UNIT 6 PHYSICAL AND MOTOR

-
DEVELOPMENT
- - -

Structure
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Objectives
6.3 Understanding Physical Development
6.3.1 Height and Weight
6.3.2 Physical Proportions
6.3.3 Bones
6.3.4 Muscles and Fat
6.3.5 Teeth

6.4 Motor Development

6.4.1 Development of Motor Abilities and Skills
6.4.2 The Development of Prehension
6.4.3 Handedness

6.5 Physical and Motor Development and Personality

6.6 Factors Affecting Physical and Motor Development
6.7 Let Us Sum Up
6.8 Unit-end Exercises

6 . 1 INTRODUCTION
After going through the Unit on the Profile of an Elementary School Child, we are
now aware that there are various aspects of development, Physical and Motor,
Emotional, Social, Cognitive, Language and Moral. In the same unit, we also attempted
to understand what these various aspects referred to and how they are interrelated.
Going further, we proceeded to understand the various aspects in detail, with special
reference to the Elementary School Years. In this unit, we will to deal WIL,.the
Physical and Motor Development.

6.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you will be able to:
describe the important physical changes that take place in children during middle
childhood;
e understand that the rate of physical growth varies from individual to individual
and also across the life-span of an individual;
e set forth learning goals and choose activities in accordance with the child's
maturational level;
describe how the level of physical and motor developmentaffects the personality
and social adjustment of child.
Dimensions of
Develoament 6.3 UNDERSTANDING PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Let us take an example. Shiela has come to visit her sister after a gap of two years.
She has brought a pretty frock for her niece, Radha. But, when she sees Radha, the
first words she said are - 'Oh! How much have you grown'?. The frock she had
brought was too small for her. Shiela had seen Radha when she had been five years
old and was not prepared for the tremendous amount of physical growth Radha had
attained since then. Radha had increased in height. Can you think of the other changes
that had occurred in these two years?

The other changes in Radha were:

Yes, Radha had also gained weight, her limbs had become longer, her body proportion
had changed and the permanent teeth had made their appearance b7e,thus, see that
apart from increase in height, there are a number of other changes that occur during
these years. Let us now take a look at the physical changes that fake place during the
elementary school years.

6.3.1 Height and Weight

By the time a child is 5 years old, the height becomes about bvice as at birth and
weight about 5 times birth weigbt. .During the first two years, growth is very rapid.
From 2 to 6 years, the growth rate slows down a bit and is not as rapid as it was up to
2 years of age. It is, however, still faster than the growth rate frcim 6 to 10 years of age
when it slows down still more.

Chart 6.1 :Height and Weight of Boys and Girls

Source: Indian Council of Medical Research, New De!hi. Growth and Physical
Development of Indian Infants and Children, 1972. Technical report series No.19.
From the chart given above, you may notice a rapid growth spurt in girls from age 10
to 14 and in boys from 12 to 16. This is again followed by aperiod of slow growth until
18 to 20 years when full adult height is attained.

