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The link between motor and executive function (EF) development is unclear. To test whether learning difficult motor task drives EF development, we measured EF changes in 5-year-old children from 3 kindergartens in north-eastern Italy engaged in a specific motor program including a difficult motor task (walking on unstable bar). One-hundred children divided in 2 groups participated for 1 hour/week for 10 weeks: Group A was supported by a teacher and group B no. The capacity to perform the difficult task was assessed at the beginning and end of the study; the children able (Groups A1 and B1) or unable (Groups A2 and B2) to perform the task at the Pre-test were similar in the 2 groups. To assess EF, the day/night test (Gerstadt et al., 1994) was used. Dynamic balance results. Time at spring bar: Group A pre 69.2 post 29.6 - Group B pre 71.8 post 48.8. EF results. Group A1 pre 4.90 post 2.71 - Group B1 pre 3.62 post 3.54. Group A2 pre 4.64 post 1.22 - Group B2 pre 5.30 post 3.55. Conclusions. Teacher support significantly promoted improvement of motor skill; teacher’s scaffolding significantly promoted EF development in children with initial low motor competence only. This research was supported by Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano CONI-Treviso and A.S.D. Laboratorio 0246, Treviso, Italy.

Research shows that the pandemic has increased sedentariness and decreased physical activity even in pre-schoolers. To deal with this period, the association Laboratorio 0246 proposed to some Italian kindergarten teachers an active training based on “ movement-stories ”. 39 teachers of kindergartens in 6 Italian regions were involved. All teachers completed the course a questionnaire, reporting difficulties related to space, time, bureaucratic demands, and highlighting problems in socializing with children due to restrictions. Most teachers reported that activities with storytelling in motion appeal to children, can be implemented in any indoor or outdoor setting, are easy to implement, and promote active children. There is a need for teacher training, including technical training about physical activity. Without the specific knowledge base, it is difficult for teachers to understand the real needs related to physical activity and to use methodology and didactics. The research-training-action pathway demonstrates to be well suited to address this situation.

Objective: Assessing the effects of different instructional plans on affective learning aims (i.e., the level of enjoyment) within physical education (PE) classes in elementary school students. Method: The second-grade classes of a primary school were randomly assigned to two different groups (i.e., experimental and control). The control group (n = 29) followed the regular physical education curriculum based on skill practices meanwhile the teacher used a directive style. The experimental group (n = 35) followed a PE plan based on the use of the Tactical Game Model approach to teach handball-based invasion game. The affective learning aims were assessed by means of the Italian version of the PACES scale and it was administered prior to, and at the end of the instructional period. Scale reliability was estimated for each assessment and group. Furthermore, the impact of the plans was estimated and interpreted according to Cohen’s effect size measure. Results: For the control group, the reliability results were between moderate and excellent (i.e., Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.82 to 0.93), while the same results for experimental group were moderate in pre- and post-training assessment (i.e., Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.77 to 0.92). No significant between-group differences were estimated at the start of the study. At the end of the instructional period there were significant and moderate-to-large differences for the positive scores, while significant and low-to-moderate differences for the negative scores. Implications: Current results identified the TGM approach as an effective strategy for supporting fun and motivational PE lessons, since teachers can use these reflections for developing appropriately PE lessons.

The technological innovations of the last decade have caused countless changes to everyone's lifestyle, especially in the number of hours spent in front of a screen. These generational differences are even more marked if the new generations of students are taken into consideration, in fact, even at the school level, technological innovations have brought changes. Just as lifestyle and teaching have changed, what is considered as the "needs" of pupils and how they live and relate both in formal and informal environments have also changed. Considering the emergency period caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, greater attention has been paid to the importance of exercising and everyone has also re-evaluated the beauty and benefits of exercising outdoors. Outdoor Movement Education in this sense can be a key that allows the new generations to experience the emotions and sensations that can be felt during outdoor moving activities. This work is a reflection on how technology can be a tool to increase the benefits in Outdoor Movement Education considering children and youth with special needs. The results of this work have shown how the use of technology in Outdoor Movement Education brings numerous advantages both under the didactic profile (i.e., life skills) and with regard to the cognitive (i.e., attention and concentration), motor (i.e., motor skills, fundamental movement skills) and affective (i.e., enjoyment) domains of learning respectively.

