Motor Development

Motor development refers to the development of a childs bones, muscles and ability to move around and manipulate his or her environment. This involves muscular reaction like walking, grasping, jumping, steering, etc. Motor development can be divided into two sections: gross motor development and fine motor development. Gross motor development involves the development of the large muscles in the childs body. These muscles allow us to sit, stand, walk and run, among other activities. Fine motor development involves the small muscles of the body, especially in the hand.

Motor development also includes the oral/motor area (Fig. 1) that surrounds the childs mouth. In order for children to be able to swallow and eat properly, or to pronounce words the right way, they need to have good control over their oral/motor muscles. A child whose oral/motor muscles are either too tight (hypertonic) or too flabby (hypotonic), may require help in learning to talk, and assistance in feeding and swallowing.
Figure 1: Oral/motor Area

Motor development also involves the childs vestibular and proprioceptive systems. Both of

these are part of the childs sensory system. The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and allows the body to maintain balance. The proprioceptive system involves the inner ear, the muscles, joints and tendons (Fig. 2). It allows the body to understand where its located. Maintaining balance and posture and having coordinated movements are only possible if the proprioceptive system is functioning well.

The typical development of a childs motor skills usually follows a predictable order or sequence. Development occurs from the inner body to the outer body. This means that children usually develop or gain control over their arms before they develop or gain control over their fingers.

Figure 2: Tendons

Development also starts from top to bottom. Children need to control their head first, then they will gain control over their legs and feet.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: CONNECTING ALL THE DEVELOPMENTAL AREAS How well a childs motor skills are developing will influence how well they do in other developmental areas: Motor skills and cognitive development: Children are more likely to explore their environment if they are able to move easily or change positions. They are also more likely to draw and write if they have good control of their finger muscles. Motor skills and the development of self-help skills: Solid motor control helps children learn how to finger-feed and later use utensils (e.g. forks, spoons, chopsticks), to dress and undress, brush teeth and wash hands and face, and to learn to use the bathroom. Motor skills and communication development: Having control over the oral/motor area allows a child to learn to pronounce letters and sounds correctly. This is articulation. Motor skills and social and emotional development: Motor skills are needed for sitting properly, for speaking, for eating and drinking. How others react to how well a child does all this may have either a positive or negative impact on that childs development.

Development of Prehension Prehension denotes the grasping of objects. In Filipino: pagdakama, pagkuha, hold, pagsamsam This activity develops slowly from the more basic patterns of behaviour. The first step involves random movements of the whole arm in the general direction of the object. The next step is the developing of movements of the arm in sweeping motion directed at the object. Next, circular movements may be attempted with independent movements of the forearm from the upper arm. Then follow straight line movements and the ability to move the wrists. Finally the thumb may be used in apposition to the other fingers in the grasping of objects. The use of the thumb is an ability which distinguishes the higher animals from the lower ones.

Factors Influencing Motor Development 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Illness and Physical injury Intelligence Size of the body Lack of opportunity to learn Fear Hampering clothes Nutrition

Language Development
3-5 months: cooing with vowels 6-11 months: babbling with consonants 12 months: 1 to 3 words 2-3 years: phrases and sentences Syllables are associated with objects, then syllables form words and words are strung to simple phrases and sentences. There is a progression from name words (nouns) like mother, sister, food, ball to adjectives like nice, dirty, ugly, to verbs like come, eat, etc. the more complicated parts of speech are learned later. It is hard for the child to learn the concept of ownership; for instance the we and the our because the child is principally concerned with the I.

Factors Influencing Language Development Hearing your child's first words is truly music to your ears. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines language as "socially shared rules" that include the meanings and makings of words. That said, speech. communication and other parts of language development don't all happen in a bubble. Factor's ranging from a child's natural growth progression to outside influences such as peers or siblings can all affect language development. Language Development and Milestones While not every child will reach language milestones at the same age, the natural progression of human development is a prime factor in influencing how kids communicate. For example, it's unlikely that your 1-year-old will have the ability to put three or four words together to make a sentence. When it comes to milestones, the child development experts at PBS Parents note that by 12 months, most kids can understand up to 50 words, say three or so words and comprehend simple sentences or directions. This jumps to understanding up to 900 words and speaking more than 570 words by 30 months. By the time your child is ready to start kindergarten, chances are that he knows more than 4,000 words, can follow multistep directions and understands the basics of grammar. Although outside influences can affect this progression, the developmental processes occurring in your child are prerequisites for meeting these marks. Social Influences From early on, social factors are influencing your child's language development. According to the PBS Parents website, even 1-year-olds are absorbing what they hear from other people, including mom, dad, siblings or other caregivers, as they develop language skills. Additionally, children in the toddler years can infer meaning based on another person's intonation. While social influences on language development include increasing a child's vocabulary and helping her to better understand meanings and

contexts for the spoken word, not all outside environments are equal. The Canadian Language and Literacy Research Council notes that preschoolers from very verbal professional-type families hear almost three times as many words each week than those in lower socioeconomic households. Developmental and Medical Issues Some childrens language development doesn't follow a typical pattern. While many reasons are responsible for late language learning, or slow progression, a developmental or medical condition is often the culprit. According to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, issues that might affect a childs language development include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, cleft lip and palate, and traumatic brain injury. For example, an autistic child might not speak, have limited speech, have poor vocabulary development or difficulty when trying to express needs or wants verbally. Education The American Academy of Pediatrics Healthy Children website notes that listening to others and practicing speech will help a young child master basics such as grammar early on. Although your little learner will certainly develop these skills without added tutoring, the educational environment -whether it is at preschool or at home -- can enrich verbal growth and communication skills. For example, the experts at the Healthy Children website recommend reading to your child to boost language development. Likewise, preschool language lessons or circle time reading sessions can also help your child to get a grip on words and how to use them.