Up to 10 years, boys are slightly taller and heavier than girls. Between 1 1 to 12 years,
the rate of growth of girls is faster, but after 13 years boys grow taster and they are
taller and heavier than girls.
The height of a child depends more on heredity, while the weight, though also influenced Physical and Motor
Development
by heredity, depends more on environmental factors like nutrition, living standard,
family surroundings,etc. The children of tall parents may thus be expected to be tall,
while the children of these parents may not necessarily be fat.
The weight of a child at a certain age is influenced not only by heredity factors but
also environmental factors. These include nutrition, diet and living standards, physical
activity and exercise. Generally, children's weight conforms to the normal distribution
in the population in which they live. Thus 68 % of the children follow the average
heightlweight range typical ofthe geographical area they live in, For example, 'Indian
girls' height ranges from 4' 11" - 5'35" in 68% of population. The rest of the 32% arc:
roughly either shorter or taller than the average population.
The height and weight of a boy or a girl may cause others to label himlher either
normal, tall and thin or fat and short, etc. These labels greatly influence the child's
personality arrd how helshe feels about oneself. These labels about physical proportions
also influence the activities and interests of the children. For example, an overweight
child will rarely be found exerting himselftherself in the play field.
Children who weigh less or more than average should not, therefore, be immediately
labelled as underweight or overweight.
One should be careful in making comparisons and care should be taken to compare
children as far as possible with the norms of a sample from the region to which they
belong. Past growth record should be seen to see the child's progress and, if shethe.
is not gaining any weight for some time, it should be investigated further.
6.3.2 Physical Proportions
Changes in the form and proportion'of bodies o.ccur as boys and girls grow from
infancy to adolescence. In general, they progress from the chubbiness of infancy to
the long-legged, more slender body of childhood. By adolescence, they are still slender
and thin. However, the shoulders in boys and hips in girls tend to become broad.
Different parts of the body grow at different rate: some parts of the body attain
mature proportions earlier than others. However, by sixteen years of age. different
parts of the body assume their mature prdportions.
During infancy the head of the infant is much larger in proportion to the rest of the
body. It constitutes 114" of the total body length as compared to 1/8thin the case of
adults. The head grows in width up to age 3, but continues to grow in length until
eighteen years of age. The growth pattern is the same for boys and girls, though
boys' heads are slightly larger than girls' heads at every age.
Until the second or permanent teeth have replaced the baby teeth, i.e., shortly before
puberty, the mouth, chin and entire lower part of the child's face are small compared
with the upper part.
The forehead flattens, the lips fill out, and the eyeballs reach their mature size as the
child approaches puberty. The nose is small and somewhat flat during the first few
years of life. Gradually, it becomes larger and achieves its mature size by fourteen
years of age.
By the age of six, the trunk is twice as long and wide as it was at birth. The child
gradually becomes slim until pre-puberty, when the body widens out again.
The length of the arms and hands increases between 60 to 75% from birth to two
years. At the age of 8 years, the arms are nearly 50% larger than what they were at
two years and are thin in appearance, giving the child an adult's look.
--- - -" " ---- 9
 Fig. 6.1 : Variation in the size of the head during development

The legs grow at a slower rate than the arms. By 6 years of age, a child's legs equal
about half the body length. This ratio remains constant for the rest of the life.

The rate of irrcrease in the height and weight are important for determinirlgthe normalcy
of a child. These however, are not the only ones growing. There are other less
apparent aspects of growth. Among these are the growth and develop~nentof ~nuscles
and bones.

6.3.3 Bones
Tt is rare to see a five-year-old sucking toes, while it is a comnion sight among the one
to two years old. Have you ever wondered why a five-year-old cannot perform this
task that a mere, one-year-old can? The answer is simple. It is because the bones ~f
an infant are soft and flexible as they are composed mainly ofcartilages. As the child
grows, the bones become broader as well as longer. This process of hardening of the
bones is known as Ossification. It begins early in the first year and ends during
puberty.

Though the bones of an infant do not fracture easily, they are very susceptible to
deformities as a result of their soft and flexible nature. Even in elementary school
years, bone deformities can result from tight shoes or sitting in a wrong posture at a
school desk. The primary school teacher, therefore, should niake sure that the child is
not slo~:chingwhile sitting, standing or walking, not bending over the school desk while
studying, wearing co~nfortablyloose clothes and shoes, etc. Any bone deformities
that occur during this age may last throughout the life of the child.

Along with an increase in size, bones also increase in number. At birth, the infant has
approximately 270 bones. By puberty, this number increases to about 350.

