Structured Physical Activity Enhances Phase-Based Motor Skill Acquisition in Preschool Children: A BOT-2 Stratified Study

Early childhood is a crucial period in the development of motor competencies, pivotal to long-term health and educational success. Yet, the developmental trajectory of motor skill acquisition in preschoolers—especially the time required to reach initial and early refinement stages—remains inadequately studied. This study investigates whether cumulative exposure to structured physical activity affects learning efficiency in preschool children and examines the relationship between baseline motor proficiency (BOT‑2 composite score) and pace of learning cross tasks of varying complexity. A total of 161 children aged 5–6 years (83 girls, 78 boys) were stratified into four groups based on previous exposure to structured activity (0 h, ~120 h, ~350 h, ~470 h). Participants completed a 7-week program covering nine unfamiliar motor tasks. Using a phase-based video protocol, the time to Phase 1 (first successful execution), Phase 2 (consistent refinement), and final execution quality were recorded. Group differences of BOT-2 scores and task complexity effects were assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis test with Conover–Iman post hoc comparisons, and associations were evaluated using Spearman correlations (α = 0.05). Results showed that children with 350 hours or more of exposure to structured physical activity reached Phase 1 (F1) and Phase 2 (F2) significantly faster and achieved higher execution quality on motor tasks compared to their peers (p < 0.001). Strong negative correlations between BOT‑2 scores and phase times (ρ = –0.73 and –0.61 for F1 and F2, respectively; p < 0.001), and a positive correlation with execution quality (ρ = 0.59; p < 0.001), confirmed the impact of baseline proficiency. Average performers took 116–226 seconds (s) (F1) and 171–267 s (F2) for simple tasks, with times increasing to 471–1443 s (F1) and 513–1708 s (F2) for complex tasks. Above-average children required only 38–92 s (F1) for simple tasks and less time, 115–198 s (F2), for complex tasks. The study establishes evidence-based time benchmarks for motor learning phases in preschoolers across proficiency levels, providing a novel, replicable assessment tool and also practical guidance for educators and curriculum planners. Future research should focus on exploring longer-term retention, Phase 3 transition, and sensor-integrated validation of instructional pacing frameworks.