@article{WickKriemlerGranacher2022,
  author    = {Wick, Kristin and Kriemler, Susi and Granacher, Urs},
  title     = {Associations between measures of physical fitness and cognitive performance in preschool children},
  series = {BMC sports science, medicine \& rehabilitation},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {BMC sports science, medicine \& rehabilitation},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {BMC},
  address   = {London},
  issn      = {2052-1847},
  doi       = {10.1186/s13102-022-00470-w},
  pages     = {8},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Background: Given that recent studies report negative secular declines in physical fitness, associations between fitness and cognition in childhood are strongly discussed. The preschool age is characterized by high neuroplasticity which effects motor skill learning, physical fitness, and cognitive development. The aim of this study was to assess the relation of physical fitness and attention (including its individual dimensions (quantitative, qualitative)) as one domain of cognitive performance in preschool children. We hypothesized that fitness components which need precise coordination compared to simple fitness components are stronger related to attention. Methods: Physical fitness components like static balance (i.e., single-leg stance), muscle strength (i.e., handgrip strength), muscle power (i.e., standing long jump), and coordination (i.e., hopping on one leg) were assessed in 61 healthy children (mean age 4.5 +/- 0.6 years; girls n = 30). Attention was measured with the "Konzentrations-Handlungsverfahren fur Vorschulkinder" [concentration-action procedure for preschoolers]). Analyses were adjusted for age, body height, and body mass. Results: Results from single linear regression analysis revealed a significant (p < 0.05) association between physical fitness (composite score) and attention (composite score) (standardized ss = 0.40), showing a small to medium effect (F-2 = 0.14). Further, coordination had a significant relation with the composite score and the quantitative dimension of attention (standardized ss = 0.35; p < 0.01; standardized ss = - 0.33; p < 0.05). Coordination explained about 11\% (composite score) and 9\% (quantitative dimension) of the variance in the stepwise multiple regression model. Conclusion: The results indicate that performance in physical fitness, particularly coordination, is related to attention in preschool children. Thus, high performance in complex fitness components (i.e., hopping on one leg) tends to predict attention in preschool children. Further longitudinal studies should focus on the effectiveness of physical activity programs implementing coordination and complex exercises at preschool age to examine cause-effect relationships between physical fitness and attention precisely.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Wick2023,
  author    = {Wick, Kristin},
  title     = {Motor and cognitive performance in kindergarten children},
  doi       = {10.25932/publishup-59253},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-592532},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {viii, 128},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Childhood compared to adolescence and adulthood is characterized by high neuroplasticity represented by accelerated cognitive maturation and rapid cognitive developmental trajectories. Natural growth, biological maturation and permanent interaction with the physical and social environment fosters motor and cognitive development in children. Of note, the promotion of physical activity, physical fitness, and motor skill learning at an early age is mandatory first, as these aspects are essential for a healthy development and an efficient functioning in everyday life across the life span and second, physical activity behaviors and lifestyle habits tend to track from childhood into adulthood. The main objective of the present thesis was to optimize and deepen the knowledge of motor and cognitive performance in young children and to develop an effective and age-appropriate exercise program feasible for the implementation in kindergarten and preschool settings. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of fundamental movement skill and exercise interventions in healthy preschool-aged children. Further, the relation between measures of physical fitness (i.e., static balance, muscle strength, power, and coordination) and attention as one domain of cognitive performance in preschool-aged children was analyzed. Subsequently, effects of a strength-dominated kindergarten-based exercise program on physical fitness components (i.e., static balance, muscle strength, power, and coordination) and cognitive performance (i.e., attention) compared to a usual kindergarten curriculum was examined. The systematic review included trials focusing on healthy young children in kindergarten or preschool settings that applied fundamental movement skill-enhancing intervention programs of at least 4 weeks and further reported standardized motor skill outcome measures for the intervention and the control group. Children aged 4-6 years from three kindergartens participated in the cross-sectional and the longitudinal study. Product-orientated measures were conducted for the assessment of muscle strength (i.e., handgrip strength), muscle power (i.e., standing long jump), balance (i.e., timed single-leg stand), coordination (hopping on right/left leg), and attentional span (i.e., "Konzentrations-Handlungsverfahren f{\"u}r Vorschulkinder" [concentration-action procedure for preschoolers]). With regards to the scientific literature, exercise