At birth, girls are more advanced than boys in bone development. By 6 years, they
are about one year ahead of boys and by 9 years, one and a half years advanced.
There are also wide individual differences in skeletal development. The skeletal
10 development of two children of the same age may show variation.
--"- --
6.3.4 Muscles and Fat Physical and Motor
Development
Increase in weight at all periods of growth is due to the development and addition to
the weight of the bones, muscle and fatty tissue. In the early years of childhood, the
development of fatty tissue is more rapid, and during the early adolescent years there
is a rapid development of the muscle tissue. You may have seen chubby little babies
grow into slim and slender adolescents.
Muscles play an important role in the functioning of body organs like the heart, the
digestive system, etc. They are also responsible for strength and co-ordination of
activities.
Muscles develop as the child grows. The large muscles develop more rapidly than
small ones and motor abilities progress from brozd to precise.
A five-year-old can cut with scissors, catch a ball, etc., tasks that a two-year-old is
unable to-do. An eight-year-old, in turn, can do tasks that require even greater
skill and co-ordination of muscles. For example, aim a ball, balance on a wall, do
weaving, etc.
With time and practice, the small muscles mature and the clnilc! can perform increasingly
complex activities. The child has better control over muscles and movements become
Inore coordinated, efficient and refined. By adolescence, the small muscles too gain
maturity.
Duri~igmiddlechildhood,the musclesofthe child are still developing. Children,therefore,
need constant change of activities to activate different groups of muscles and to relieve
fatigue from the tired muscles. Excessive strain at this age may injure the muscles.
After illness, muscles loosen their tone and children get tired easily, but usually recovery
is fast. When a child is recovering from illness, shelhe should be prevented from
taking part in strenuous activities.
Good food and a programme with regular rest and activities will enhance the development
of muscles.
6.3.5 Teeth
Teeth begin to form when the foetus is six weeks old. When the baby is born the teetfa
are already in the process of development.Teeth appear in the same sequence in all
children, but the age at that they erupt and the amount of discomfort experienced by
the child are extremely variable.The first tooth usually erupts between 4 and 12 months
of age, with the average at 7 months. By the age of 2% years, children have 20 teeth.
These teeth are temporary and are often called the milk teeth.
Around 6 years of age, most children begin to lose their milk teeth, beginning with joint
teeth, and their permanent teeth start erupting. By age 12 years, all the 20 milk teeth
are replaced by permanent teeth. We are likely to recognize this period of dental
change through the familiar toothless grin of 7 years and 8 years old. The first molars
appear at about the age of 6. These are permanent teeth just behind the milk teeth
and are often mistaken for milk teeth.
By the age of 13, the second molars appear and the child n0.w has 28 teeth. The last
four teeth, called the wisdom teeth, erupt, if at all, between the age of 17 and 25
years.
The age for the appearance of teeth varies from child to child. However, generally
girls' teeth appear earlier than boys'.
A balanced diet, supplemented with additional vitamins and fluoride with proper dental
care, is essential to the development of sound teeth.
 21) birth h! 2 y::ar'; c:) ad~~lt!~(~o(~

a) 20 years b) 25 ?ears i) \.eari; I

I
iv) While judging the normal n e ~ p h ftbr
consider t'
a) b ~ n weiaht
c
t a cfiiitj <.ere.;hlnrld bc 1ak::n ro

7 I-~iid.; bulls! ,,. \ a:'.?

I
V) 'k f"a~!c>r:= t i.,cigijt
t!tat ;!! i b ~ :.jjf: (.)( t,i{: c h j i ~:LP.;:
j

a) chiid i,; he:.~dit:j c c:r.!~~ir~)n~?~ci~~

d) all the thrc~cf:rcicrrc.

I 2. , Indicate whether ttkc: IirIi:>\> t r i g \i:nli.l~il;i:!= it: C:a; i.,, f ~i ;r, !

1 .
jj The alms grow \ I L u'rl than leg;
I
J
ii) The length o f the arrns and hands increase between 6Q0/0and 7 q ° C
from birth to two years.
iii)
iv)
E3oncs development in boys i~;
niure adviil~ccdt1inl.i in girl.;.
By 16 years of agc. different parts of the bodv 3~su:niptheir 111nture
I
prorsottion.

