Motor development refers to the growth and refinement of motor skills, including large and small muscle movements. Motor growth in early childhood is a whirlwind of discovery from crawling, first steps, and learning to run. Children, when building their physical development, are constantly building and refining their motor skills daily. Understanding why motor development is important for parents and teachers is important as it lays the foundation for a lifetime of physical activity.
What is Motor Development
So what is motor development, and why is it important in early childhood? Motor development, in its simplest terms, is the progression of a child’s ability to control their muscles and movements. Those movements are large movements like walking and small hand movements like drawing. Children can work on these skills through simple play, such as going outside and running, building with blocks, and painting or drawing. Physical development is also linked to sensory experiences like touch, sight, and sound. These sensory skills help children learn and understand their world for success.
Motor Development of Infant
Motor development of infant focuses on the basic reflexes, head control, reaching, grasping, and crawling. These motor skills will lay the foundation for their future. Learning through touch is one of the first skills taught and is one of the most used senses throughout a lifetime.
There are three keys to infant development. The first is the head-to-toe progression. Infants first learn head control as the first physical milestone. The second is gross motor skills such as lifting the head, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and pulling to stand. The third is fine motor skills, such as reaching for an object, grasping a toy, transferring objects between hands, and the pincer grasp.
Infants reach various motor skills during their first year of life. Here is a general guide to what to see and approximately when:
Developmental milestones in the first year:
- Newborn (0-1 month): Reflexive movements like sucking, grasping, and startle reflex, can lift head briefly when on tummy.
- 2 months: Holds head steady when on tummy, begins to smile, can track moving objects with eyes.
- 4 months: Lifting head and chest while on tummy, reaching for objects, bringing hands to mouth
- 6 months: Rolls over from front to back and back to front, sits with support, begins to transfer objects between hands
- 8 months: Sits without support, crawls, pulls to stand holding onto furniture
- 10 months: Cruises (walks holding onto furniture), pincer grasp to pick up small objects
- 12 months: Takes first independent steps, may use gestures like waving goodbye
Motor Development of Toddlers
Motor Development of toddlers has rapid growth, and new skills are being developed daily. The toddler years start at the age of one and go through the later in the two-year-old stage. New skills developed in toddlers are walking, running, jumping, climbing, and using various hand tools. Some of these skills start to develop in infancy and are developed to mastery in the toddler stage of development. Some key fine motor skills are using the pincer grasp, turning pages in a book, drawing, buttoning clothes, and scissor skills.
Motor Development of Preschool
Motor development of preschool will build on the skills developed in the previous stages with more refinement and ease. These skills will help develop increased muscle tone, more controlled movements both big and small, and refined coordination skills. Preschoolers learn to throw and catch, balance on one foot, and work on handwriting skills.
Motor Developmental Milestones
Motor developmental milestones are the most visible. Adults can see or not see these vital skills grow and develop. It takes time, lots of practice, and patience to build these skills with the goal of independence and strength.
Some factors that may hinder the progress of these skills are:
- Genetics:
Can play a significant role in determining a child’s natural physical abilities, including muscle strength and coordination. - Environment:
- The physical environment can help or hinder the opportunity for play and movement which can impact motor development.
Nutrition:
Adequate nutrition provides the necessary nutrients for muscle growth and energy levels, which are crucial for motor skill acquisition. - Muscle tone:
Muscle tone is the state of muscle tension at rest, either too high or too low muscle tone potentially hinders motor development and range of motion. - Physical activity:
Engaging in regular physical play and exercise promotes the development of motor skills. - Brain development:
As the brain matures, new neural connections are formed, allowing for the emergence of new motor skills. - Family dynamics:
Family and caregiver involvement, support, and encouragement significantly influence a child’s motor development success. - Culture:
Cultural norms and expectations can influence the types of physical activities children are exposed to - Gender:
While most motor skills are developed in everyone to varying mastery, some skills are easier for one gender then the other.
Motor Development is crucial in early childhood as it lays the foundation for a child’s physical capabilities for life. Children need time to practice their physical skills to learn and explore their world. While children build their motor skills and improve vital cognitive, social, self-esteem, and independence skills.
Related Resources:
Virtual School: Physical Development
https://www.virtuallabschool.org/management/physical-development/lesson-2
Early Childhood Development Course:
Fine Motor Activities