and fundamental movement skill interventions are an effective method to promote overall proficiency in motor skills (i.e., object control and locomotor skills) in preschool children particularly when conducted by external experts with a duration of 4 weeks to 5 months. Moreover, significant medium associations were found between the composite score of physical fitness and attention as well as between coordination separately and attention in children aged 4-6 years. A 10-weeks strength-dominated exercise program implemented in kindergarten and preschool settings by educated and trained kindergarten teachers revealed significant improvements for the standing long jump test and the Konzentrations-Handlungsverfahren of intervention children compared to children of the control group. The findings of the present thesis imply that fundamental movement skill and exercise interventions improve motor skills (i.e., locomotor and object control skills). Nonetheless, more high-quality research is needed. Additionally, physical fitness, particularly high performance in complex fitness components (i.e., coordination measured with the hopping on one leg test), tend to predict attention in preschool age. Furthermore, an exercise program including strength-dominated exercises, fundamental movement skills and elements of gymnastics has a beneficial effect on jumping performance with a concomitant trend toward improvements in attentional capacity in healthy preschool children. Finally, it is recommended to start early with the integration of muscular fitness (i.e., muscle strength, muscle power, muscular endurance) next to coordination, agility, balance, and fundamental movement skill exercises into regular physical activity curriculums in kindergarten settings.},
  language  = {en}
}
@book{StraetzSolbachHolstSolbach2007,
  author    = {Str{\"a}tz, Rainer and Solbach, Regina and Holst-Solbach, Friedemann},
  title     = {Bildungsh{\"a}user f{\"u}r Kinder von drei bis zehn Jahren},
  address   = {Berlin},
  organization    = {Bundesministeriumf{\"u}r Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Referat {\"O}ffentlichkeitsarbeit},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-bbdig-128},
  publisher      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {142},
  year      = {2007},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Poltz2018,
  author    = {Poltz, Nadine},
  title     = {Die Entwicklung numerisch-mathematischer Fertigkeiten im Vorschulalter},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {269},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Wie stark eine Person in ihrer allt{\"a}glichen Umgebung auf Anzahlen achtet (Spontane Fokussierung auf Anzahligkeit, kurz SFON) ist individuell sehr unterschiedlich. Zwar liegen bereits hinreichende Belege f{\"u}r einen Zusammenhang zwischen SFON und Z{\"a}hlfertigkeiten, Subitizing und basalen sowie h{\"o}heren arithmetischen Fertigkeiten im Kindergarten und der fr{\"u}hen Grundschulzeit vor, die Einordnung der relativen Bedeutsamkeit von SFON gegen{\"u}ber bereits bekannten und gut belegten Pr{\"a}diktoren fehlt jedoch. Daneben lag der bisherige Schwerpunkt vorrangig auf Z{\"a}hlfertigkeiten. Offen bleiben die Kompetenzen des Kindes in der Mengenerfassung und -verarbeitung sowie die bereits im Vorschulalter vorhandene Kenntnis arabischer Ziffern. Die Daten dieser Arbeit wurden im Rahmen einer großen epidemiologischen Studie (SCHUES) erhoben. Eine Stichprobe von 1868 Kindergartenkindern (964 Jungen und 904 M{\"a}dchen) konnte zw{\"o}lf Monate vor ihrem Schuleintritt erstmalig untersucht werden. Die Kinder waren hier im Mittel 63 Monate alt. 1704 Kinder konnten erneut rund neun Monate sp{\"a}ter (im Mittel drei Monate vor Schulbeginn) getestet werden. Das mittlere Alter der Kinder lag bei 72 Monaten. Die erfassten numerisch-mathematischen Fertigkeiten lassen sich in drei Teilbereiche gliedern: Z{\"a}hlfertigkeiten, Ziffernkenntnis und Rechnen/Mengenerfassung. Daneben wurden SFON, die nonverbale und verbale Intelligenz, die phonologische Schleife, der visuell-r{\"a}umliche Notizblock sowie die zentrale Exekutive und die Aufmerksamkeit zu beiden Messzeitpunkten erhoben. Die SFON-Tendenz zeigte eine m{\"a}ßige, numerisch-mathematische Fertigkeiten eine m{\"a}ßige bis hohe Stabilit{\"a}t {\"u}ber die Zeit. Der an bisher deutlich kleineren Stichproben gefundene Zusammenhang zwischen der SFON-Tendenz und den numerisch-mathematischen Fertigkeiten konnte in der vorliegenden Arbeit repliziert werden. Eine Vorhersage auff{\"a}lliger als auch sehr guter numerisch-mathematischer Leistungen gelang jedoch weder quer- noch l{\"a}ngsschnittlich mit ausreichend hoher Genauigkeit. Auch der bereits in der Literatur beschriebene reziproke Zusammenhang zwischen SFON und numerisch-mathematischen Fertigkeiten konnte durch die vorliegende Arbeit an einer großen Stichprobe repliziert werden. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus wurden Hinweise auf die kausale Struktur des Zusammenhangs gewonnen: Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass numerisch-mathematische Fertigkeiten SFON besser vorhersagen konnten als andersherum. Die Ergebnisse der Pfadanalysen zeigten weiterhin, dass SFON neben den bedeutsamen Konstrukten des Arbeitsged{\"a}chtnisses, der Intelligenz und der Aufmerksamkeit einen eigenst{\"a}ndigen Beitrag f{\"u}r die Entwicklung numerischer als auch mathematischer Fertigkeiten leistet. Auch auf die weitere numerische und mathematische Entwicklung bis kurz vor Schuleintritt hat SFON einen bedeutsamen Einfluss. Dieser vollzieht sich jedoch indirekt {\"u}ber das numerisch-mathematische Vorwissen.},
  language  = {de}
}