Key Definitions And Concepts Of Physical Development

We have a large outdoor activity set in the back with slides and stairs and ladders this helps to build the gross motor skills. Running jumping, climbing all of these things are detrimental to this development. We also have a smaller play ground on the side of the building for the smaller children that contains some smaller equipment such as cars you can sit on and kitchens and small play houses with slides. Young age children can build their gross motor by beginning on these smaller toys before adventuring out to the larger one that we have set up in the back.

Physical development in children is an important area and is usually expected to happen automatically as they grow. The important areas are gross motor skills,

While Leah jumped on and off the couch it allowed me to observe her gross motor skills.

At 1 year, babies are able to sit up and feed themselves using fingers. They also know what they like and do not like, food that they don’t like usually ends up on the floor. Babies are now able to understand more of what is going on and communicate with long strings of babble.

People with autism often have difficulties with motor co-ordination and, if they are significantly affected in this way, may also be given a formal diagnosis of dyspraxia.

A new baby cannot hold up his or her head alone. Yet, within a few months, the baby will be able to sit alone. This is because control of the spine and central nervous system develops from the top of the head down to the base of the spine. You can see this control developing in a baby as he or she starts to hold the head without support. Similarly, a new-born baby waves his or her arms around vaguely, yet in nine months’ time will find the tiniest crumb or piece of Lego easy to pick up with the thumb and finger. This is because the nervous system also develops from the spinal cord out to the extremities (hands and feet).

Three physical changes the infant undergoes includes (1) going from using basic reflexes to learning complex motor skills (e.g. how to crawl and walk); (textbook p. 142; Chapter 4), (2) developing fine motor skills (e.g. precisely reaching and grasping for a toy); (p. 185; Chapter 5), and (3) developing vision, specifically depth perception and pattern perception (e.g. developing the ability to recognize); (pp. 189-193, Chapter 5). These are examples of the dynamic systems theory of motor development as the infant progresses in a sequence.

| Reflexes –Sucking, Grasping, Drinking, Eating.Lifting head unaided.Latterly, crawling, rolling over and possibly standing or cruising.

What began as involuntary movement and reflexes at birth, by 6 months have become voluntary movements. By 2 years the fine motor skills are beginning to develop. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body that enable such functions as crawling, kicking, sitting upright and rolling over. It is a little harder for an infant to walk because they are top heavy and their thighs are too big to support their little feet. Most infants, starting at nine months begins to learn how to walk. Fine motor skills are necessary to engage in smaller, more precise movements, normally using the hands and fingers. Fine motor skills are different than gross motor skills which require less precision to perform. This is the child's ability to use small muscles, specifically their hands and fingers, to pick up small objects, hold a spoon, turn pages in a book, or use a crayon to draw.

Children develop gross motor skills at different age norms which are affected by their culture and can vary (Berger, 2014). In order to gain information, we need to educate and understand this development, we have to conduct research. We are looking for new information and theories. Although surveys are a great way to collect a large amount of data the information gained is only as sound as the subject. This is why we need other avenues for research, and we need parental support to make that happen.

Motor skills involve movement of muscle in the body (John, 2009). These are larger movements such as crawling, running, and jumping (John, 2009). Most of the gross motor development occurs during childhood (John, 2009). Gross motor skills have two principals that determent how a child will regularly develop (Center of diseases Control and Prevention, 2016). Head to toe development this means the upper parts of the body will develop before the lower parts of the body (John, 2009). Children develop these skills throughout play (John, 2009). A tree year old Toddler can be very active therefore participating in activity that require movement, coordination, and balance can be beneficial to help a toddler to develop their motor skills (Jan, Beth & Melissa, 2012). A 3 year old child can throw a ball but catching it is more difficult. They start walking with good posture similar to an adult; they can also walk backwards (Jan, Beth & Melissa, 2012). A 3 year old can run which required strength and balance, during running they should be able to rotate their trunk and swing their arms (John, 2009). By the age of 3 a child walks up and down stairs alternating their feet without support which is possible because their balance has increase (John, 2009). A 3 year old child also learns to jump from a step and learn to jump forward (Center of diseases Control and Prevention, 2016). They start hopping at the age of 3 ½ and also can stand on one foot (Center of diseases Control and Prevention, 2016). Skipping requires sequencing and rhythm which makes it more difficult this include step and hop patterns.

These skills need to be constantly used and refined in development so that they’re maturing at a steady rate. The development of these skills is of upmost importance because these are the muscles a child will use all day every day, when walking around the house or when playing with friends at school. These muscles will be continually engaged and having a good solid foundation of these working muscles will improve the early stages of a child’s life. The development of gross motor skills will generally speaking grow from inside to outside as well as head to toe, which is consistent of an infant’s same develop in the mother’s womb. As a child is progressing through the first two years of life, many changes will occur. The child will first learn to balance the body and move towards controlling the muscles of the body, then on to crawling and supporting itself, and by the end of that second year of life the child will have mostly refined skills that allow for play and overall being more mobile in moving around and navigating through day to day movements. Along with this increased mobility, a child will be able to get different places like on furniture, or up stairs but getting back down will be the hard part. As well as, the infant’s muscles’ may be progressing but the ability to stop and switch direction in movements is however not fully developed at this point.

Gross motor skills seem to be highly underrated in the development of children. While we take notice of mental disabilities and severe physical impairments, we tend to overlook the importance of gross motor skills in children. Just as a healthy diet is critical to the development of young children, gross motor skills are imperative to a strong, healthy start to many developmental aspects of a child.

A child also starts using gross and fine motor skills in sporting activities. Fine motor skills include using the small muscles that are found in the hands, arms, and fingers to use and control tools and materials. Gross motor skills involve controlling the head, trunk, legs, and arms. An early childhood professional

A few examples of Fine Motor activities displayed during the early years include handwriting skills, drawing pictures, making objects out of clay, and even cutting with scissors. Each of these activities is characterized by including the small-muscle developments that involve finger-thumb coordination, hand-eye coordination, and the development of muscle strength in the hand and arm. All in all, motor skills are an important part of the learning process, and as these “fundamental motor skills are learned...[they] serve as the foundation for more specialized motor skills that will be