Perfil psicomotor: caracterização de escolares da primeira série do ensino fundamental de colégio particular

Abstract

The aim of this study was to characterize the psychomotor profile of schoolchildren attending the first grade in Elementary School, considering their gender, gestational age and physical aspect, as well as to analyze the relationship between motor and school performances. After obtaining parental consent, 37 children (20 boys and 17 girls) aging 6,5 to 7,8 years old (M=7, 2 ± 0,4) were enlisted from two classrooms of a private school (SAPIENS), in São Carlos/SP, in order to participate in this study. The assessment tool was Fonseca´s Psychomotor Battery (PMB) (1995), which consists of 7 psychomotor categories: Tonicity, Equilibration, Lateralization, Body Perception, Time-Spatial Structurization, Global Praxis and Fine Praxis. Each of these categories can score from 1 to 4, according to the following profiles: (1) Apraxic; (2) Dyspraxic; (3) Eupraxic; (4) Hyperpraxic. The children were assessed only once. From the data analysis, it was possible to verify that the children with an average age of 7 years and 2 months presented eupraxic psychomotor profile. ANOVA test (P≤0, 05) was applied to characterize the psychomotor profile within the criterion of scores. There was no significant difference (p=0,848) in the characterization between the genders. Nevertheless, the girls presented higher scores in most of the categories, except in global praxis. In the characterization between gestational ages, there was a significant difference (p=0,047) in fine praxis, inasmuch as the scores of the full-term children were higher than the pre-term ones. In the characterization among physical aspects, there was a significant difference in Tonicity (p=0,013) and Equilibration (p=0,05). In both factors, the mesomorphic children presented better performances. On the other hand, in global praxis (0,018), the endomorphic children presented better performances in relation to both ectomorphic and mesomorphic children. From the comparison between motor and school performances, it was possible to verify significant differences in body perception and global praxis concerning mathematic calculation. In short, it was verified that the gender did not influence the profile characterization of the children. However, the gestational age, the physical aspect as well as motor and school performances were determinant in their performance characterization. In general, the schoolchildren analyzed were characterized as presenting normal psychomotor profile.