1. The Physical Domain
Chapter 13

2. Kansas Early Learning STANDARDS
Develops Gross Motor Skills
PHD Benchmark 1.1: Moves body with control and balance (spatial awareness and coordination)
Pre3 1: Balances on one foot
Pre3 2: Hops on one foot
Pre4 1: Runs around obstacles, turns corners

3. Standards Continued
PHD Benchmark 1.2: Coordinates movements in space to accommodate objects and boundaries
Pre3 1:Steers wheeled toys
Pre3 2: Kicks a large ball
Pre4 1: Moves body into position to catch a ball, and then throws the ball in the right direction

4. Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Children have opportunities throughout the day to move freely and use large muscles in planned movement activities. Planned indoor and outdoor activities, , involving balancing, running, jumping and other vigorous movements, are provided to increase the child’s understanding of movement and to support gross motor development.

5. Inappropriate Practices
Opportunities for large muscle activity(indoor or outdoor) is limited to once a day or less. Outdoor time is limited because it is viewed as interfering with instruction time.
Adults are NOT involved during outdoor time, which is viewed as recess (a way to get children to use up excess energy) rather than an integral part of the children's skill development and learning.

6. Teaching Strategies Use learning centers to teach skills
Provide opportunities for children to explore equipment and try out physical behaviors suggested by the equipment or materials
Observe children’s performance of each skill or interest
Demonstrate the skill to be mastered and incorporate do-it signals

7. Perceptual Motor skills
Spatial Awareness: where the body is in terms of others in the environment.
Figure Ground Perception: determining what is in the foreground and in the background usually involves auditory or visual perception skills. (children finding objects that are inside the picture of many)
Temporal Awareness: rhythm is one kind of organized time that young children can do

8. Perceptual Motor Skills
Balance
Static Balance; ability to maintain a posture while holding still
Dynamic Balance: ability to remain in a desired position while moving

9. Body and Directional Awareness
Body awareness: knowledge about names and functions of the various parts of the body
Directional awareness: knowledge of a combination of the understanding of concepts such as
Up and Down
Front and back
Left and right

10. PHD Standard 2: Develops Fine Motor Skills
PHD Benchmark 2.1: Develops small muscles with purpose and coordination
Pre 3 1: Cuts out simple shapes
Pre3 2:Draws and paints with some detail
Pre3 3:Manages large buttons and zippers
Pre4 1:Reproduces some shapes and letters with writing utensils
Pre4 2: Grasps scissors with thumb on top

11. Appropriate Practice
Children have opportunities throughout the day to develop fine motor skills through play activities such as pegboards, beads to string, construction sets and puzzles; drawing, painting , clay sculpting, cutting, and other similar activities, and such routines as pouring juice or dressing themselves.

12. Inappropriate Practices
Children are given fine motor tasks that are too difficult or are expected to persist at fine motor work for long periods of time.
Teachers provide insufficient opportunity for children to develop fine motor skill. Fine motor activity is limited to handwriting practice, coloring pre-drawn worksheets or similar structured lessons.

13. Fine Motor skills
Coordination of sensory information with the motoric action is necessary. These skills take time and practice to develop.

14. General Principles of Fine Motor Development
The proximal-distal principle in which the shoulder, arm, wrists and then finger muscles are used in succession as children move on to greater control
Maturation, learning and practice are all significant factors in a child’s ultimate success: maturation alone does not lead to skillful performance
Children acquire knowledge and skill gradually and are heavily influenced by the presence of models in the environment

15. Continued Mature performance is the result of years of practice
Growth or the increase of the size of the hands may contribute to children’s learning some skills, such as keyboarding and piano playing because of the reach that is requires to use the correct form
Children progress through the same developmental sequences although considerable variation in rates can be seen.

16. Continued
Provide suggestions and strategies to support the child’s learning.
Intersperse guided practice with modeling
Emphasize qualitative movement over quantitative outcomes
Provide encouragement and feedback to children about their performance
Use problem solving strategies to explore movement concepts.

17. Encourage suggestions from the children
Establish guidelines for safety, level of participation ad respect for others.

18. To encourage Perceptual Motor Skills
Provide opportunities to practice balance that are simple at first, then move on to more challenging opportunities.
Incorporate concepts of spatial and time awareness into other domains as opportunities arise.
Select noncompetitive group games or modify familiar games to reduce or eliminate competition

19. Use directional language in context daily, including left and right for older children,
Use accurate language for naming body parts
Provide safety information and guidance to prevent hazards as children explore their bodies' functions and capabilities.
With younger children, provide an uncluttered background for objects you want them to see.

20. PHD Benchmark 3.2: Follows safety rules/precautions
Pre3 1: Knows common safety rules that have been discussed
Pre3 2:Behaves appropriately during emergency evacuation drills
Pre4 1: Recognizes warning symbols and communicates their meaning (red light, stop sign, poison symbol, etc)

21. PHD Standard 3 Demonstrates behaviors that promote good health
PHD Benchmark 3.3: Practices good personal hygiene
Pre3 1: Takes care of own toileting needs
Pre 4 1Washes and dries hands before eating and after toileting
Pre 4 2: Brushes teeth independently after meals

22. KS Health and Safety ELS
PHD Standard Demonstrates behaviors that promote good health.
Benchmark 3.1 Exhibits healthy eating habits
Pre3 1: Eats with fork and/or spoon
Pre3 2: Transfers food and liquid between containers, (serve self during family meals)
Pre4 1: Identifies different food groups
Pre4 2: Able to scoop from large bowl to open plate (serve self during family meals)

23. Appropriate Practices
Children have opportunities and teachers’ support to demonstrate and practice developing self help skills, such as dressing, toileting, serving and feeding themselves, brushing teeth, washing hands, and helping to pick up toys. Teachers are patient when ther are occasional toileting accidents, spilled food and unfinished jobs.

24. Inappropriate Practices
Teachers or other adults often perform routine tasks for children because it is faster and easier.
Adults display anger or shame children for toileting accidents or spills.

25. Health, Safety and Nutrition
Must be included in the curriculum.
Children learn this best through modeling, and direct teaching.
We can extend this to families as well.

27. Health, Nutrition and Safety
Plan vigorous physical activity every day.
Demonstrate concern for your fitness and health so that children an imitate what you do.
Incorporate health and safety education when applicable
Communicate regularly with families
Use mealtimes to teach nutrition and proper eating habits
When talking about food choices, use the phrase a better choice rather than good foods and bad foods.