Gross-motor skills to potential intelligence

Abstract.The aim of this study has been to provide a descriptive analysis to investigate the possible relation between motor skills andcognitive development in children of primary education in Italy.Thestudy has been assess 56 children aged between 6-11 years, shared out in two samples; the first sample iscomposed of some gymnasts,chosen at random, who practice sport in field “Gymnastics for all” in the Gymnastic Federation of Italy from 2 years;thesecond sample iscomposed of pupils of a primary school, also chosen at random. The motor test for the assessment of motor skills, the test ofpotentialintelligence and the assessment of bodycomposition,were performed over the whole sample, which is exclusively female and it ishomogeneous on social-cultural point of view.The investigation showed a relationship between coordination skills and potential intelligence. This study has focused more attention on twovariables: potential intelligence and gross-motor skills.In the whole sample that has beenanalyzed,thecorrelationbetween themappearssignificant,but not enough toassume thatthere is a connectionof causeand effectbecauseothervariables maybe the causeof thevariations.The directionof the two variables in the single sample (gymnasts/pupils)however,presentspositive valuesof the correlationcoefficient,but loweras in the single sample, being homogeneous in the abilities andnotshowthedifferences.The motor activity, and especially thetraining of coordination skills,could be one of thefactorsthat allowsto growth the capabilities ofcognitive development of children.