The Effects of Gross Motor Development Stimulation Program for Preschool Children in Ban NaKham Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, Huai Yang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

             The quasi–experimental research aimed to study the effects of gross motor development stimulation program for preschool children in the preschool development centers, Ban NaKham subdistrict health promoting hospital. The samples were twenty–eight preschool children, aged 30 to 42 months, attended at the preschool development centers of BanNaKham and BanPanao. The study subjects were purposively sampled. The research tool was the learning activities program composed of 5 courses; 1) Jumping 2) Jumping and splitting legs 3) Throwing the ball into the basket 4) Jumping and splitting legs to run away from obstacles and 5) Standing on one leg. The reliability evaluated by the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.83.The quasi–experimental test was conducted in one group with a pre–test and post–test design for five weeks. Data were analyzed using the frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The child development before and after applying the learning activities program was compared using the paired sample t–test.

               The results showed that the preschool children who attended the learning activities program had a significantly higher mean score of gross motor development than that before attending the program, increased from 1.14 (S.D. = 0.86) to 2.11 (S.D. = 1.94) (p < 0.05). Therefore, the caretakers could apply this learning activities program to continuously promote the preschool development at both development centers and home.

               Keywords: Preschool children, Development stimulation, Gross motor skills