Fill the most appropriate answer.

i) .Jhe head of thr; i t l l ~ lconstitutes

t .............. ..oithe total F~l:dy lenpth.

a ) l/Jrtj h) 1"!I,/ .) : ;1 dj l!r%*!,

ii) The proce3s st' hardening of bones is cdled ..................................

a) ossification bj teethjng c) inaturation

iii) A baby call easily suck toes, while a 5 year old cannot. because.. ........
a) the baby likes doing it while the olderchild docs nc,t

b) this helps to prevcnt deformities in the bones of nn illtint

c) the infants bones are very ?oft and Eexible

 Physical and Motor
Development

, . ;:f 11:r::;c-!1.3
~.~ti:<f~\i.li~r:i~;<.i!i rzpid
tisilie i s I r ~ c r c than that nr fatty
I : I

!i%::>!,:s:
i
., , j j . . , ; r , ; t ; ~i ~ i ~ ; , ~ ~; , ji ~; i~/ ::! j ~ t i < j i i L
. ..r t ~ccv-.:
; l ~ ~ ~ t,!\e change
[ $,~.,tarii
~ c~t'activities
! r:;
,.,i.:;.ilzL.. .......... ....
I

I
1 Ij thcir inlis.ics ;:I.; st~il;:ilvr;.li>;:i~:g;;xnd usc stilnuiatlon 1

we nave so far been reading about the ;,hysical changes that occur during the
elementary school years. Let us now try to understand the Motor Development
during these years.

6.4 - MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

'Mummy', 1am going out for a ride on my bicycle, said Geeta, and ran out. How
time flies, thought Geeta's mother. It seems like just yesterday when Geeta was a
s~nallhelpless infant who could not grasp an object laid near her or could not move
her body from the place where she had been laid. Today, she can run, jump, kick a
bail, ride a bicycle, even do a bit of embroidery. She hardly ever needs any help in
doing these things now. How did this happen?
Actually, it wasn't just yesterday that Geeta could not do all these things, it was eight
years ago. And during these eight years as Geeta grew, she gained more and better
control over her muscles.
It is not as if Geeta was born totally helpless, incompetent and passive. The activities
like running, balancing, needle work, etc., that she can do today are actually based on
certain competencies that she was born with. Let us take a look at these before
going on to the competencies and skills acquired duringmiddle childhood.
At birth, the child can display a variety of motor reflexes some ofwhich are necessary
for survival. Try placing a small object in an infant's palm or touching mouth slightly
with a finger. The infant immediately grasps the object placed in palm and sucks on
the finger. These, and many other reflexes are present since birth and can, therefore,
;P 3i'iibuted to maturation. Source of these reflexes gradually disappears before the
D i m e r i s i o ~ ~osf first year, while others that are more useful in later life become stronger and better
Development
coordinated.
The following table gives a list of the major reflexes displayed by the newborn.
Table 6.1: Major Reflexes Present at Birth

sudden movement

with foot placed down in a heel

At birth, the child's senses can function, though of course not as well as in later life.
Children can experience heat, cold, pain, etc., and reacts to these. They can also
distinguish between certain sounds, smells and tastes. They can also distinguish between
darkness and light and some colours. The infants get to know the world around them
through the senses.
As children grow from infancy into n ~ ~ d dchildhood,
le they gain more and bettercontrol
over their muscles. In the initial years of cliildhood, children gain control over their
gross or large muscles, which enables them to control gross movements, involving
large areas oftlie body, e. g., walking, running, jumping etc. Later, children gain control
over their smaller muscles, which enabIe them to acquire skills like throwing and catching
balls, writing, sewing, etc. Children will, therefore, walk before they can run, throw the
ball before they are able to catch it and scribble before they are able to write.
As explained earlier, the control children achieve over their body depends on whether
they are ready for it. Motor skills like grasping, walking, running, balancing, aiming,
etc., are acquired by children only when their body and brain are mature enough.
Unless children are ready for it, they should not be forced to try a skill, for, no amount
of urging would help. For example, a six year old cannot be expected to aim a dart as
accrirately as a child of twelve.
However, once children are ready to perform, they should be encouraged to do so and
given plenty of opportunity to practice.

6.4.1 Development of Motor Abilities and Skills

a) Large muscle activities
One of the most important milestones in children's life is walking. Walking enables
then1 to move around more efficiently and frees their hands, thus enabling them to
explore and manipulate the things around them.
Delay in walking may be an indication of some kind of problem with the child, related Physical and ~ o t o r
Development

to physical, mental or socio emotional well being.

