ERIC Number: EJ825690
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-4046
EISSN: N/A
Increasing Physical Activity in Preschool: A Pilot Study to Evaluate Animal Trackers
Williams, Christine L.; Carter, Betty Jean; Kibbe, Debra L.; Dennison, David
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, v41 n1 p47-52 Jan-Feb 2009
Objective: This report describes a pilot study to evaluate Animal Trackers (AT), a preschool program designed to (1) increase structured physical activity (PA) during the preschool day; (2) increase practice of gross motor skills; (3) provide teachers with an easy-to-use PA program regardless of teacher experience; and (4) implement a teacher walking intervention. Design: Pilot observational study in volunteer preschools. Setting: Nine preschools in New Mexico. Participants: Two-hundred seventy 3- to 5-year-old children and 32 teachers. Intervention: Daily 10-minute classroom activities for children. Main Outcome Measure: Implementation and duration of AT activities, teacher preparation time, and added weekly time spent in structured PA. Analysis: Process evaluation to track program implementation, and pre-post measures to assess outcomes. Results: AT activities were implemented 4.1 times per week (11.4 minutes/activity), with 7 minutes teacher preparation time. Overall, AT added 47 minutes of structured PA per week for children. Conclusions and Implications: The AT program increased structured PA time in preschools. Teachers felt that AT was developmentally appropriate; that children enjoyed the activities; and that the children's motor skills improved. Results of the pilot study are encouraging, since research suggests that even small increases in PA could help prevent obesity. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Obesity, Class Activities, Intervention, Physical Activities, Program Implementation, Physical Activity Level, Play, Preschool Children, Health Promotion, Psychomotor Skills, Skill Development, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Developmentally Appropriate Practices
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Mexico
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A