Chapter 2 : PHYSICAL AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

Lesson 1: Nature and Stages of Physical & Motor Devpt.

Lesson 2: Principles of Physical & Motor Devpt.
Research Findings & Classroom Applications

Lesson 1: Nature and Stages of Physical & Motor Devpt.

A. Nature of Physical & Motor Devpt.

Physical and motor development relate to the growth and skill development of the body, including
the brain, muscles, and senses which in turn enable children and adolescent to use and control their
bodies. It is observed in terms of changes in size, shape, and physical maturity of the body, including
physical abilities and coordination.

Think of your experiences with children - your siblings or your neighbors . Focus on
the behaviors of a one-year old and a seven –year old child. Use the table to compare what movements
they make and the way they make these movements and the kind of physical activities they engage in
and the changes they experiences that are most visible to you.

One-year old child six –year old child

Movements
Physical activities
Visible ‘changes they
experience

You would have noted that the seven year old child can run, skip, walk backwards
whereas a one year old child will just roll over, crawl, sit and stand up. In the preceding lesson
we will find to what do we attribute these differences .

Biologically -oriented developmental theorists argue that new behaviors arise from old
behaviors as a result of maturational changes in the physical structures and physiological processes. The
development of physical and motor abilities take place to enable a child to adjust to the world such as
learning to see and recognize others, holding objects, crawling and moving about, differentiating
sources of sounds as examples .

B.Stages of Physical and Motor Development

Physical development provides children with the abilities they need to explore and interact with
the world around them. A child’s physical growth first begins as muscles gain strength with use and s/he
gradually develops coordination. The development of muscular control is the first step in this process.
Growth occurs through approximately the first twenty years of life in humans. Growth is more rapid and
more likely to show spurts during both the infancy to early childhood period and the adolescent period.

Body size which includes skeleton, muscles and internal organs shows moderate early growth
and then slows down until adolescence, and then increases again. The reproductive system grows very
slowly until adolescence. The nervous system is almost fully developed by the age of 6. The reproductive
system grows very slowly until adolescence.

Physical Devpt. and Implications for Practice as Derived from Research Findings

Age/Stage Characteristics Implications for Practice

Infancy • Emergence of reflexes •We provide a choice of appropriate indoor and
(Birth–2 Years) • Rapid growth and change in proportions outdoor experiences to help children practice
of body parts developing motor skills.
• Increasing ability to move around, first by • We do not push infants to reach milestones
squirming; then rolling, but allow them to experience each phase of
crawling, creeping or scooting; finally, by physical development thoroughly.
walking
• Increasing ability to coordinate small
muscles of hands and eyes
• Increasing self-help skills in such areas as
feeding, dressing, washing, toileting and
grooming
Early Childhood • Loss of rounded, babyish appearance, • We provide frequent opportunities
(2–6 Years) with arms and legs to play outside or in a large indoor space.
lengthening and taking on more mature • We intersperse vigorous physical exercise with
proportions rest and quiet time.
• Boundless physical energy for new gross • We encourage fine motor skills through
motor skills, such as running, hopping, puzzles, blocks, and arts and crafts.
tumbling, climbing and swinging • We choose activities that accommodate
• Acquisition of fine motor skills, such as diversity in gross and fine motor skills.
functional pencil grip and use of scissors
• Transition away from an afternoon nap,
which may initially be marked by periods of
fussiness in the afternoon.
Middle Childhood • Steady gains in height and weight • We integrate physical movement into academic
(6–10 Years) • Loss and replacement of baby teeth activities.
• Refinement and consolidation of gross • We provide regular opportunities for children
motor skills and integration of such skills to engage in self-organized play activities.
into structured play activities • We teach children the basics of various sports
• Participation in organized sports and active games, and encourage them to
• Increasing facility in fine motor skills, such participate in organized sports programs.
as handwriting and drawing • We encourage practice of fine motor skills, and
encourage children whose fine motor precision is
delayed.
Early Adolescence • Periods of rapid growth We provide a role model by showing a
(10–14 Years) • Beginnings of puberty commitment to physical fitness and good eating
• Self-consciousness about physical changes habits.
• Some risk-taking behavior • We offer privacy for changing clothes and
showering during physical education classes.
• We explain what sexual harassment is, and do
 not tolerate it.
• We encourage after-school clubs and leisure
activities that help teenagers spend time
constructively.
Late Adolescence In girls, completion of growth spurt and • We ensure adolescents know ‘the facts of life’
(14–18 Years) attainment of mature height about sexual intercourse and conception.
• In boys, ongoing increases in stature • We encourage young people to form goals for
• Ravenous appetites the future (e.g. going to university or tertiary
• Increasing sexual activity colleges) that motivate productive actions (study
• Some serious risky behaviors (e.g. binge or joining a sporting club).
drinking of alcohol, taking illegal drugs, • We reduce adolescents’ exposure to
engaging in unprotected sexual contact, potentially risky situations.
dangerous driving),

Sources: Bredekamp & Copple, 1997; Gallahue & Ozmun, 1998; Reyna & Farley, 2006; Steinberg, 2007; Tanner,
1990.

Lesson 2 : Principles of Physical Development

The findings of variety of research works suggest that parents’ expectations for a child’s physical
development depend on culture, family status or the presence of physical limitations. For example, in a
culture where a sport such as soccer is played early and very competitively, a parent’s assessment of a
child’s physical abilities may be linked to performance on the soccer field. But the basic patterns of
physical development in children are universal.
Principles regarding physical growth can be helpful in understanding a child’s physical
development (Brotherson, 2006).

1.Directional Growth
The growth of a child’s body follows a directional pattern in three ways.
(a) Large to small muscle or gross to fine motor development: Large to small muscle
development means large muscles develop in the neck, trunk, arms and legs before the small muscles in
the fingers, hands, wrists and eyes develop. You have observed that children can walk before they can
write or scribble.
(b) Head to toe or top to bottom: Children’s muscles develop from head to toe. This is why
babies can hold up their heads long before they can walk.
(c) Inside to outside or center to outside: Muscles develop from the center of the body first and
then toward the outside of the body. Muscles around the trunk of the body develop earlier and are
stronger than muscles in the hands, feet, etc.

2.General to specific growth

Large muscle movement begins with waving of the arm and legs of infants, and it then develops
into the more specific movements of an older child who can walk and draw a picture. Muscle growth
beings with more general abilities and becomes more specific and refined as children get older.

3.Variations in growth
Children vary in their physical abilities at different ages. Different parts of the body grow at
different rates. Physical skills that are expected in gross or fine motor development are different in
preschool children than infant.
4.Optimal tendency in growth
If growth in children is slowed for a particular reason, such as malnutrition, the body will try to
catch up later when it is able to do so. Because grown in human tries to fulfill its potential in different
stages.

5.Sequential growth
Development is orderly and occurs in a pattern. Children must be able to stand before they can
walk. This pattern is evident in a number of ways, as described in milestones of development

6.Growth during particular period

Growth in certain areas of a child’s physical development may be more important at particular
times during childhood. For example, the first few years of life are very important in the development of
the brain’s growth. The critical time for the development of motor skills is between 18 and 60 months of
age.
Research suggests children go through four physical growth cycles: two of which are slow and
two rapid growth cycle. The first period of rapid physical growth goes from conception to the age of 6
months. The rate of growth gradually slows during the toddler and preschool periods. The second period
of rapid growth is during puberty in the years of preadolescence and adolescence. Another period
leveling off occurs after puberty until adult growth is achieved.