The average ages for unassisted walking is between 13 and 14 months. Some children,
however, may start walking a little earlier or later than this. The ability to walk develops
in a series of stages.

As children reach preschool years, tl.iey discover that they can do marly things as
there are great advarces in strength, speed ;inid coordinarion.

By about five years of age children are capable of jumping, running, climbing, etc.
bet wee^^ 2 and 5 years, children's play consists largely s f these large muscle activities.
By the age of 6, most children have mastered the basic motor .;kill such as sitting,
walking, running, jumping, pushing, pulling, grasping, throwing, ctc. They can balance
themselves on a rail, a wall, a chalk rnark of the floor, etc.

Cl~ildrenof 6 , 7 and 8 continue to enjoy strenuous physical activity. Any activity that
uses the large muscles is likely to be enjoyed by all children of these ages. Games that
invojve running, jumping, climbing, etc., are enjoyed more than sitting.

b) Fine muscle activities

By 5 or 6 years of age, children are ready to begin to coordinate fingerJ and hands in
simple small muscle activities, such as writing, sewing, craft work, etc. At this age,
the fine motor skills that a child has are rudimentary. However, these improve as
children grow. From age 6 to 10, there is a progressive improven~entin the attainment
of these skills. You can observe clearly the difference in the writing. craft work and
other activities involving fine muscles as they go through elementary school. If given
the opportunity to learn and practice, they can easily acquire these skills.

There is a great variation in the achievement of fine motor skills. Children learn to do
the things for which they have the ability, the opportunity to practice and are given
encouragement for accomplishment. Rama, for example, learned how to weave
because weaving is taught in her school. Another child, Gopal, learned how to sew
because his father is a tailor. ' ~ a m cannot
a sew .and Gopal cannot weave because
they have not been exposed to these activities. lf given the opportunity to learn and
practice, they can easily acquire both the skills.

There is a steady improvement in the acquisition of fine motor skills by children as

they grow. They gain better control over their eye and hand movements. By 6 years
of age, most children can make objects out of paper or clay, do simple craft work, and
sewicg, write, etc. Improvement in these skills continues not only during middle
childhood but also in late childhood and adolescence.

There inay be, however, a great variation in the motor skills in individual children. A
child of 9 may still be doing what another did at 6. This is because the acquisition of
fine motor skills depends upon the ability, opportunity and practice which may vaiy
from child to child.

The pattern of development of motor skills is the same for girls and boys. But generally
boys are found to be better in all physical activities as cornpxed to girls. This could be
due to the fact that males have larger muscles and more strength than girls. This may
also be due to cultural reasons as boys are usually encouraged to participate in sports
and games and tasks that involve a lot of physical activities. Girls, on the other hand,
are encouraged to play quiet games and do more of activities that involve fine motor
skills. The teacher should try to avoid this kind of discrimination and encourage boys
and girls equally to participate in all kinds of activities.
Dinlensions of
Development
6.4.2 The Development of Prehension
We have talked about how children are ready to perform skilled activities like writing,
sewing, knitting, weaving, etc., only by the age of 5 years. Have you wondered why
childrerl do not acquire these skills earlier, say around 2 '/z or 3 years of age. What
could be the reason for this? The answer lies in the term 'prehension'. Prehension is
the ability to grasp objects with the forefinger and thumb working smoothly in opposition.
Without the development of prehension, skilled activities such as those mentioned
earlier would be difficult to perform.
The infant is born with the ability to grasp objects. By eight or nine months, the forefinger
and thumb work smoothly in opposition and the infant can pick up and hold small
things. Eye-hand coordinationalso improves. It is common to see onsyear-old crawling
and picking up small things like pebbles, seeds, grains, etc., from the floor and putting
them into mouth.
By the time children reach preschool, they become capable of performing more
complete tasks. They like to touch, handle and manipulate everything around them.
This is the age when children ask endless questions, wanting to know everything
about the world around them.
6.4.3 Handedness
Handedoess means predominant use of one hand over the other. Most babies feel
equally at ease with both hands and are able to use both hands, but by the age of two,
they will show a definite preference for either the left or the right hand. People are
said to be right handed ifthey use the right hand most, or left handed ifthey favour the
left hand. People are referred to as ambidextrous if they use both hands equally well.
Right orleft handedness does not make any difference to a person's intelligence, skills
or personality. But children who have been forced to change show some difficulties
like stuttering and stammering or reading disorders. In cases where left handedness
appears to persist, the best way is to allow. such children to pursue their natural pattern
of development. But if you decide to change, start when the child is as young as
possible. Do it gently and subtly and watch for difficulties. If there is resistapce or
difficulty, then the effort should not be pursued.
Whethei handedness is hereditary, or the result of training and social conditioning, has
been debated for many generations. But there i s no conclusive evidence available to
decide OD the issue either way.

