Learning Together

By Dr. Mary Arth Daughrity

Children and college students learn together at ENMU’s Child Development Center (CDC) when students from the Department of Health and Physical Education (HPE) work with children ages 3-5 on their motor skills. Approximately 20-25 HPE students work with the CDC children each semester in HPE 212L: Motor Behavior Lab. This partnership has been in place since 2008.

“This is a highly autonomous environment that allows the children to explore a wide variety of movement experiences using developmentally appropriate toys,” says Dr. Sarah Wall, who teaches the motor skill intervention part of the lessons using a mastery motivational climate approach. The aim of the program is to provide experience with gross fundamental motor skills like catching, galloping and jumping.

“Our research has shown that not only do we see significantly improved motor skills following the intervention, but also we see significantly higher physical activity levels while the children are on the playground with us,” states Dr. Wall.

HPE graduate student Dillon Metzgar helps one of the CDC preschoolers to integrate cognitive and movement skills.

Photo by Scott Kendall

“The children are able to develop their gross motor skills through targeted activities provided by the HPE students,” explains CDC Director Elaine Gard (MEd 04, BS 01). “Through facilitation and encouragement, the HPE students are able to motivate the children to move and use their bodies in ways that challenge their muscles and their brains. In addition, the children develop habits such a perseverance, adaptability, concentration, trust and control that are reinforced

by the structured play opportunities provided. The CDC staff alone could not provide this level of targeted physical development without the partnership.”

Dr. Sarah Wall, students from the Department of Health and Physical Education and children at the Child Development Center stretch out for “P.E.”

Photo by Scott Kendall

“Typically most of my students are quite nervous at the idea of working with small children, but by the end of the semester the college students write in their journal how sad they are that their playtime at the CDC is over and how much they will miss the children,” Dr. Wall says. “It is clear that the hands-on experience greatly enhances the college students’ learning of motor development concepts.”