Movement Shapes Growth, Actions Build the Future: Taiwan Children's Motor Development Survey
Children's motor development is crucial for their health, brain development, cognitive function, social adaptation, and academic performance. Good motor skills not only enhance physical fitness but also improve focus, learning ability, social interactions, and emotional regulation. Conversely, inadequate motor development may lead to coordination difficulties, attention deficits, and reduced participation in physical activities, affecting confidence and daily functioning. So, what is the current state of children's motor development in Taiwan? How can it be improved? Members of the Kids in Taiwan: National Longitudinal Study of Child Development and Care in Taiwan (KIT project) research team, led by Professor Chang Chien-Ju from the Department of Child and Family Science at National Taiwan Normal University, will share insights into Taiwanese children's motor development, examine key influencing factors, and provide recommendations for parents, educators, and policymakers to enhance children's motor skills in Taiwan. These insights are based on the KIT project’s long-term tracking of children aged 3 to 6 and lower elementary school students.
Gender Differences in Children's Motor Development in Taiwan
Overall, Taiwanese children's motor skills develop steadily with age, particu-larly during the preschool years (ages 3-5), when growth is most rapid. However, there are notable gender differences: Girls excel in fine motor skills (e.g., “being able to twist a bottle cap tightly”) at both the preschool and school-age stages. Boys outperform girls in gross motor skills (e.g., “being able to jump forward con-tinuously with both feet”) in elementary school.
Taiwanese Children's Exercise Habits, Duration, and Intensity Lag Behind WHO Recommendations
Findings from the KIT project indicate that children who engage in a greater variety of exercises, for longer durations and at higher intensities tend to exhibit better gross and fine motor development. However, the results also reveal significant concerns: (1) Over 80% of lower elementary school children in Taiwan do not meet the WHO's recommended daily 1-hour exercise guideline. In contrast, 42% of American elementary school children meet the WHO standard, highlighting a considerable gap. (2) Taiwanese children lack regular exercise habits—1 in 5 lower elementary school children (20% of first graders, 23% of second graders) do not engage in routine exercise. (3) Even among those who exercise, only about 30% reach moderate-to-vigorous intensity (e.g., swimming, basketball, soccer, fast running), far below Japan’s 63%.
Household Chores Can Enhance Children's Motor Development
The study found that children who participate in more household chores for longer periods tend to exhibit better motor skills: Heavy chores (e.g., mopping the floor, taking out the trash, hanging laundry, scrubbing the bathroom, changing bed sheets) enhance gross motor skills. Light chores (e.g., wiping tables, folding clothes, washing dishes, setting the table) improve fine motor skills. A balanced mix of chores allows children to practice different motor skills.
Diverse Learning Environments Support Motor Development
The environment plays a key role in shaping children's motor skills. The study found that: Frequent opportunities for gross motor activities (e.g., visiting mar-kets, playing in parks, riding bicycles, playing ball games) enhance children's gross motor development. Engagement in fine motor activities (e.g., playing with puz-zles, building blocks, snowflake pieces, drawing, and molding clay) improves chil-dren's fine motor skills. The effects of both types of activities persist over time, emphasizing the importance of consistent exposure.
Recommendations for Improving Children's Motor Development
Based on these findings, this study suggests: (1) For Parents: Cultivate chil-dren's exercise habits early, ensure a balanced development of motor skills, en-courage participation in household chores, and provide diverse learning environ-ments. (2) For Schools: Increase opportunities for physical activity, make PE classes more engaging, and encourage children to exercise during breaks and after school. (3) For Government Agencies (e.g., Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education): Utilize various platforms to raise awareness of the importance of chil-dren's motor development.