 Motor Development
 “Through exploring and manipulating the environment, the helpless and dependent baby grows into a self-sufficient and competent child. From being carried by another, through taking the first faltering steps, the child moves toward coordinated mastery of physical movement. From random thrashing movements, through increasingly purposeful use of hands, to skillful, precise, and coordinated use of tools and technology, the child becomes a contributing member of the human family. Motor development enhances cognitive growth as real actions bring understanding to abstract concepts.”
(Minnesota Department of Education, 1991, p. 24)
Motor development refers to the growth of a child's body. During the first year of life, a child's motor development proceeds rather rapidly. Motor development is often considered a "benchmark" of a child's overall development. For example, if an infant reaches age 1 and does not sit up, parents and professionals will check other areas of the child's development. That is why physicians are often the first to identify children who may be at risk for developmental delays.
Motor development is closely linked to genetics. When children have tall parents, it is expected that the children will also grow to be tall. In addition, motor development generally occurs at specific times. For instance, most people reach puberty during the teenage years. It is important to learn the following general principles of how motor development occurs during the first few years of life.
Head-to-Toe
Motor development starts from the head and progresses down to the feet. This is called head-to-toe development. Infants begin their motor development by first moving their heads and facial features. Next, they develop the ability to control and bring their arms together in front of their body. Trunk movement develops next, as babies begin to roll their bodies and bring their feet up toward their face. Finally, the baby gains control of the hips as he or she learns to sit and then to work the hip and knee together to crawl. Overall head-to-toe control appears when the baby takes his or her first steps. This motor development usually takes place during the first year, but can take up to three years for the child to develop complete control of his or her body in standing postures.
Proximal to Distal
Proximal means close to the body, and distal means away from the body. The shoulder is proximal; the hand is distal. Babies must develop proximal stability before doing intricate hand and foot movements. Trunk control is needed for balance and to serve as the base of support. Before working on fine motor skills with the hands, a baby must be able to sit well.
Gross, Fine, and Finest
During the first year, babies rapidly develop gross, or large muscle control of major motions. A baby changes from a newborn without head control to a child learning to walk. This process occurs as a result of the head-to-toe principle.
From age 1 to 2, the child's focus changes to [fine motor skills]—those that involve manual dexterity and problem-solving. For instance, a child begins to sit for long periods of time working with blocks, puzzles, and clothing, learns to eat without help, and loves to explore new objects with his or her hands and fingers
From age 2 to 3 , motor skills are refined even more. The mouth and tongue move in specific ways to create speech, and the hands become capable of using eating or writing utensils. These finer skills are built on a solid foundation of gross motor skills. As children become older, they demonstrate a wide variety of both fine and gross motor skills. A typical 4-year-old will run, dance, hop, clap, string beads, pick up small objects, and will begin to show control over his or her body by activities such as sitting for a long time listening to a story or imitating the complex behaviors of adults.
Perceptual-Motor Development
Two aspects of a child's growth combine to produce perceptual-motor development. Perception is any process in which children become aware of what is happening around them. Children gain information through their senses—what they see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. As children grow older, they begin to organize perceptions and make sense of them. The perceptions then tell the body how to move in response. Perceptual-motor development is the process in which children learn to move the various parts of their bodies as they get involved with the objects and people they perceive.
Perceptual-motor development is a combination of a child's motor and cognitive skills. Children learn that ovens are hot to the touch, receiving this information through their senses. Their memory of ovens being hot reminds them not to touch the oven. The first few years of life are very important in developing perceptual-motor skills. As noted in the section on cognitive development, educators call this the sensori-motor period of cognitive development.
Information in this lesson is used with permission from:
Minnesota Department of Education. (1991). Model learner outcomes for early childhood
education. Minneapolis, MN: The Minnesota Curriculum Services Center.
Rush, K. (1999). Early childhood:The role of the paraprofessional. Minneapolis , MN : University of Minnesota , Institute on Community Integration.
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