Motor Development: Refers to the growth and development of motor skills, which include both gross and fine motor activities that are essential for performing everyday tasks.
Motor Competence: A person's ability to perform motor activities effectively.
Types of Motor Skills
Gross Motor Skills: Involves the use of large muscle groups for activities such as running, jumping, and hopping.
Fine Motor Skills: Involves the use of smaller muscle groups, important for tasks like grasping objects and manipulating tools.
Motor Proficiency
Proficiency: Represents both the ability to perform movement and the knowledge of coordination, especially in sports.
Motor Abilities: Innate skills influenced by genetics but proficiency develops through practice and experience.
Fundamental Motor Movements
Building Blocks of Motor Skills: Include locomotor skills (movement) such as walking, running, and jumping; manipulative skills (object control); and balance.
Motor Coordination: Refers to dexterity, the skillful performance of tasks involving precise movements.
Developmental Phases of Motor Skills
Reflexive Phase: In infancy (birth to ~1 year), movements are involuntary and based on reflexes.
Rudimentary Movement Phase: Begins around 1 year; infants start to develop gross motor skills such as crawling and walking.
Fundamental Movement Phase: Develops between ages 2-7, including more complex motor tasks such as catching, throwing, and balancing.
Specialized Movement Phase: Involves advanced skill development for specific sports or activities as children grow older.
Reflexes in Infancy
Primitive Reflexes: Involuntary responses necessary for survival (e.g., suckling, grasping, and startle reflex). Begin in utero and can be seen during infancy.
Postural Reflexes: Develop around 6-12 months, laying the groundwork for voluntary movements, such as head lifting when laid on back.
Timing of Reflex Development: Reflexes typically evolve over the first year, transitioning from primitive to postural to voluntary movements as neurological development progresses.
Motor Skill Acquisition in Toddlers (1-2 years)
Milestones: In toddlerhood, children achieve major milestones in gross motor skills, such as independent walking.
Variability of Milestones: Development can vary widely among children; deviations from expected milestones may be indicators of developmental issues.
Motor Skills Dominance: During this age, primitive reflexes still exist but are gradually replaced by voluntary movements.
Physical Activity Levels in Early Years
Activity Trends: Most toddlers engage in light physical activity and are primarily sedentary, with more moderate to vigorous activity as they grow older.
Differences in Engagement by Gender and Weight: Boys typically are more active than girls, and healthy weight children engage more in physical activity.
Influence of Environment: Rural children tend to engage in longer durations of physical activity compared to their urban counterparts.
Relationships Between Motor Skills and Physical Activity
Correlation Studies: Research indicates a weak correlation between the performance of motor skills and levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
Age Cohorts: When analyzing data by age, four-year-olds show a moderate correlation, while three-year-olds do not.
Intervention Research Findings
Impact of Motor Skills Programs: Programs that focus on fundamental motor skills led to higher activity levels, though the effect may not sustain long-term without ongoing engagement.
Dynamic Interaction: The relationship between physical activity, motor skills acquisition, and perceived competence is dynamic, illustrating a bidirectional interaction throughout childhood into adolescence.
Models of Motor Skill Development
Snowden's Model: Proposes a dynamic, bidirectional relationship between motor competence and physical activity, suggesting that both influence each other over time.
Seefelt's Model: Suggests a hierarchical approach, where foundational motor skills must be developed before engaging in more complex physical activities and sports.
Conclusion
Importance of Early Motor Skill Development: Early foundational motor skills are crucial for lifelong physical activity engagement and overall development.
Need for Further Research: While programs can enhance motor skills and activity levels, understanding the long-term effects and relationships requires additional study.