1. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2005, 100, 1011-1020. © Perceptual and Motor Skills 2005
ACTIVITY-BASED INTERVENTION IN
MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT1
R. R. GOYAKLA APACHE
Department of Sports Education Leadership
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Summary.—This study assessed the effectiveness of an activity-basedintervention
program and a direct instruction program for preschool children with disabilities.
Two groups of preschool students (average age = 4.1 yr.), classified as having develop-
mental delays or at risk for such delays, were selected. They were provided 15 weeks
of physical education through activity-based intervention and 15 weeks of physical ed-
ucation by direct instruction. Instruction was provided three times a week for 30-min.
each session. In the fall semester the morning group received physical education
through activity-based intervention, while the afternoon group received physical edu-
cation through direct instruction. In the spring semester delivery of instruction was
reversed for each group. The curriculum and activities provided to each group were
identical with only the instructional delivery format altered. Two sets of pre- and post-
tests using the Test of Gross Motor Development were administered before and after
each 15-wk. instructional period. Group improvement in skills was compared between
instructional methods. Significant improvement in both locomotor and object control
skills through the activity-based intervention was found compared to direct instruc-
tion. Activity-based intervention was shown to be easily adapted to a naturalistic edu-
cational setting befitting that of preschool education.
Activity-based intervention has been described as fitting the 'best prac-
tices' of early childhood physical education (Losardo & Bricker, 1994). It
has the distinction of utilizing the positive attributes of both the traditional
analytical approach and the early childhood model to develop a program
where fundamental gross motor development activities are child-directed
with the teacher working as facilitator rather than director. A facilitator al-
lows action and play to be initiated and continued. A director orchestrates a
desired behavior and action to be performed on demand. Novick (1993)
compared developmentally appropriate practice (Bredekamp, 1992; Boos,
1993) with activity-based intervention and described their similar attributes.
Developmentally appropriate practice requires that instruction (1) be age-ap-
propriate, (2) be individually appropriate based on the child's developmental
status, (3) lead to effective learning, and (4) be goal oriented (Apache,2003).
Similarities in attributes include child-centered learning, the development of
problem-solving skills, and individualized decision-making.
'Please address correspondence to R. R. G. Apache, Department of Sports Education Leader-
ship, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 453031, Las Vegas, NV
89154 or e-mail (rr.apache@ccmail.nevada.edu).