Perceptual and Motor Development

California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations (2009)

Teaching Strategies, CDA Training (1999)Feeny, Christensen, Moravcik (2001) Who Am I in the Lives of Children

Physical Curriculum

• The body is a young child’s connection to the world

• Sensory and motor development have to come first– Sensory Development– Large Muscle Development– Small Muscle Development

Perception

• Process of taking in, organizing, and interpreting sensory information

• Multiple sensory inputs contribute to motor responses

• Strong relationship between perception and motor development

California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, 2009

Perceptual Development

• Infants distinguish features of the environment

• Perceive commonalities and differences between objects

• Explore objects differently depending up features – weight, texture, sound, rigidity

• Exhibits “exploratory behavior”• Strongly related to the social-

emotional domainCalifornia Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, 2009

Perceptional Development Foundation

The developing ability to become aware of the social and physical environment through the senses.

• 8 months – use senses to explore objects and people in the environment

• 18 months – use information received from the senses to change the way they interact with the environment

• 36 months – quickly and easily use the information received from the senses to change the way they interact with the environment.

California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, 2009

Sensory Development

• Kinesthetic sense: movement and position

• Auditory sense: hearing• Sense of touch

– Skin - Organ of touch – Need human touch

• Sense of Smell• Sense of Taste

Jean PiagetStages of Cognitive

DevelopmentSensorimotor Stage

Birth to twoObjects exist outside of their visual

field - object permanenceLearn strictly through sensory

experience within their environment

KINESTHETIC

Motor Development

• Changes in children’s ability to control their body’s movements– From infants’ first spontaneous waving and

kicking movements– To control of reaching, locomotion, and

complex sports skills

• Motor development influenced by: – Environment– Social development– Child’s Interest in exploration

California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, 2009

What is Motor Development?• Gradually gaining control over

large and small muscles.• Gross Motor Skills

– sitting, crawling, walking, running, throwing

• Fine Motor Skills – holding, pinching, flexing fingers

and toes

• Coordination– Coordinate large and small muscles– Use senses - sight, sound, and touch

Gross Motor FoundationThe developing ability to move the

large muscles• 8 months – demonstrate the ability to

maintain their posture in a sitting position and to shift between sitting and other positions

• 18 months – move from one place to another by walking and running with basic control and coordination

• 36 months – move with ease, coordinating movements and performing a variety of movements

Large Muscle Movement

• Gross motor skills• Development of

arms, legs, and torso• Develop strength

and endurance• Retain flexibility• Develop

coordination and agility

• Provide pleasurable play situations

• Play with children• Creative movement• Exercise• Provide balls,

equipment, materials, and activities for ALL children

Fine Motor Foundation

The developing ability to move the small muscles• 8 months – children easily reach for and

grasp things and use eyes and hands to explore objects actively

• 18 months – are able to hold small objects in one hand and sometimes use both hands together to manipulate objects

• 36 months – coordinate the fine movements of the fingers, wrists, and hands to skillfully manipulate a wide range of objects and materials in intricate ways; often use one hand to stabilize an object while manipulating it.

Small Muscle Movement

• Infants – feel, grasp, and manipulate

• Leads to competent use of tools• Fine motor activities• Build control, agility, strength,

coordination – hands – fingers – wrists– arms

Small Muscle Movement

• Time, practice, and experience required

• Sensory and muscular interplay• Hand-eye coordination• Coordination of two hands• Controlled use of hands and fingers• Sensitive to individual differences• Cutting, writing, drawing, hole

punches, tongs, tweezers, staplers, etc.

Developmental Domains

• Linked with each other - interrelated and interdependent

• Linked to other factors:– Culture– Social relationships– Experience– Physical health– Mental health– Brain functioning

Developmental Charts

• Show development “unfolding in a smooth upward progression toward mastery”

• Reality - “development of individual children does not follow a smooth trajectory.”

• Infants actively adapt to varying circumstances and new tasks

• Development influenced by cultural and historical factors.

California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations, 2009

Developmental Milestones

• The Whold Child – PBS– http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/abc/

– Physical Development - http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/abc/physical.html

• Medline Plus - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002348.htm

• The Baby Center Milestone Charts - http://www.babycenter.com/milestone-charts-birth-to-age-3

A Child’s First Three Years

• Learn to control body muscles• Practice physical skills they will use for

the rest of their lives• Need opportunities to learn and

practice• Use senses to understand the world

around them – sight, sound, touch• Important for developing self-esteem.

Young Infants• Do not have control over how they

move• Some kicking, squirming, wiggling

is random, without purpose• Reflexive movements – automatic• Begin to gain control over how

they move• Develop at different rates• Follow head to toe general pattern• Gross motor skills come before fine

motor skills

Lift Head

Sit

Crawl

Walk

From Newborn to 18 Months

• Eye-hand coordination – Bringing hands to mouth– Reaching for things– Letting go of things– Moving a toy from one hand to another– Grasping things with fingers and thumbs

• Make physical contact with a piece of their world– A sight and sound of a rattle, bell, book– Crawlers feel soft rug, hard floor, sponge

pillows– New walkers discover places, things, toys

Toddlers• Wide range of large and

small muscle skills• Walk, run, climb, and squat • Move about without their

hands to support themselves• Begin to throw and catch• Hop and jump• Gain control of bladder and

bowel muscles

Toddler Fine Motor Skills• Fit pieces into simple puzzle • Build with blocks• Pour juice from a pitcher• Hands free to touch, lift, grasp, push, etc.• May show preference for right/left hand• Reach for objects • Use eating utensils • Turn pages of book • Pretend to write • Draw and paint

Three-Year-Olds Gross Motor Skills

• Usually sure and nimble on their feet• Walk, run, turn sharp corners with ease• Often hold arms out to their sides for balance• Walk up stairs using alternate feet• Jump from stairs and land on both feet• Gallop and dance to music• Hop several times in a row on one foot• Walk along a line made of tape• Push and pedal tricycles and swing• Throw, catch, and kick large balls

Three-Year-Olds Fine Motor Skills

• Prefer gross motor activities• Gaining control of fingers, hands, wrists• Family-style meals good for active

participation – using spoons to serve, etc.• Have learned to dress themselves• Can wash own hands• String beads, build towers with blocks, play

with puzzles, use scissors,• Hold crayons and scribble• Explore through playdough, sand, water, clay

Caregivers Role

• Schedule time for active play everyday• Help and encourage children when they

are learning new skills.• Encourage children to use large and small

muscles in a coordinated way• Help develop awareness of rhythm for

coordination• Encourage children to use all senses to

explore size, shape, volume, etc.• Give children time to practice new skills.

Environment

• Set up room so infants have freedom and opportunities to explore safely

• Use materials and equipment that require children to use large muscles

• Play indoor and outdoor non-competitive games with children

• Encourage development of self-help skills• Plan increasingly difficult activities using

large muscles – moving objects, furniture

Materials

• Use materials that require children to use small muscles

• Give infants opportunities to develop small muscles like grasping, pulling, dropping, fingering

• Encourage self-help skills – dressing, eating

• Plan activities – fingerplays, cooking, etc.