Assessment and Exercise Interventions in Early and Middle Childhood Development
Top Contributors - Jess Bell, Wanda van Niekerk, Tarina van der Stockt, Kim Jackson, Aminat Abolade, Cindy John-Chu and Olajumoke Ogunleye
Introduction[edit | edit source]
There are a range of assessment tools to both quickly screen and assess children in more detail. These assessments will highlight if a child has a specific developmental difficulty that may affect their school and sports readiness.
PhysiFun Checklist[edit | edit source]
The PhysiFun checklist has been developed to highlight to the teacher / therapist if a particular student needs help with any activity. It is also a useful feedback tool for parents. See Table 1.
Age | Walking | Stairs | Ball Skills | Fine Motor |
---|---|---|---|---|
15 months | Walks alone, arms up, feet wide
Starts voluntarily Falls, bumps into things |
All fours upstairs
Creeps backwards down |
Kneels with support | Pincer grasp of small objects
Palmar grasp of crayon To and fro scribbles Builds tower of 2 cubes after demonstration |
18 months | Walks feet slightly apart
Stops voluntarily Starts to jump Can walk backwards for a few steps |
Upstairs with one hand held
Creeps backward down Climbs to stand on chair |
Squats to pick up toy
Kneels properly Pushes ball with foot Throws a ball |
Primitive tripod grasp or midshaft palmar grasp
To and fro scribbles and dots |
2 years | Runs, stops and starts with ease and avoids objects | Upstairs with 2 feet a step
Downstairs - holding on Can jump off a step |
Kicks a large ball
Throws a small ball overhand in a definite direction |
Holds a pencil near tip with thumb and 2 fingers
Circular scribbles, to and fro scribble and dots, vertical lines Builds a tower of 6 to 7 cubes |
3 years | Stands momentarily on 1 foot
Obstacles whilst running Walks forwards, backwards and sideways Can ride pedal cycle bike and turn wide corners |
Upstairs with alternating feet
Downstairs with 2 feet to one step Rises from kneeling without using hands |
Throws ball overhead
Can catch a large ball on or between extended arms Kicks ball forcibly |
Pencil skill tripod grasp with good control
Imitates cross and copies circle Draws a man with head plus 1 or 2 indications of features Cuts with scissors Threads large beads |
4 years | Running is more controlled; can start, stop, and turn
Turns somersaults Hops on one foot Gallops Can brush teeth Can skip (without rope) |
Combs hair
Can wash and dress with little assistance |
Can easily catch, throw, and bounce a ball | Copies crosses and squares
Prints some letters Uses table utensils skillfully Cuts on a line |
5 years | Runs in an adult manner
Walks on tiptoe Broad jumps Walks on a balance beam Skates and jumps rope |
Laces (but cannot tie) shoes | Developing ability to throw a ball against a wall and catch it again | Hand preference is established
Grasps pencil like an adult Colours within lines Cuts and pastes simple shapes Writes name Draws a detailed person Matches most colours Understands numbers |
6 years | Learns to skip with rope
Knows right from left and number of fingers Stands on one leg for 20 seconds (bilaterally) |
Ties shoe laces | Specific sporting ability becomes more obvious | Draws with precision and to detail
Developing reading skills well May write independently Copies a diamond |