How Metaphorical Instructions Influence Children’s Motor Learning and Memory in Online Settings

Metaphorical instructions are widely used in motor skill learning, yet their impact on learning and memory processes in children remains underexplored. This study examined whether metaphor-based language could enhance children's acquisition and recall of body posture-related motor skills in an online learning environment. Forty-eight children aged 7 to 9 were randomly assigned to receive either metaphorical or explicit verbal instructions while learning 15 gymnastic postures demonstrated through static images. Following the learning phase, participants completed a free recall task, in which they reproduced the learned postures without cues, and a recognition task involving the identification of previously learned postures. Results indicated that children in the metaphor group recalled significantly more postures than those in the explicit group, with no reduction in movement quality. However, no group differences were observed in recognition accuracy or discrimination sensitivity. These findings suggest that metaphorical instructions may enhance children's ability to retrieve self-generated motor representations but offer limited advantage when external cues are available. The study provides evidence for the value of metaphor-based strategies in supporting immediate motor memory in digital, child-focused learning settings and highlights the potential task-dependency of instructional language effects on memory outcomes.