language development

The language test for preschoolers (TELEPRE), will be used. The purpose of this assessment is to measure the language of children in initial educational levels (3 to 6 years old) by means of 4 domains: (i) language comprehension, (ii) language expression, (iii) vocabulary and, (iv) language description. The administration of the instrument requires a booklet of questions, some objects (bottle, toy car, pencil, plate, needle, cup, paintbrush, screw, sponge, small ball, button, small book, spoon, scissors, matchbox; plus, three objects that serve as distractors) and 3 representative pictures of situations (i.e., serving milk to a cat, setting the table and being in a toy store) to be described by the child. To administer the instrument, a room free of disturbing noises is required, in which the evaluator, the child and a classroom assistant will be present. The estimated application time is ≤ 25 minutes. The higher score, better language development.

Time frame

2 weeks

3

Change from physical activity level

It will be objectively monitored by accelerometers (ActiGraph GT9X, Pensacola, FL, USA). The device will be worn at the waist on an elastic belt, at the mid-axillary line on the right side. Children will be instructed to wear the accelerometer 24 hours a day, for at least 7 days, including 2 weekend days, and only removed the device when bathing or engaged in water activities. The minimum amount of data considered acceptable for analysis purposes will be 5 days (including one weekend day), with at least 10 hours/day of wear time. Light, moderate to vigorous intensity, and sedentary time will be considered to analysis, while sleep time will be not taken into account. Data will be verified using Actilife software version 5.6 (ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL, USA). Consecutive 20-min blocks of 0 count will considered as non-use of the device and discarded from the analyses.

Time frame

2 weeks

Secondary outcomes

1

Bipedal height

Will be measured by placing a tape measure (Bodymeter 206, SECA, Germany; accuracy of 0.1 cm) on the wall and utilizing the Frankfort plane in a horizontal position (assessment in cm).

Time frame

2 weeks

2

Circumferences and skinfolds

Will be measured with an inextensible tape measure (Seca-201, Germany) with an accuracy of 0.1 cm. Similarly, skinfolds (mm) measured in the bicipital, tricipital, subscapular and suprailiac regions will be measured using a plicometer (Harpenden-FG1056, England; accuracy of 0.2 mm) that exerts a constant pressure of 10 g/mm2.

Time frame

2 weeks

3

Sociodemographic Variables

Legal guardians will be asked to respond to the following: (i) child's name; (ii) child's date of birth; (iii) in which country the child was born; (iv) in which country was I born; (v) what is my family relationship to the child; (vi) marital status of the parents or guardians; (vii) in what area does the child reside; (viii) the place where the child lives has a yard; (ix) how many people live with the child; (x) how many persons work in participants household; (xi) what is the total family income of the people living with the child (approximately); (xii) what is the highest level of schooling participant have.

Time frame

2 weeks

4

Body weight

Will be determined using an electronic scale (Tanita BC-730 Tokyo, Japan; accuracy of 0.1 kg) in kg.

Time frame

2 weeks

Combined Movement and Storytelling Intervention on Physical Performance in Children

About this trial

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Disqualifiers

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

Treatment groups

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

Secondary outcomes

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts