Motor Development in Children

Test 1

Infants

• movement during this period is perhaps more crucial than at any other time for brain movement

• object permanence

• speech (sounds)

• Give positive verbal reinforcement-strengthens brain activity, causes repetition

• Variety of Sensory experiences

Games for Infants

• Pat-a-cake

• This Little Piggy

• Reaching and kicking opportunities

• Ball play

• Music movement

• Pushing and pulling

• Peek-a-boo

• Games to encourage crawling

• Bubbles

Toddlers (18-36 months) Development Characteristics

• Language

• Spatial relationships

• Social play

• Imagination

• Need positive feedback

• running, jumping, climbing, kicking

• Constant motion

• Short attention span

Toddlers Movement Characteristics

• Constant motion

• Short attention span

• Need attention-getter

• Movement in the morning=best energy

• 20-30 minutes long

• Plan more content than you need

• Activities and instructions need to be brief

• Open and close the lesson in the same way everytime

Games for Toddlers

• Body Awareness (key)

• Simon Says-omit simon

• Up and Down

• Ring around the Rosie

• Obstacle Course

• Making faces

• Move like animals

• Follow the Leader

• If you’re happy and you know it

• Fingerplays

• Tossing

• Rolling

• Jumping

Preschoolers (3-5 yrs)

Developmental Characteristics

• Words/word play

• Attention span lengthens

• Curiosity

• Spatial concepts

• Parallel, associative, cooperative play

• rules

• make believe

• fears, emotional extremes

• 4-5 years practice taking turns

• Gallop, hop, skip, increased balance and manipulative skills

What is developmentally appropriate practice?

a developmentally appropriate movement curriculum can give children the practice and instruction necessary to refine their movement skills and expand their movement vocabularies.