Testing the Validity of the Halverson Developmental Sequences for Skipping

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the validity of developmental sequences hypothesized by Halverson (Roberton & Halverson, 1984) for the arm and leg action in skipping. Method: Children's skipping movements were categorized into the Halverson sequences using (a) cross-sectional video data collected on one hundred and fifty 5- to 12-year-olds, and (b) longitudinal film data collected on 7 children followed from age 3 through high school. Both data sets were graphed separately across age to see if the sequence levels rose and fell in accordance with developmental theory. Results: The longitudinal data indicated tentative validity of the sequences although study of younger children will be needed to validate the earliest levels of arm and leg action. In contrast to the children in the longitudinal study, relatively few children in the cross-sectional study had reached the most advanced levels of the skip by 12 years of age. Supporting the findings of Loovis and Butterfield (2000), the cross-sectional skipping data showed no gender differences (p ≥ .05). Conclusion: Future studies should continue the validation process as well as further examine questions related to gender differences in skipping and to the amount of practice needed to acquire advanced movement in this task.

Keywords:

• gender differences
• locomotion
• longitudinal research
• motor development

Acknowledgments

Thanks to S. Langendorfer of Bowling Green State University and D. Stodden of Texas Tech University for providing the cross-sectional data for this study. Thanks to G. Thompson of Farmington Hills, MI, public schools for help establishing interobserver objectivity. The longitudinal data were presented to the Motor Development Research Consortium in Lubbuck, TX, in 2006.