Running head: MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Motor Development in Early Childhood

Ivy Tech Community College
Melody Lutz
Education 121
Dr. Julie Bliz

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Abstract
There are three stages of motor development: Infanthood, early childhood, and later childhood.
Infanthood is age 0-2, middle childhood is ages 2-6, and later childhood is ages 6-12. Infanthood
is the quickest and the most obvious changes take place. Middle childhood happens quick and it
mostly physical changes you will notice. Later childhood happens pretty slowly and the changes
arent noticeable all at once. Children all develop at different rates. Many factors play a role in
this, including environmental, social, and cultural factors. Parents are a huge part a childs
development, whether its because of heredity or the environment they bring their child up in.
Children need to be active, eat healthy, and have good social skills to develop to their fullest
potential. Keeping in mind all children are different, parents or caregivers need to do their best to
make sure they are meeting the correct standards for their children. Children arent fully
responsible for their actions and parents need to teach them the correct skills to grow and be fully
functional.

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Motor Development in Early Childhood

A child developing correctly is one of the most important things for a parent to make sure
of. When the child is very young, the parent needs to make sure that they are observing and
doing all they can to contribute to healthy development for the child. Parents need to encourage
both fine motor and gross motor development as their child is growing. According to
http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au, there are three stages of motor development. These are infanthood,
early childhood, and later childhood. During these stages we need to be aware of the factors that
affect motor development. These factors include environmental, social, and cultural factors. They
all have some influence on the development of the child and need to be taken into consideration.
Infanthood occurs between ages 0-2, and it happens very quickly. When babies are born
and people go even a couple weeks without seeing them, it seems like theyve grown so much,
well they really have. Every month during this stage has a new milestone and achievement for
the growing child. As the child is growing it tends to always go in a head to tail sequence, that
being said the child has motor control of the head before they have motor control of the legs.
That is why babies can hold their head up by themselves before they fully learn how to crawl.
With early childhood, ages 2-6, children still grow at a quick rate but nowhere near as
quick as infancy. One big thing with this stage is the noticeable physical changes. Usually around
age 3, as stated by http://www.cliffsnotes.com, children start to become leaner and lose their
baby fat. At this early stages boys usually have more apparent muscle mass than girls.
The final stage is later childhood development. This ranges from ages 6 to 12. During this
time the changes become more subtle and dont happen all at once. A childs environment during

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

this stage will greatly affect their motor development. These are the ages where kids start to play
sports and take part in other activities, so depending on each kid, their motor skills will develop
differently.
Now this is just the basic set for development. We all know that every child is different
and none of them develop at the exact same rate. All children with pass through each stage and
their might be some differences in ages where milestones happen, but they should be similar.
There are several factors that can influence a childs motor development, including
environmental, social, and even cultural ones.
A childs environment while growing up can greatly affect their development. The
opportunities children have while growing up can affect their development. If they have
caregivers that constantly promote play and other activities at home and at school, their
development will be greater than those who dont have parents that try to promote activity. This
is why to some extent that socioeconomic status comes in. Usually families with greater income
are able to provide their children with more opportunities to grow and develop than those who
dont make very much.
When it comes to social factors, the childs personality, perception, and self-motivation
come into play. When a child is more motivated they are going to want to participate in more
activities and to help their development. Every child has a different personality, which will affect
how they play and what they want to do. The more positive experiences the children have the
more motivated they will be while participating in other physical activities.
Cultural factors have some effect on motor development as well. It mostly just depends
on if your culture lets you participate in the activities that you need for growth. According to

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com, motivation and opportunities for practice are key for motor
skill development. Another part of culture that may affect development is heredity. This isnt
something anyone can change, but they can take steps to achieve motor development even with
obstacles. Parents should be aware if they have any disabilities that could cause their child to fall
behind.
Continuing with heredity, parents that are aware of possible conflicts must take their child
to regular check-ups. Doctors can diagnose and fix problems before they may even become one.
Also if the child does have a disability, doctors can give proper ways to help promote their
development because it may be different things than other children do. Being aware of a childs
health is one of the most important things parents can do.
All children will grow and pass through the stages of motor development. Some may be
at different rates than others. Infanthood usually happens pretty quickly and has lots of changes
that you can see. Early childhood happens at a fast pace but the changes tend to be lots of
physically ones that can be seen. Later childhood is more spread out and less likely to be seen all
at once.
Many factors affect motor development. Environmental is the big one. Parents must
provide an active lifestyle for their child and teach them healthy diet skills. Social includes a
childs personality and self-esteem. When a child has a higher self-esteem, they are more likely
to be motivated and get out and be active. Cultural factors mostly are what your culture allows
and also your heredity. Parents must be aware of any things that could potentially be a problem
for their child and take action right away.

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

MOTOR DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD

Works Cited
Environmental, Cultural and Social Factors That Influence Motor-Skill Development in
Children. (2013, July 13). Retrieved April 6, 2015.
Physical Development: Age 2-6. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2015.
Ryan, D. (n.d.). Environmental, Cultural and Social Factors That Influence Motor Skill
Development in Children. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
Stages - Motor Developement. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2015.