'Motor Magic': Evaluation of a community capacity-building approach to supporting the development of preschool children

Background and Aims: There is a lack of literature on the evaluation of programmes addressing the motor and sensory development of preschool children. This paper presents and discusses an exploratory evaluation study of the 'Motor Magic' programme run in Adelaide, South Australia. The purpose of this study was to identify outcomes for children, parents and kindergarten staff, as well as develop hypotheses about how these outcomes occurred and in what contexts. Methods: Using a realist approach, two focus groups were conducted, one with parents and one with kindergarten staff, to develop and refine key hypotheses. Results and Conclusion: Evaluation results for participating children and parents suggested that this programme provided a model of best practice for supporting the development of preschool-aged children, with or at risk of, developmental delay, within their family and social environments.