Abstract:

The relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement has been widely studied, although most of the research has focused on muscular strength and aerobic capacity. Therefore, few studies have analyzed the influence of speed,a skill related fitness factor defined as the maximal velocity that can be reached by part or all of the body,on academic achievement. This is somehow important since speed depends on the efficacy of the central nervous system, which in turn is related to learning capacity. Under these circumstances, the present research aimed to identify the relationship between speed and academic performance in preschoolers. A total of 69 preschool children (average age 4.51 ± 0.5 years, 56% girls), volunteered and finished the study. Speed was measured by means of the "25 m dash test”, while academic achievement was based on individual grades for each child in each of the four assessed subject areas established by the official curriculum during the preschool years: “Self-knowledge and personal autonomy”, “Understanding of the environment”, “Language, Communication and Representation”, and “English as a foreign language" . Descriptive and correlation analysis were carried out. The obtained data showed that speed was significantly correlated with the academic marks obtained in the area of "English as a foreign language" (r=-0,404;p=0,008). No other significant association between this fitness component and academic performance was observed. The results of this study suggest that speed as a fitness component might have some influence over academic achievement in preschoolers, but only in the subject areas related to foreign language learning.

Keywords:

Academic performance, Speed, Early Childhood Education, Physical Form.