Physical or emotional scaffolding in a difficult motor task: What is better with 5-year-old children?

Engagement in difficult motor tasks promotes development of executive functions (EFs) (Diamond, 2020; Davis et al., 2011). In this study we analysed the effects of different types of scaffold on children exposed to a difficult motor task. Methodology. One hundred, 5 years old children from 2 kindergartens were engaged in a specific motor program for 1 hour/week for 10 weeks. The program included learning a difficult motor task (walking on an unstable bar) for which the instructor provided physical or physical + emotional scaffold. In addition, children were divided in two groups based on their initial level of capacity to perform the task. Levels of EFs were measured by the Day & Night test at the beginning and at the end of the training period. Data were analysed by two-way ANOVA. Results. The data suggest that in expert children the emotional support fosters the effect of the difficult task on the performance of the Day & Night test; while in beginners the emotional support counteracts the effects of physical scaffold resulting in a null effect on EF development. Conclusions. The data point to specificity of scaffold procedures for combining motor and cognitive development.