The relationship between motor proficiency and reading ability in year 1 children: A prospective cohort study

Question: Is there a relationship between motor proficiency and reading
skills in Year 1 children?
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Participants: A single class of Year 1 students (n=24) aged 5 to 7 years
(females n=11; males n=13, mean age=6.07±0.35 years).
Outcome Measures: The Process Assessment of the Learner (PALII)
(reading components only); the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor
Proficiency – 2nd Edition; parent-reported height/weight measurements;
and retrospective academic reports from Preparatory year were assessed
during regular class time.
Results: For children with high-to-very-high English grades, moderate
negative associations were identified between total motor proficiency
and reading skills (silent reading fluency SSF: r=-.682, p=0.01, sentence
comprehension SSA: r=-.596, p=0.03). For children with average-to-low
English grades, a stronger negative relationship existed between total
motor proficiency and silent reading fluency (SSF: r=-.815, p=0.48),
however moderate positive relationships were also found between total
motor proficiency and reading skills (phonological decoding fluency:
r=0.716, p=0.02 and phonological decoding accuracy: r=.670, p=0.34) for
this group.
Conclusion: These study results suggest that a relationship between
motor proficiency and key reading skills exists, particularly in children
with average-to-low English grades. Further research is warranted to
investigate if interventions focused on motor skill development can
enhance reading ability for Year 1 children.
Key Practice Points:
• Positive associations exist between physical activity and increased
academic performance.
• Investigating the links between children’s motor proficiency and reading
outcomes may help provide optimal academic outcomes, particularly for
those struggling to read.
• This study suggests a relationship between motor proficiency and
reading exists in young children.