Evaluation of motor skills and character of children aged 4 and 5 years old: a pilot study

The aim was to assess gross motor and character in children aged 4 and 5 years old. For this, 23 participants were selected and the locomotive and object control sub-tests were applied, both belonging to the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD 2), as well as a rubric of character (respect, cooperation, sensitiveness, leadership, teamwork, and self-control). Results show that girls are better in the locomotive subtest, while boys excel in the object control. In general, boys have less skill in the extended jumping and in the objects catch task. In terms of character, boys are worse in leadership and girls in teamwork. Therefore, it is important to emphasize especially those motor skills and emotional aspects where children score lower. As research prospect, this study must be conducted with a bigger sample to know if these results remain similar.