Introduction to Motor Development: Birth to Age Five

1. Introduction to Motor Development: Birth to Age Five Polk County Health Center 2015

2. Goal & Objectives Goal: Participants will recognize the implications motor development concepts have on movement for children birth to age five. Objectives: Participants will • understand key concepts related to motor development from birth to age five; • discuss physical activities that provide movement opportunities and foster successful achievement of developmental milestones.

3. Motor Development • Motor skills: actions that involve the body’s muscle movement. Motor skills are divided into 2 groups: gross motor skills, which involve the large groups of muscles used to sit, stand, walk, run, keep balance, or change positions.; and fine motor skills, which include using hands to eat, draw, play, or pick up small items. • Both types of motor skills usually develop together, because many activities depend on the coordination of gross and fine motor skills.

4. Motor Skill Development • First few months of life: baby's movements transition from quick, jerky actions to smoother, more intentional movements. • Simple activities and practice can help strengthen baby's muscle development and motor skills. • Let’s l k at “normal” instincts and motor development milestones. • Keep in mind that each child is unique and develops skills at their own rate.

5. Reflexes and Motor Development Milestones • Childhood Motor Skills Full Version HQ (16:51) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BZe8s5bIqw

6. Brain Development • Remember gross and fine motor skills don’t just develop muscles they affect the brain as well! • Early Learning Brain Development and Lifelong Outcomes (5:14) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qb3DXY_7fU

7. Activities to Promote Motor Development • Homemade Preschool Fine Motor Manipulatives: Activities for Child Development (4:52) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxZgnnMiLwM • The Implications of Poor Fine Motor Development : Activities for Child Development (3:54) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJmBlLmM5hg

8. Activities to Promote Motor Development • Improving your child's fine motor and gross motor skills (3:50) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuVkkhpiHTA • Gross Motor Skills (4:34) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HzlWIUmpkg

9. Gross Motor Skills Age Skill Can raise head when pulled to sitting position Rolls from back to side Rolls from back to front Can raise chest and upper part of abdomen (when on stomach) Can bear weight on one hand while exploring with the other hand (when on stomach) Sits alone Crawls Cruises around furniture Reaches actively for toy (when in sitting position) Pulls to a standing position 3-4 months 4 months 5 months 6 months 7 months 6-7 months 8-10 months 10-11 months 9-12 months 11-12 months

10. Gross Motor Skills Age Skill Walks alone well; Squats and stands back up; Walks up and down steps holding hand Can run, though falls easily Walks and runs fairly well; Can jump with both feet; Can climb stairs without support; Can kick a ball Can balance on one foot for a few seconds; Can broad jump 10-24 inches; Can catch a large ball Can run, jump and climb well, is beginning to skip; Hops proficiently on one foot; Catches a ball reliably; Can ride a tricycle; Begins somersaults Can skip on alternate feet and jump rope; Beginning to skate and swim; Climbing well. 15 months 18 months 2 years 3 years By 4 years By 5 years

11. Fine Motor Skills Age Skill Reflexively grasps finger or toy placed in hand. Grasping reflex gone. Briefly holds small toy voluntarily when it is placed in the hand. Holds and shakes rattle. Brings hands together to play with them. Reaches for objects but frequently misses them. Grasps objects deliberately. Splashes water. Crumples paper. Holds bottle. Grasps at own feet. May bring toes to mouth. Transfers toy from hand to hand. Bangs objects on table. Puts everything into the mouth. Loves playing with paper. 1-3 months 3 months 4 months 5 months 6 months 7 months

12. Fine Motor Skills Age Skill Able to grasp small objects between thumb and forefinger. Points at objects with index finger. Lets go of objects deliberately. Places object into another's hand when requested, but does not release. Places and releases object into another's hand when requested. Rolls ball on floor. Starts to hold crayon and mark paper. Builds tower of 2 blocks. Repeatedly throws objects on floor. Starts to be able to take off clothing, starting with shoes. 9 months 10 months 11 months 12 months 18 months

13. Fine Motor Skills Age Skill Builds tower of 6-7 blocks. Turns book pages one at a time. Turns door knobs and unscrews jar lids. Washes and dries hands. Uses spoon and fork well. Builds tower of 8 blocks. Holds pencil between fingers instead of grasping with fist. Builds tower of 9-10 blocks. Puts on shoes and socks. Can button and unbutton. Carries containers with little spilling or dropping. Dresses self except for tying. Cuts with scissors, but not well. Washes and dries face. Dresses without help. Ties shoes. Prints simple letters. 2 years 2 ½ years 3 years 4 years 5 years

14. Promoting Motor Skill Development • Under close supervision, place baby on his stomach to strengthen his neck and back muscles. Hold a colorful toy, and make an interesting noise to get baby's attention. At the beginning keep "tummy time" sessions short — about a minute or two should be sufficient. • Roll a large ball to your baby. This allows you to interact with baby and observe his developing skills. At first baby will simply slap it back; eventually he will learn to swat it in your direction. • Put a graspable object (such as a rattle) in baby's hand and tug on it very gently. This activity helps build muscle as baby resists your efforts. • Blocks. Nothing encourages an infant to crawl more than a tower of blocks that is just out of reach and waiting to be knocked down.

15. Promoting Motor Skill Development • Around 4 to 7 months, gently pull your baby to a standing position. Baby will start to understand the function of each body part, and start to use his feet and legs to bounce up and down with your help. This will help prepare her for walking in the future. • Make an obstacle course. Place light sofa cushions, pillows, or boxes on a carpeted floor. Invite the mobile baby to crawl over or between them. You can even hide behind one obstacle and play peek-a-boo. Always closely supervise baby while she's playing with pillows. • Use finger foods to provide fine-motor practice. When advancing healthy snacks to baby's diet (the later months of the first year), make eating experiences a fun time for learning and practice. Encourage baby to pick up appropriately sized bites of fruit, cereal, or vegetables. Demonstrate how to do this and praise every successful snack.

16. Help develop MOTOR SKILLS by: • "Tummy Time"... An important concept in motor skills development for children ages 0-2 years is what is known as "prone skills.” • A young baby needs to spend play time in "prone“ position. • 3-6 month olds learn to push up on their elbows in prone and eventually are able to push up onto their hands. These activities are the beginnings of shoulder stability and arch development in the hands, which are used later on for strength activities, such as pitching a ball, or precise activities, such as writing with a pencil. • The development of vision and the sense of touch is important to the development of motor skills. • Children need to be able to see and feel what is in their hands in order to interact with or manipulate objects.

17. Additional Resources • http://www.chrichmond.org/Resource-Library/Gross-Motor-Skills-Birth-to-5-years.htm • http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com.