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Background: Young children from disadvantaged settings often present delays in fundamental motor skills (FMS). Young children can improve their FMS delays through developmentally appropriate motor skill intervention programming. However, it is unclear which pedagogical strategy is most effective for novice and expert instructors.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a motor skill intervention delivered by expert and novice teachers via direct or indirect pedagogical strategy on the object control and locomotor skills of young children.

Participants and setting: Participants included children (N = 109) aged 40–67 months (M_age = 54 months, SD = 7 months) enrolled in an early years center for children who are socioeconomically disadvantaged in the United States.

Data collection: Children participated in one of five instructional conditions (expert-led direct, expert-led indirect …