Motor-life-skills of toddlers – a comparative study of Norwegian and British boys and girls applying the Early Years Movement Skills Checklist

Abstract

This article discusses motor-life-skills in a sample (n = 1083) of 33 months (2.9-year-old) children in Norwegian early childhood education and care institutions (ECEC-institutions) and to compare the findings with the results from a similar British sample. The Early Years Movement Skills Checklist (EYMSC) (Chambers and Sugden 2006) was applied. EYMSC consists of four distinct categories; self-help skills, desk skills, general classroom skills and recreational/playground skills. The current study aims: (a) to compare the findings in the Norwegian sample with the sample of British children assessed by Chambers and Sugden (2006); and (b) to study possible gender differences in motor skills in this very young age group. Each child was assessed independently by two staff members familiar with the child in informal situations in kindergartens over a period of three months. Results: The Norwegian sample of (younger) children revealed relatively high motor competence compared to the slightly older British sample. Indications for cultural differences are possibly in line with stereotypical expectations of the Norwegian and British early childhood education systems. Gender-based differences in favour of girls were documented; supporting the assumption that gender differences in motor competency may be highly task-dependent.