Motor Development and Motor
Learning for Children

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Patterns are genetically determined
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There is a predictable pattern that children experience
Years of slow, steady growth enable children to explore how their bodies function and move

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Physical differences between boys and girls during early and later childhood are minimal
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They have similar amounts of muscle and bone mass during preschool and early primary grades
The onset of preadolescence sees greater limb growth than trunk growth

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The basic premise is that motor development is non-linear and constantly changing
Development within an individual is uniquely influenced by factors within three subsystems of motor development
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The task
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The individual’s genetics
The environment for learning experiences

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Movement educators must consider whether a designed movement task matches the abilities of each child
Developmentally appropriate activity meets each child’s abilities based on fitness and skill level, body size, age and readiness

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Children not only differ among their peers, but they will also differ within themselves
Activities need to be modified to meet children at their level of readiness

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Planning for developmentally appropriate activity includes understanding features of motor skills
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The size of musculature required
The beginning and end points of the movement
The stability of the environment in which the movement is performed

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Gross motor skills require large muscles to perform such skills as running, jumping, throwing, or kicking
Fine motor skills require more precise movements, typically of the hand and fingers

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In order for children to gain control of motor skills, two processes must occur
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Differentiation: the progression of skills from gross to fine
Integration: the coordination of the muscle and sensory systems

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A discrete skill has a definite beginning and end point
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A punt of a football, an underhand serve of the volleyball
A serial skill is a sequence of discrete skills
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Ten dribble touches of a soccer or basketball
A continuous skill has an endpoint that is arbitrarily determined
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Walking or running

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The context of the environment in which the performer does the skill or in which the object is acted upon by the performer categorizes the stability of the environment
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Closed motor skill
Open motor skill

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Beginner: the learner is getting the idea of the movement and how to coordinate the body
Intermediate: the learner is beginning to refine the movement and make fewer errors
Advanced: the learner is automatic in performance of a skill and thinks little about the execution of the skill

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Children are not mini-adults, and therefore, the movement educator must take into consideration developmental variability and individual readiness when planning movement experiences.

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The use of a variety of teaching styles and the use of appropriate practices will encourage participation in movement experiences.

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Common styles for elementary children:
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Command
Task
Reciprocal
Self-check
Inclusion
Exploratory (convergent and divergent)

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Ways that children process information presented to them
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Listener
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Thinker
Kinesthetic
Visual
Try to accommodate as many styles as possible in the lesson delivery

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Whole skill vs. part skill
Massed vs. distributed practice
Individual vs. partner practice

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It is important for all children to be involved in daily, successful movement experiences.
Movement activities should not be withheld from children as a means of discipline.
The use of a variety of teaching styles and appropriate practices helps children recognize the benefits of physical activity and encourages them to participate regularly