Peer-reviewed article
Movement and Song as a Gross Motor Stimulation Strategy for Children Aged 5–6 Years: An Experimental Study in Kindergarten
Fitriani Fitriani, Riza Oktariana, Vinny Aryesha, Tengku Hartati ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5The study tested whether movement and song activities improve the gross motor skills of children aged 5–6 years in one kindergarten class in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Sixteen children were observed before and after the activities. Their total gross motor score rose from 680 to 1,040. The authors conclude that movement and song are an effective, enjoyable and developmentally appropriate strategy for young children.
Key points
- Sixteen children from Group B3 at TK Negeri 5 Tibang, Banda Aceh, took part.
- Gross motor skills were observed on indicators such as body coordination, flexibility, balance, agility, eye-foot and hand-head coordination, participation in physical games, and use of both hands.
- The total score increased from 680 at pretest to 1,040 at posttest, a gain of 360 points.
- A paired-sample t-test led the authors to conclude that the activities were effective.
- The authors say the activities also encourage participation, motivation and self-expression.
Limitations
With only 16 children in one class and no comparison group, the study cannot show that the gains were caused by the movement and song activities rather than by natural development or other factors. The abstract does not give the length of the intervention, the t-test statistics, or any follow-up, and the results may not apply beyond this setting.
Abstract
Gross motor development is an essential aspect of early childhood growth that needs to be stimulated through active, enjoyable, and developmentally appropriate learning activities. However, early childhood education practices still face challenges related to children's low participation in motor activities, limited learning variation, and difficulties in performing coordinated body movements. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of movement and song activities in improving the gross motor development of children aged 5–6 years. A quantitative approach with a one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. The participants were 16 children from Group B3 at TK Negeri 5 Tibang, Banda Aceh, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using structured observations of children's gross motor abilities before and after the intervention. The observed indicators included body coordination, flexibility, balance, agility, eye-foot and hand-head coordination, participation in physical games, and the ability to use both hands. The data were analyzed using normality testing, paired-sample t-test, and improvement analysis. The findings demonstrated an increase in children's gross motor abilities following the implementation of movement and song activities. The total score increased from 680 at the pretest stage to 1,040 at the posttest stage, representing an increase of 360 points. Hypothesis testing indicated that movement and song activities were effective in improving the gross motor development of children aged 5–6 years. These findings suggest that integrating music, singing, and movement can serve as a contextual, enjoyable, and developmentally appropriate learning strategy for young children. Movement and song activities not only stimulate physical-motor abilities but also encourage active participation, motivation, self-expression, and meaningful learning experiences.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Movement and song activities used as a gross motor stimulation strategy in kindergarten
- Population
- 16 children aged 5–6 years in Group B3 at TK Negeri 5 Tibang, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, selected by purposive sampling
Key finding
Total gross motor score rose from 680 (pretest) to 1,040 (posttest), an increase of 360 points.
Fitriani et al. · OpenAlex - Early Childhood · 7 Oct 2026