title: Gross and fine motor skills of left-handed preschool children.
abstract: From a population of 765 preschool children 4-6 years old, 31 children (4.1%) were identified as left-handers. Using the two motor subscales A (gross motor) and D (fine motor) of the Griffiths Test No. II, these children were compared with 31 right-handers, matched for age, sex, and preschool attended. Right-handed children received higher quotients than left-handed on both Griffiths' subscales, with a significant difference only on Scale D. However, the differences between right- and left-handed children arose from the poorer performance of left-handed boys on fine motor tasks (Scale D). These differences could be responsible for learning difficulties that left-handed children face later at school. Such difficulties should be identified as early as possible to facilitate psychoeducational intervention in preschool programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. angelopo@phed.auth.gr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giagazoglou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fotiadou
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Angelopoulou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tsikoulas
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tsimaras
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*