During the lockdown physical activity had a decline. What is the status now? A questionnaire was administered to 69 kindergarten teachers in 11 Italian regions to investigate the outdoor physical activity of children. Twenty-six percent of them report that they implement activities in their school garden (67% have a space larger than150 sqm) or park; 42% report that children engage in 3 to 7 hours of physical activity per week, 51% from 1 to 2 hours per week, and 7% do no practice physical activity. In September-October 11% of teachers never go outside, in November-December 22% and in March-June 15%. 52% of teachers believe that children should not be taken outdoors because of cold, wind, or rain and 30% of parents agree that it is better if children do not go outside. 76% of teachers say that it is important for children to have contact with nature and 90% of teachers say that outdoor activities are not risky. Although teachers report that outdoor activities are a resource for kindergarten the data do not support this.

Engagement in difficult motor tasks promotes development of executive functions (EFs) (Diamond, 2020; Davis et al., 2011). In this study we analysed the effects of different types of scaffold on children exposed to a difficult motor task. Methodology. One hundred, 5 years old children from 2 kindergartens were engaged in a specific motor program for 1 hour/week for 10 weeks. The program included learning a difficult motor task (walking on an unstable bar) for which the instructor provided physical or physical + emotional scaffold. In addition, children were divided in two groups based on their initial level of capacity to perform the task. Levels of EFs were measured by the Day & Night test at the beginning and at the end of the training period. Data were analysed by two-way ANOVA. Results. The data suggest that in expert children the emotional support fosters the effect of the difficult task on the performance of the Day & Night test; while in beginners the emotional support counteracts the effects of physical scaffold resulting in a null effect on EF development. Conclusions. The data point to specificity of scaffold procedures for combining motor and cognitive development. This research was supported by Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano CONI-Treviso and A.S.D. Laboratorio 0246, Treviso, Italy.

The reduction of physical activity is a phenomenon that affects the world population at all ages (childhood and adolescence, adulthood and third age) whose effects do not only concern the predisposition to risk factors for health but also more generally well-being and good individual bio-psycho-social functioning. Sedentary lifestyle, unfortunately, no longer affects adults and the elderly, but it is an unhealthy habit that is grafted more and more precociously, also extending to children and adolescents. In fact, during the developmental age we observe alarming trends of involution of motor skills with a general trend of reduction in the quality and quantity of movements in both children and adolescents; over the last fifty years, unfortunately, the coordination of school-age children has regressed, manifesting itself with a significant delay in the development of coordination especially in urban populations, as well as being affected by a serious and widespread problem of overweight and obesity in age paediatric. This paper analyses some special educational needs of movement during childhood and adolescence, even in the presence of disabilities, and tracks the main teaching methods that enhance the body and movement and the sensory perceptive system.

Objective: To assess the effects of a tactical games model (TGM) instructional plan on technical volleyball performances of elementary school students by taking into account for sex. Method: Thirty-nine fourth-grade students participated in a 15-week unit developed according to TGM. Their improvements in technical in-game skills were assessed by means of Team Sport Assessment Procedure indexes: volume of play, efficiency index, and performance score. A 2(sex) x 3(time) ANOVA with repeated measure was used to verify the students’ improvements. Effect size measures were used to interpret main effects and post-hoc analysis. Results: An overall large improvement resulted at the end of the instructional period, and this improvement seems to remain at least until the end of summer vacation. In pre-post training comparison, the improvements had similar moderate to large effect for both groups, while outcomes ‘differences were negative between post-training and the end of summer vacation. Girls seem to achieve greater and well-established improvements throughout the instructional plan. Implications: Teachers have to take into account sex when designed their lessons because these factors can enhance student’s learning processes. Furthermore, the results suggested the need to design developmentally adequate learning experiences during summer vacation for avoiding detrimental effect on students’ learning scores.