I yoirr a r i , r \ ~ r s n ~ t i ~JIOSC'
Note : a) Ct>~npnrc
4. CIt~oosctlic correct ansivcrc s)
? ~ I \ C : I :>I 111~c i ~ d, fi:, ' 11 k,

i) At hirth. an int'ant
I
3) is totally pacslvc
b) d~cp!aaysa \<ir~:.ty01 ;nl,tor rcil:u:*s
ciijpidys ail activities that an adult can do
I C)

ii) Whcrl an i n f j i l t ' s chceh 1s to~tchcd.hi\.~h<rIICZC! turi~.;I.)\; i:c!- !If: r!9.lc;t

This ret1c.t i q c;rlled
3) Sucking reflex
b) Withdrawal retlex
c) Rooting reflex
L- --- ..--- .
 . -
Physical and Motor
i If tire Griper is placed in an ~nfnnr'spalm, ch~lclwill
a) Withdraw i t c hand
1 Development

b) Grasp the fjnger

c) Start sucking the l%nger

5 C;hoose the correct answerqs):

i) Which of the folio^ ing activity(ies) can be caned as largc n~ctorskili<:

a) Rutlning e) Shipping
b) Hopping f) Knitti!~g
c) Weaving g) Writing
d) Catching h) Kicking

ii) Children usually start walking unass~stedonly by the age cf:

a) 12-14 months
b) 18-20 months
C) 20-24 moi;th~
iii) Tlie a c q ~ t i ~ i tof
i ofine
~ ~ motor skills may depend 11po11.
a) The age of the ch~ld
b) 'The npportunity to learn the skills

c) The aniount of practice done

iv) The ability to grasp objects with the forefinger and illumb working
smoothly in oppositio~icalled.

b) Eye-hand coordination
C) Prehension

There is a significant relationship between physical development and personality of

the child. This interrelationship is discussed in the following section.

6.5 PHYSICAL AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT AND

PERSONALITY
Arvind is a boy studying in class IV. He is thin and small built. There are around 40
students in his class, and all of them are part of small groups who eat, play and sit
together in class. Arvind, however, is an exception. He is rarely seen with other
children. He never initiates to participate in any activity, game or conversation. He
prefers to sit alone in a corner while other children are playing and having fun.
You, as a teacher. may have come across an Arvind in your class. What could be the
reason for his withdrawn behaviour? Sometime, the answer could very well be in the
fact that the child is physically different from the others ofthe same age-group. A less
Dimensions of developed child who(is shorter, weaker than others may tend to become sliy and
Development
withdrawn. A child who feels physically different, e.g., talier, shorter or fatter, from
others of the same age group, will have difficulty in social and emotional adjustment.
On the other hand, a developed one, who is taller and stronger than others, often
becomes a Ieadcr because of greater strength and skills. However, it may be noted
that generalisation like this cannot be made.

Consider another child, Madhu, who always comes first in the races. The children in
her class hold her in high esteem and everyone waris to be lier friend. Similarly, other
children who can jump farther, do craft work better, can fold paper to make beautiful
things, are admired by the other children.

Throughout childhood, children become increasingly aware of their physical selves.

This is acco~nplishednot only by their awareness of their physical development, but
also by their efficiency in various skills.

