motor skills as a criterion for school readiness?: The influence of on child's readiness

Starting school and the first impressions that come with it mark the beginning of a whole new phase in every child's life. An unsuccessful start to school can have a major impact on the child's future school career and negatively influence their development. Diagnostic procedures for assessing school readiness should help to make it easier to decide whether a child is ready for school or not. The current situation in school entry diagnostics shows that cognitive performance levels are predominantly assessed, while physical and motor skills tend to be neglected. This book aims to shed light on why gross motor skills should be included as part of a school entry test. First, the importance of motor skills is emphasised, and then the connection between cognition and motor skills as well as the physical and motor requirements in everyday school life are examined. Finally, an empirical study looks at whether motor performance, measured by means of an obstacle course, allows conclusions to be drawn about school readiness.