Motor Development Principles
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Motor Development[edit | edit source]
Motor development is a term used to describe the way in which a child develops or acquires movement patterns and skills.[1] Motor development is a result of maturation and not practice. Skills will follow a typical trajectory from central to peripheral and are sequential with each one building upon the next. Motor development can occur over different periods of time from immediate to very long. In contrast, motor learning is a permanent change in motor skills due to practice. Motor learning is not something that is observable, but something that is realized based on long-term performance skills.[2]
Gross vs. Fine Motor[edit | edit source]
Motor development can be further divided into gross motor skills or fine motor skills. Large muscle movements of the trunk and limbs such as walking, sitting and rolling would be examples of gross motor skills. Smaller muscle movements of the wrist and fingers such as grasping, cutting and eating would be classified as fine motor skills.[3] [4]
Gross Motor[edit | edit source]
Gross motor skills can be further divided into locomotor and object control skills. The majority of gross motor skills are locomotor including walking, running, jumping, crawling, etc. Object control skills entail the child using an object/toy to build, climb, throw, catch, push, pull, etc.[5]Boys typically tend to develop gross motor skills faster than females.[5]
Fine Motor[edit | edit source]
Fine motor skills involve the coordination between the eyes and hands, eyes and feet or eyes, hands and feet. Fine motor skills typically develop after gross motor and require more patience.[6]Most fine motor skills require the use of an object and are not locomotor in nature. Some examples of fine motor include threading, beading, cutting, weaving, etc. Females tend to develop fine motor skills faster than males.[5]
Skill Acquisition[edit | edit source]
New skill acquisitions are continually modified and sequential with each skill leading to the development of another. [1] [7] The first six years of a child's life are geared toward learning and practicing functional motor skills. [8] From 6-12 years old, children will refine these motor skills and develop a new combination of skills.[9]
Motor development occurs based on the interplay of three factors: the individual, the environment and the task. [7] Each of these components also known as constraints can hinder or assist in motor skill acquisition. [7]
Individual Constraints[edit | edit source]
Individual constraints are characteristics that are specific to the individual. They can be divided into either structural or functional constraints. Structural constraints are characteristics that are within the individual's own body structure such as weight, height and leg length. These features change with aging and growth. Overtime changes in structural features are slow. Functional constraints refer to the individual's behavioural function such as their attention, motivation and fear. Functional characteristics can change over a shorter period of time.[7]
Task Constraints[edit | edit source]
Task constraints are features that are external to the body that are related to the task goal.[7] Task constraints delineate tasks that need to be performed to accomplish the goal such as rules, instructions and equipment. Task constraints are features that are external to the body. [7]
Environmental Constraints[edit | edit source]
Environmental constraints include anything in the physical world that is not part of the individuals' body. Any environment experience can shape motor development and mastery.[1]. Environmental constraints can be classified into physical or sociocultural. [7] Physical constraints exist outside of the body and are related to the world around the individual. Examples of physical characteristics include the temperature, the floor surface and lighting. Sociocultural features include the individual's social relationships and their cultural beliefs.[7]
Specific Environmental Factors[edit | edit source]
Specific environmental factors can play a role in how quickly an individual completes a motor task. Research shows various environmental determinants help increase motor development in children specifically locomotor and object control skills. The list below highlights these determinants: higher social class
- higher parental educational level
- better nutrition
- the number and availability of age appropriate toys
- amount of time freely moving about/more space
- time spent outdoors
- having older siblings to imitate[10]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Malina RM. Motor development during infancy and early childhood: Overview and suggested directions for research. International journal of sport and health science. 2004;2:50-66.
- ↑ Magill R, Anderson D. Motor learning and control. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing; 2010.
- ↑ Gonzalez SL, Alvarez V, Nelson EL. Do gross and fine motor skills differentially contribute to language outcomes? A systematic review. Frontiers in psychology. 2019 Dec 3;10:2670.
- ↑ Sorgente, V., Cohen, E.J., Bravi, R. and Minciacchi, D., 2021. Crosstalk between Gross and Fine Motor Domains during Late Childhood: The Influence of Gross Motor Training on Fine Motor Performances in Primary School Children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), p.11387.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Early Impact. 12 Differences between Gross Motor and Fine Motor Skills. 2022. Available from: https://earlyimpactlearning.com/12-differences-between-fine-and-gross-motor-skills/
- ↑ Sutapa P, Pratama KW, Rosly MM, Ali SK, Karakauki M. Improving Motor Skills in Early Childhood through Goal-Oriented Play Activity. Children. 2021 Nov 2;8(11):994.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Haywood KM, Getchell N. Life span motor development. Human kinetics; 2021.
- ↑ Wang H, Chen Y, Liu J, Sun H, Gao W. A follow-up study of motor skill development and its determinants in preschool children from middle-income family. BioMed Research International. 2020 Oct;2020.
- ↑ Derikx, D.F., Houwen, S., Meijers, V., Schoemaker, M.M. and Hartman, E., 2021. The relationship between social environmental factors and motor performance in 3-to 12-year-old typically developing children: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(14), p.7516.
- ↑ Barnett LM, Hnatiuk JA, Salmon J, Hesketh KD. Modifiable factors which predict children’s gross motor competence: A prospective cohort study. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. 2019 Dec;16(1):1-1.
