Gross motor skills: Action stations

Adults cannot hurry along children's gross motor development, says Penny Tassoni, but we can provide an environment that will encourage them when they are ready

It is easy to look at a young baby and consider how helpless he or she is. The young baby cannot walk, sit or control its limbs. But the reality is that babies are not as helpless as they seem. They are, after all, pre-programmed to learn how to survive, and this means quickly learning how to control their bodies and learning how to move.

Development sequence

So how do babies go from being relatively helpless to being able to run, turn, hop and skip? There are three widely accepted principles of physical development that were originally proposed by the American paediatrician Gessell (see box).

• Development follows a definite sequence
  One of the interesting things about working with young children is seeing that, although they have many unique qualities in terms of their personalities, preferences and facial shapes, children's physical development tends to follow a pattern. All babies have to learn to sit before they can walk, while older children learn to run before they can skip.
  
  
• Development begins with the control of head movements and proceeds downwards
  The head to tail, or cephalocaudal, progression of early gross motor development is thought by some to be a survival mechanism. The baby learns at first to lift and turn his head. This would allow a baby to feed more easily and also become more aware of his environment. Progression continues with babies gaining strength and movement in the neck and spine so that by three or four months they are able to enjoy being propped up in a seated position, from which they can use their hands and see more of what is happening around them.
  
  
• Development begins with uncontrolled gross motor movements before becoming precise and refined.
  At first the young baby's arm and leg movements are uncontrolled, but some control is quickly gained, first of the arms and then of the wrist and hands. By six months, most babies are usually able to take an offered toy reasonably easily. As an adult, you may have had a similar learning experience if you have learned to use a computer with a mouse. Most people find that at first it is all they can do to keep the mouse visible on the screen, but gradually they learn more refined movements which allow them to position the mouse accurately where they choose.

No fast track

One of the key points about physical development made by Gessell is that the maturation of the central nervous system plays a significant part in children's development. This means that however much an adult wants a baby to learn to walk, the baby will, in the end, do this at their own pace. This is not to say that we cannot provide an environment that will stimulate children - the desire to reach out for an object or achieve a skill will indeed spur children on. The rate at which children's gross motor skills develop is therefore quite variable, with some children walking as early as ten months and others doing so eight months later. If we accept the principle that gross motor development cannot be 'fast tracked', we may need to make sure that different children are not being constantly compared and that parents understand there is a wide, but normal, variation in physical development.

The adult's role

So how can we help babies and children to develop gross motor movement while understanding that in some ways we cannot 'teach' or 'push' children? The answer lies in providing interesting activities and equipment, and also in the close observation of children. Skills such as riding a bicycle do not just suddenly appear; they are gained by being given access to a tricycle or bicycle with stabilisers at a time when the child has enough skills to manage it. Close observation also means looking out for children who are becoming frustrated and need either a little help, or having the activity adapted in some way so that skills can be built up.

Practitioners working with babies also need to use their observations to be aware of safety issues. The gross motor development that parents so proudly await is also a sign that safety equipment and measures have to be in place. The baby who at first rolls over as if by chance will quickly be able to do so at will, bringing the risk of a fall or a swallowed object nearer.

Good foundations

It is lovely to see that the Foundation Stage emphasises the need for children not only to be active in their learning, but also to be physically active. The link between children's confidence and self-esteem and their physical development is stressed, and being able to run, climb and balance does help children to feel good about themselves. Outdoor play is also back on the menu, with practitioners being encouraged to see the outdoors as a place where much learning can take place.

In the Foundation Stage, adults also need to provide activities that will encourage young children to make movements using the whole of their arms. The idea behind activities such as sweeping scarves in the air or waving ribbons around in circles is to help children gain control on a large scale before they have to make smaller and more refined movements with a pencil. So, away with tracing sheets and on with scarves!