How do perceptual, motor, and physical development goals relate to school readiness? The environment of a healthy womb and healthy habits established in the first five years of life lay a strong foundation for the physical and mental well-being needed for school success. The strength, balance, and coordination developing in the bodies of young children will grow into physical skills that allow them to pay attention; participate in games, active play, and sports; and use tools such as pencils, crayons, markers, and paint brushes. The ELOF provides a detailed progression of the knowledge and skills a child achieves in this domain.

Young children depend completely on adults to provide good nutrition, well-child care, health, and oral health care. Every day, parents establish the rudiments of healthy living—simple things like hand-washing, covering coughs and sneezes, and tooth-brushing—that will help keep them free from illness and able to attend school regularly. Proper nutrition supports brain development, growth, and health. The progression of large muscle development is generally predictable but only occurs when there is opportunity and encouragement for movement. Each new posture requires new learning about balance and brings new perceptions of the world. The sitting baby sees the world differently from the crawling baby. The walking baby needs to relearn all he knew about depth perception as a crawler. In turn, as the child perceives more of the world, she is motivated to gain a greater variety of movements. More movement builds strength, flexibility, and endurance.

Fine motor development (e.g., development of the small muscles in the face) is the foundation for communication through facial expression. Fine motor development also provides our unique ability to use our fingers. It doesn't look like much in early infancy when babies who are just able to grasp a rattle can't even figure out how to release it. However, by age 3, they are using markers and paintbrushes, dressing themselves, using manipulative toys, and putting together puzzles. They are well on their way to having hands that build, write, turn pages, and create masterpieces.

How To

You support parents in protecting their child's health and safety and developing healthy habits by:

• Providing information on well-child and immunization schedules
• Teaching songs that help parents and children time how long to wash their hands or brush their teeth
• Prompting parents to establish a routine to help their child wash hands after outdoor play, before eating, and after toileting
• Knowing how to access resources in your community to promote safety, such as free outlet covers or car seats
• Having community partners who can help the family find a medical or dental home
• Being respectful of parents' beliefs and values concerning health
• Modeling healthy behaviors
• Using motivational interviewing to discuss topics
• Introducing health literacy
• Talking about healthy nutrition and the value of physical activity
• Sharing information about the effects of secondhand smoke on children's health
• Maintaining a safe environment in their home

You support parents in promoting their child's physical development by:

• Using and discussing home safety checklists and tools
• Helping parents have realistic expectations of large motor developmental milestones
• Using the home environment to provide interesting physical challenges, such as putting a firm sofa pillow on the ground for an infant to crawl over
• Encouraging parents to take the child outdoors to play
• Finding objects in the home that can be thrown (e.g., a ball made from crumpled paper and taped into a ball shape)
• Figuring out safe ways to hang toys for reaching infants
• Encouraging active, developmentally appropriate play with their child
• Talking with parents about their feelings and beliefs; for example:
  • Should girls be active?
  • Should boys do artwork?
  • Is it safe to play outdoors?
  • Are they in a hurry to have their child walk or run?
  • Do they prefer a child who can sit quietly?
• Suggesting strategies for providing guidance to toddlers who want to climb on tables or other surfaces unacceptable to parents

You can support parents' promotion of fine motor development by:

• Bringing recipes for play dough so their child can build hand strength by making the dough and forming small items using their fingers
• Using sidewalks or outside walls for broad strokes with water-filled brushes; moving to paper and markers as the child gains more finger control
• Using writing utensils and manipulative toys
• Singing songs with hand movements, such as "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
• Playing the "thank-you game," where the child hands you an object, you take it and say thank you, and then hand it back to the child
  • This grab-and-release activity not only supports fine muscle development but also helps reinforce the pleasure of taking turns

This information in this list was adapted in part from News You Can Use: Foundations of School Readiness: Physical Development and Health.

Experience It

This is a very short clip of a baby just learning to walk. Notice that, although Perpetual, Motor, and Physical Development is the primary domain observed, multiple infant/toddler ELOF domains are in play at once. Even though you can't see the person behind the camera, they play a large role in the baby's reaction.

Last Updated: March 18, 2022