THE INFLUENCE OF EDUCATIONAL DANCE ON THE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the motor development of children who practiced educational dance with the motor development of children who did not practice it and to verify the results obtained after six to eight months after the end of the intervention. Methods: The study was carried out with 85 children enrolled in the first year of elementary school in two schools located in the south of São Paulo city (São Paulo, Brazil). Children were randomized by lot in two groups (intervention and control). Children with intellectual and/or physical disabilities and the premature ones were excluded from the analysis. The two groups had their motor development evaluated in three moments: before the intervention, after the intervention and six to eight months after the end of the intervention. The intervention group participated in an educational dance class program for seven months. Control and intervention groups were compared by chi-square and t-test. Results: Children who participated in the educational dance program, compared to children who did not, achieved significant gains in their general motor development and on the following bases: balance, fine motor and overall praxis. Conclusions: Educational dance helped the children’s motor development, and the results were partially maintained months after the end of the intervention.

摘要
研究目的：本研究旨在对比参与教育舞蹈活动儿童与未参与儿童的运动发育水平，并验证干预结束后6至8个月的随访结果。
研究方法：本研究纳入巴西圣保罗市南部两所小学的85名一年级儿童作为研究对象。采用抽签法将受试者随机分为干预组与对照组，排除存在智力障碍、肢体残疾的儿童以及早产儿童。两组分别于干预前、干预后及干预结束后6至8个月三个时间点开展运动发育评估。干预组参与为期7个月的教育舞蹈课程项目，本研究采用卡方检验与t检验对两组数据进行比较分析。
研究结果：与未参与教育舞蹈项目的儿童相比，参与项目的儿童在整体运动发育、平衡能力、精细动作及整体动作运用能力方面均取得显著提升。
研究结论：教育舞蹈可有效促进儿童的运动发育，且该干预效果在干预结束后的数月内可部分维持。