PhD, Associate Professor G.G. Polevoy
Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), Moscow, Russia

Objective of the study was to analyze the influence of the "Hopscotch" exercise on the general coordinating and spatial orientation skills in the 8-9 year-old schoolchildren.
Methods and structure of the study. The educational experiment lasted 9 months and involved 50 schoolchildren. The training sessions were conducted twice a week, 40 minutes each. The level of development of the general coordinating skills was rated in the 3x10m shuttle run test, that of the spatial orientation skills – in the numbered medicine ball run test. The mathematical and statistical data processing was carried out using the computer programs Microsoft Excel 2016 and bio-stat 2009. The statistical significance of differences was determined by the parametric Student's t-test (р<0.05).
Results of the study and conclusions. There was a positive effect of the "Hopscotch" exercise on the general coordinating and spatial orientation skills of the 8-9 year-olds. The "Hopscotch" exercise was first introduced at the school physical education lessons. The effectiveness of the standard school physical education program and the sensitive period in the development of the coordinating and spatial orientation skills in elementary schoolchildren was confirmed.
If elementary schoolchildren perform the "Hopscotch" exercise at the school physical education lessons, the level of development of their coordinating and spatial orientation skills will significantly improve.

Keywords: coordinating skills, spatial orientation, schoolchildren, physical education, lesson.

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