Motor development Flashcards
What are the 3 main models of motor development?
Maturation Model
Dynamic Model
Neurogroup Model
Why are humans born with less motor control than other animals?
Because they are born earlier in their development
What does movement of ones self mean for the perception and possibilites of a baby? (crawling)
The baby can choose to explore and search for new input
This leads to a focus on things that are further away and the babies relation to them (interesting, obnoxious, bad, good,..)
What governs babies movements at first right after birth?
Reflexes
What are the most important newborn reflexes?
Rooting reflex
Suck reflex
Grasp reflex
What is the rooting reflex?
It is the reflex, that when brushing the mouth or cheek, the baby will move their head to this direction
(only when hungry)
lasts 4 months
What is the suck reflex?
It allows the baby to drink from the nipple
The baby stars sucking, when the lips are touched.
(only when hungry)
It develops around the 34th week of pregnancy.
-> premature babies might not have this
What is the grasp reflex?
When stroking a babies palm, it will close the fingers and hold it.
It lasts 5-6 months.
(same effect exists in toes)
What is a reflex?
An automatic (non conscious) action triggered by a stimulus
What is the basis for gross motor skills to develop in babies?
They develop after the reflexes and often as a consequence of them
What are important gross motor skills in a baby and their ages?
3m:
Holding up the head
Supporting with arms
head side to side movement
5-6m:
Rolling around
6-7m:
Sitting with arm support
9m:
Getting up from laying and sitting
Crawling
10m:
Walking with some support/help
11m:
Standing alone
18m:
Running (4-5 y perfected)
24m:
Using stairs
The variation of when these happen increases with age!
What are fine motor skills?
Motor skills connected to the hands
What is the maturation model of motor development?
It is one of the earliest models of motor development.
It assumes that every development is genetically determined and cannot be learned before the child is (neurological) mature enough
Experience can play a role, BUT only when a point of maturity is reached.
What is the Dynamic model of motor development?
It looks at motor development as an interplay of:
Muscle development,
Experience,
Motor development,
Environment (Affordances),
Neurological development
-> All these parts are necessary though
What is the neurogroup model of motor development?
It assumes that babies are born with certain neurological groups for certain functions (reflexes)
Selection Phase:
These are adapted through experience and selection.
Variation Phase:
Learned behaviour is adapted and refined (pruned)
Which effects does atypical development of gross motor skills have on the child?
Exploration of the surroundings
Social participation
Safety
Which effects does atypical development of fine motor skills have on the child?
Exploring objects
Building
Playing
Eating
What are secondary effects of atypical motor development?
The child has a higher cognitive load when performing the activities, which could be used on something else instead.
This gives them a harder time participating (e.g. in sports)
If the child cannot participate in an activity, they might loose out on for example cognitive, language, social and emotional development
What are typical fine motor milestones in development?
Grasping Reflex (Newborn): Newborns have a grasping reflex that allows them to instinctively grasp objects placed in their palms.
Palmar Grasp (0-6 months): Infants begin to intentionally grasp objects using their entire palm. They may also swipe at objects within their reach.
Raking Grasp (6-9 months): Babies start using their fingers to rake or scrape objects toward them. This marks the beginning of finger dexterity development.
Pincer Grasp (9-12 months): By the end of their first year, most infants can use their thumb and forefinger to pick up small objects, like cereal or small toys.
Stacking Blocks (12-18 months): Toddlers can stack two or three blocks on top of each other. This activity enhances hand-eye coordination and precision.
Scribbling (2-3 years): Most children start scribbling with crayons or markers around the age of 2. This is an early form of writing development.
Using tools at age of 2 (spoon, toothbrush,…)
Cutting with Scissors (3-4 years): Around age 3 or 4, children can typically use scissors to cut along lines or shapes. This requires hand strength and coordination.
Drawing Basic Shapes (3-4 years): Children begin drawing simple shapes like circles and squares. This is an important step in developing pre-writing skills.
Dressing Skills (3-5 years): Kids learn to manipulate buttons, zippers, and snaps, which require finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
Tying Shoelaces (4-6 years): Tying shoelaces is a complex fine motor skill
Writing (4-7 years): Writing letters and numbers becomes more controlled and legible. Initially, it may be large and uneven, but it improves over time.
Coloring Inside Lines (4-6 years): Children develop the ability to color within the lines, showing improved hand-eye coordination and fine motor control.
Building with Small Blocks (4-6 years): Children can build more complex structures using small building blocks like LEGO, enhancing their spatial awareness and fine motor skills.
Handwriting Fluency (6-7 years and beyond): By the end of the first grade, children should demonstrate increasingly neat and legible handwriting skills.
Why is learning to walk important for child development?
It leads to autonomy.
It is the so called psychological birth
It coincides with self-awareness
The interactions between caregiver and child become more intense:
Temper tantrums, parental anger, affection,…
(But not self-conscious yet)
What does the visual cliff experiment show?
It shows that children develop a fear of hights when they begin to crawl.
This has to be learned again, when walking.
