Stages of Motor Development

Dynamic balance

Initial: balanced with support, eyes on feet, uses follow step with dominant lead foot

Elementary: eyes focused on the beam, loses balance easily, uses alternate stepping action

Mature: eyes focused beyond beam, movement fluid, relaxed, in control, may lose balance rarely

Static balance

Initial: high knee, thigh nearly parallel with surface, very unstable, overcompensates balance w outside support

Elementary: tied in leg, better on dominant leg, use arms for balance keeping on side, can't balance with eyes closed

Mature: relaxed, can close eyes, use arms and trunk as needed, can change to noon dominant leg

Running

Initial: high guard, flat foot, short wide stride, wide shoulders, arms and legs swing out, no flight

Elementary 2: middle guard, vert component great, inc stride, inc arm swing

Elementary 3: heel-toe arms extended, low guard, arm opposition, elbows nearly extended, heel toe contact

Mature: pumping arms, toe heel when sprinting, arm leg opposition, high heel recovery, elbow flexion

Leaping

Initial: inconsistent running, focused, not able to push off and gain distance/ elevation, inconsistent use of take off leg, arms ineffective

Elementary 2: elongated run, thinking, little elevation above supporting surface, little fwd trunk lean

Elementary 3: stiff, incomplete extension of legs during flight, arms for balance not as aid

Mature: full extension, relaxed, forceful extension of takeoff leg, summation of horizontal and vert forces, fed trunk lean, arm opposition, full extension of legs

Skipping

Initial: broken skip, irregular, slow, ineffective arm action

Elementary: high arms and legs, rhythmic skip pattern, arms provide body lift, excessive vert component

Mature: rhythmic skip, arm action reduced, hands below shoulders, easy rhythmic movement, support foot near surface on hop

Galloping

Initial: choppy run, rhythmically uneven run, trail leg crosses in front of lead leg in air, little arm use

Elementary: stiff back leg, slow/ moderate tempo, choppy rhythm, trail leg stiff, hips sideways, vert component exaggerated

Mature: smooth and rhythmic, moderate tempo, feet close to ground, hip forward

Sliding

Initial: choppy run, rhythmically uneven run, trail leg crosses in front of lead leg in air, little arm use

Elementary: stiff back leg, slow/ moderate tempo, choppy rhythm, trail leg stiff, hips sideways, vert component exaggerated

Mature: smooth and rhythmic, moderate tempo, feet close to ground, hip forward, moving sideways while facing in direction of movement

Hopping

Initial: foot in front, thigh parallel to floor, high vert component, legs not extended

Elementary 2: foot by supported leg, non support knee flexed with knee in front and foot behind support leg, slight body lean forward, bilateral arm action

Elementary 3: foot behind support leg, non support thigh vertical with foot behind support leg and knee flexed, more body lean forward, bilateral arm action

Mature: perpendicular free leg, nonsupport leg is bent, knee pumps forward and back perpendicular, forward body lean, arm opposition with swing leg

Jumping

Initial: braking arms, large vert component, legs not extended

Elementary 2: winging arms, vert component high, legs near full extension

Elementary 3: arms swing to head, arms move forward, elbows in front of trunk at takeoff, hands to head height, take off angle still above 45, legs fully extended

Mature: full body extension, take off near 45, thighs parallel to surface at contact

Rolling

Initial: straddle, ball held with hands on side, palms face each other, acute bend at sides backward pendulum motion, eyes on ball, forward swing and trunk lift at release

Elementary: stride stance, ball held with one hand at bottom and one on top, backward arm swing, no weight transfer, limited knee bend, forward swing w limited follow through, ball released between knee and waist level, eyes alternate watching target and ball

Mature: contralateral step, ball held in hand corresponding to traveling leg, slight hip rotation, slight trunk lean forward, knee bend, forward swing with weight transfer from back to front, release at knee level or below, eyes on target

UH Throwing

Initial: stationary, ball held with hands on side palms facing each other, limited swing backward, eyes monitor the ball, forward swing and trunk lift at release

Elementary: ipsilateral, stride stance, one hand on ball, backward arm swing without weight transfer to rear, forced swing with limited follow through, ball released between knee and waist level or above chest, eyes alternate between target and ball Mature: contralateral, ball held in hand corresponding to trailing leg, step forward with opposite foot, forward swing with weight transfer from front to back foot, release at waist, eyes on target

OH Throwing

Initial: chop, vert windup, feet stationary, no spinal rotation

Elementary 2: sling shot, horizontal wind up, block rotation, follow through across body

Elementary 3: ipsilateral, high wind up, feet cross over, little spinal rotation, follow through across body

Elementary 4: contralateral step, high windup, little spinal rotation, follow through across body

Mature: downward arc windup, contralateral step, segmented body rotation, arm leg follow through

Catching

Initial: delayed, arms straight in front until ball contact then scoop action to chest, fet stationary

Elementary 2: hugging, encircle ball, feet stationary or one step

Elementary 3: scoop, to chest, scoop under ball to chest, maybe one step to approach ball

Elementary 4: hand catch, feet stationary or one step

Mature: move to ball, hands only, whole body move through space

Kicking

Initial: stationary push, little/ no leg windup, step back after kick

Elementary 2: stationary leg swing, leg windup to rear, opposition of arms and legs

Elementary 3: moving approach, foot travels in lower arc, arm leg opposition, forward or side step on follow through

Mature: leap kick hop, rapid approach, backward trunk lean during windup

Striking

Initial: chop, feet stationary, trunk faces tossed ball, no trunk rotation, elbows fully flexed, fore comes from extension of flexed joints in downward plane

Elementary 2: pushing, horizontal push/ swing, feet stationary/ stepping, weight shift to front foot before, combined trunk and hip rotation (block)

Elementary 3: ipsilateral, back foot steps across, diagonal downward swing, strike in oblique plane

Mature: contralateral step, segmented body rotation, wrist roll over, weight shift TO back foot, weight shift occurs while object is still moving backward, long full arc in horizontal plane, weight to front foot at contact

Dribbling

Initial: palms facing, ball held with both hands, hands placed on side of ball, palms facing each other, downward thrust with both arms, ball contacts surface close to body, might hit foot, great height of bounce, repeated ball catch pattern

Elementary 2: flat bounce, both hands, one on top one on bottom, slight forward lean, downward trust, force inconsistent, watch ball, palm hits ball, limited control of ball

Elementary 3: flex wrist and extends, ready positive, more steady, more consistent dribbles

Mature: controlled, feet in narrow stance, opposite foot forward, slight forward trunk lean, ball waist height, ball pushed with fingers used, doesn't need visual monitoring