Information & Reminders ( Information & Reminders (*Indicates that a printed copy must be submitted) Make-up Class *Article Report *Glossary *Group Presentations Weekly Journal

SESSION 6 The Nature and Analysis of Movement THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES School of Continuing Studies Certificate in Physical Education The Fundamentals of Elementary Physical Education SESSION 6 The Nature and Analysis of Movement

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

Sequence of Motor Development Cephalocaudal: Head to trunk; trunk to hands and feet. Proximo-distal: Mid-line to extremities. Gross to fine motor skills. Stable posture and sensory input facilitate controlled and refined movements.

Developmental Milestones

Developmental Milestones Fine Motor Development Gross Motor Development

Gross Motor Development This is brought about by the following changes. Development of the muscle tone and power. Primitive reflexes of newborns gradually disappear.  This gives the child more freedom of movement and capacity to balance. Head control. Achieving and maintaining sitting position.  A good posture supports the fine motor tasks like writing, drawing and playing musical instruments. Ability to move from one place to other.  Approximately at the age of 9 months, children begin to crawl on all 4 limbs, and 10th month onward stand with support.  At the age of 12-15 months 90% of the children can walk around independently. Gross Motor Development Gives children the ability to maintain their posture, mobility and stability. Gross motor control is important for major body movements such as walking, maintaining balance, coordination, jumping, and reaching. Children are thus able to use large muscles of the whole body to perform activities such as required for outdoor games on a playground. 

Fine Motor Development This is the ability to accomplish activities which require efficient use of hands and fingers (dexterity), like writing, holding a soon/fork/pencil, and dressing. Bilateral coordination: a.) 4 month old child reaches a toy with both his hands. b.) 6 month old can transfer a toy from one hand to the other. c.) 16 month old can effectively use two hands differently to      accomplish the desired task. For example: Stabilizes the paper      with one hand and scribbles on the paper with the other hand.        Thereby the dominant side is established: Right or left handedness Hand-Eye coordination to achieve a task like cutting, painting etc Speech development Well coordinated movements of the tongue, lips, and jaw muscles are essential for proper articulation and speech production, which in turn facilitates language development. Fine Motor Development The fine motor development is dependent on good hand to eye coordination: Optimal vision is crucial to control the movements of the small muscles of hands and fingers. The first step towards fine motor development is noticed at the age of 2-3 months, when a baby begins trying to reach a toy, but can only swipe at it somewhat inaccurately.  By the age of 3-4 months eyeball movement are better controlled and thereby hand movements are also gradually get refined. Toys, games and puzzles help children improve the fine motor movements during early childhood. Activities like drawing, painting, clay molding and building blocks help further to practice and enhance fine motor skills.

Growth Development One is dependant on the other. Growth is physical changes whereas development is overall development of the organism. The main differences between both are- (1) Growth is change of physical aspects of the organism. Development is overall changes and progressive changes of the organism. (2) Growth is cellular but development is organizational. (3) Growth is the change in shape, form, structure, size of the body. Development is structural change and functional progress of the body. (4) Growth stops at maturation but development continues till death of the organism. (5) Development also includes growth. Growth is a part of development. (6) Growth and development go side by side. (7) Growth and development is the joint product of heredity and environment. (8) Growth is quantitative and development is qualitative in nature. (9) Growth can be measured accurately but development is subjective interpretation of one’s change.

Developmental Progression in the Acquisition of Motor Skills - Gallahue (1993) The reflexive movement phase ranges from birth to about 1 year of age. In this phase the infant engages in reflexive movements. The rudimentary movement phase includes the basic motor skills acquired in infancy: reaching, grasping and releasing objects, sitting, standing, and walking. The skills of the rudimentary movement phase acquired during the first 2 years form the foundation for the fundamental phase. The fundamental movement phase occurs during the preschool years ranging from ages 2 to 3 to ages 6 and 7. During this phase, children gain increased control over their gross- and fine-motor movements. They are involved in developing and refining motor skills such as running, jumping, throwing, and catching. Control of each skill progresses through initial and elementary stages before reaching a mature stage. Children in this phase first learn skills in isolation from one another and then are able to combine them with other skills as coordinated movement. The specialized movement phase begins at about 7 years of age and continues through the teenage years and into adulthood. The sequence of the appearance of these phases is universal, although the rate of acquisition of motor skills varies from child to child.

Factors Influencing Motor Development Environmental space. Freedom and understanding. Adequate affectionate stimulation. Emotional stability. Mental health Genetic potential is determined by how the parents progressed through their own development. Brain growth and maturation of the central nervous system. Skeletal and bone growth. Nutrition. Physical health.

References Rink, J (1998) - Teaching Physical Education for Learning - Chapter 2   Siedentop, D (2004) - Introduction to Physical Education Fitness and Sport -Chapters 1-4 Wolff, L et al (1979) - Fundamentals of Nursing - Chapter 5 Play and Child Development, by J.L. Frost, S.C. Wortham, S. Reifel, 2008 edition, p. 125-127. © ______ 2008, Merrill, an imprint of Pearson Education Inc.