The attitude that children have towards their body make-up as well as how skillfully
they can perform the various tasks together help in the formation of a positive self-
imagk 3r self-concept.

Children whose motor skills are not well-developed, or wlio look different from other
children of their age-group may be teased or ridiculed by others in the class and will
have a poor self concept, leading to poor social and emotional adjustment.

In the unit 5 on factors affecting development, we have seen in general the different
factors affecting development. In the following section, we will attempt to see these
factors specifically.

6.6 FACTORS AFFECTING PHYSICAL AND h'lOTOR

DEVELOPMENT
We all often speak about the better developed and the less developed child. You niust
have noticed in your class children who are taller than others, children who can balance
well, or do craft work better than others. You may have wished that all children could
do these things as well as 'that' child or that if only this child was stronger, arlci so or,.
What then must the teacher do to enhance the development of physical and rn9tor
skills in children? For this, one must first luiow about the f a c t ~ ron
s which physical and
motor develop~nentdepends.
The physical and motor development of a child depends upon both biological and
environmental factors. To be able to perform a physical or motor task, the child has to
be maturationally 'ready'. This state of maturation is often called 'I-eadiness' and
until a child is 'ready' to perform a task, no amount of training or 'pushing' will be of
much help, For example, a child will aim accurately, or balance well only when hones
and muscles are developed; if any of these is immature, the child will not be able to
perform these tasks despite all the coaching in the world. Too much pressure at this
point may result in frustration and anxiety in the child.
This, howaver, does not mean that an enriched and stimulating environment will notbe
beneficial. The child's diet, the health care, physical exercise, etc., all affect the physical
and motor development of the child.
4 nutritionally balanced diet. physical exercise and plenty of opportunity to practice
skills would help the child achieve full growth potential and optimum motor development.
This in turn will lay the foundation for the future progress oftlie child.
18
 Physical and Motor
6.7 LET US SUM UP Development

NOWthat we have come to the end of this section, let us list all the major points that
we have lennlt in this unit,
PIlysicnl and mr;:c?i dcveloprnca?tof a child depends on: i) Heredity aid ii) Environmental
fzctors 'The child !ias to be "~eady"before it can Icam a given task. (;rnwrh in a child
nccurs cor:tinaousiy. Tiowever, while the rate of groa\~his very rapid during the 5rst
twc year%,it slews down bctaveen 2 to 6 years. The rate is still slower between6 and
1 0 years of age. Rate of grou th is different for girls and h o p . Hardening of bones,
called ossification. begins early in the first year and ends i n puberty. Dlie !o the softness
uf bones, ch~ldrenare more suscepti3le to deformities, which could be lasting through
out their !if't..
Musclt. deveiopinent is enhanced by good diet and exercise. While teeth start forming
when the fbetus is 6 weeks old; it usua!ly erupts between 4 and 12 months of age. By
the age I?, chiidren would have the entire set ofteeth except the wisdom teeth, which
w1:uld appear between the ages !7 and 25 years. At birth, children display variety cf
motcr reflexes iike palmar. sucking and so on. Control over muscles is attained by
midd!e ciiifdhd>od.Chiidren's play consists of large muscle activities bemeen ages of
2 years and 5 years. The fine muscle activities like coordinating hands and fingers in
simple s~isa!lactivities start by age 5 or 6.
Jladividua'l differences are present in all deve!opment, be it muscle, bone, tooth and so
on. TIIS ability to grasp objects with the forefinger and thumb working smoothly in
opposiuon is called prchension. This is very essential to perform skilled activities. The
preference for using a particular hand, referred to as "handedness", appears by the
age of 2. Physicai a ~ i dmotor developlnents also influence the personality ofthe child.

1. Visit the primary schools in your neighborhood. Find out whether the facilities
and equipmer;t provided in these schools are conducive for the optilnu~nphys~cal
and motor development ofchildren. In your opinion, what further improvement,
car1 be made' Give suggestions.
2. Observe two children aged 5 and 3 years, respectively. Give a detailed accoirilt
of differences in their physical and motor skills.