Supporting Young Children Post-Pandemic: Benefits of Daily Physical Literacy in Canadian Child Care
Dawne Clark, PhD; Paxton Bruce, BCST; Katie Hodder, BCST & Minsun Kim, BCST
Abstract
This study sought to provide evidence of the benefits of enhanced physical literacy programming in Canadian child care settings. Data were collected pre- and post-intervention from study and control groups from 2018 to 2020. Benefits for children included increased confidence and self-efficacy, improved language and communication skills, enhanced self-regulation, and reduction of challenging behaviours. Early Childhood Educators felt calmer and more playful, and built stronger relationships with children and families. While this study was not designed to look specifically at supporting young children throughout the pandemic, many of the study findings align and may address some of the impacts on young children in Canada being disclosed in current literature.