Masrun, Umar, Ifdil, Serli Marlina, Muhammad Fakhrur Rozi, Deby Tri Mario, Jannatul Khairoh
Fine motor skills play a crucial role in early childhood development, particularly for everyday tasks like writing, drawing, and handling small objects. However, structured and engaging training models to support this development are still underused in early childhood education. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a finger game training model on enhancing fine motor skills in children aged 4–6 years. A total of 64 children were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 32), which participated in structured finger game training sessions, and a control group (n = 32), which followed regular classroom routines. Fine motor skill levels were assessed before and after the intervention using a standardized checklist, and the data were analyzed with paired sample t-tests supported by descriptive visualizations such as histograms and parallel coordinate plots. The results demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in fine motor skills in the experimental group, with a mean gain of 8.22 points, which was 3.5 times higher than the control groupʹs gain of 2.38 points. This difference was statistically robust, as confirmed by a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.63) and a significant time × group interaction (F(1,62) = 87.543, p <.001, η² =.585). Data visualization further substantiated these findings, showing a consistent upward trend for 90% of the experimental participants. These results conclusively indicate that the finger game training model is a highly effective intervention for enhancing fine motor skills in early childhood. © 2025 by the authors.
Department of Sport Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Science, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Guidance and Counseling, Faculty of Education, Padang State University, Padang, Indonesia; Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, Padang State University, Padang, Indonesia; Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Teuku Umar, Meulaboh, Indonesia; Doctoral in Sports Science, Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia
