Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

• Fereshteh Sadat Emarati ¹
• Mehdi Namazizadeh ²
• Pouneh Mokhtari ³
• Fatemeh Mohammadian ⁴

¹ MSc in Physical Education, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

² Associate Professor, Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Lecturer, Zarandieh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zarandieh, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects that a set of selected primary school games may have on elementary children’s perceptual – motor as well as social growth.Materials and Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, 48 female second- and third-graders were randomly selected from a larger sample of elementary students matched by a personal questionnaire. At pretest, all subjects were administered Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Vineland Social Maturity Scale test and then they were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Subjects in the experimental group played selected elementary games for 8 successive weeks (3 sessions a week). At the end of the program, all subjects in both groups were re-evaluated. Subsequent to recording and classifying data obtained from above-mentioned questionnaire and tests, they were statistically analyzed via depended and independent t tests using SPSS software version 16. Significance level was set at less than or equal to 0.05.Results: The results of this study showed that selected primary school games are significantly more effective than usual activities in improving speed and agility of upper limbs and also on perceptual-motor growth (P = 0.000). However, the effect of such games on static and dynamic balance, bilateral coordination, strength, response rate, visual-motor control and social development was not significant (P ≥ 0.05).Conclusion: Although elementary games have the potential for enhancing children’s perceptual-motor abilities, the maturity of social skills requires planned and structured group activities.Keywords: Perceptual-motor growth, Social growth, Elementary school game, Girls