Original Post: The Link Between Motor Development, Physical Literacy And Sport

(Click here for the Afrikaans version)

Welcome back! In our previous blog, we had a look at the secret link between movement and your child's brain. However, movement is also crucial to help your child move through all the different phases of motor development. It further helps a child to develop all the necessary physical literacy skills required for future sport success.

Realizing the importance of being physically active, we should aim to engage our children more in movement on an everyday basis. Did you know that toddlers (age 1 - 3 years) and preschoolers (age 3 - 5 years) should be physically active for at least three hours per day?

Children between 5–17 years of age should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity on a daily basis. Most of these activities should be aerobic. Vigorous-intense activities that will strengthen a child’s muscles and bones, should also be included at least 3 times per week.

Movement Obstacles

Our modern-day lifestyle has caused a lot of children to spend more time in a sitting position than being on the move. According to the Urban Child Institute, around two-thirds of mothers with three-year-old's report that their child watches television two hours or more per day. If background television is included, very young children are exposed to an average of four hours of television each day.

According to an article published by BBC in March 2015, teenagers spend an average of six and a half hours per day in front of digital screens! What cost are we willing to pay for being inactive, especially when it comes to our children?

Linda S. Pagani, a researcher at the University of Montréal in Canada, stated that when screen time occurs early on in a child's life (especially during the time that brain expansion is happening), it can have extremely negative long-term effects. Various research studies confirm this statement. One such study found that the amount of time spent in front of the TV at 2 years of age is linked with academic, social and health problems at the age of 10.

To quote Urban Child Institute: "Despite marketing claims that some television programs and DVDs help infants and toddlers to learn, recent studies show that TV provides only empty calories for a child’s growing brain".

Our environment also has a big influence on our activity levels. Our apartments and yards are getting smaller, and the criminal activity in our country causes most parents to rather keep their children inside than allowing them to play with friends in the streets.

How then can we practically help our children to benefit from being active? What can we implement in our everyday life to ensure that our children learn better and be healthier?

Practical Tips For Older Children To Get Moving

The first tip would be to get moving yourself! Remember you are the most important role model in your child’s life. By being active with your child, you can encourage a lifelong love for exercise. A bonus is that you will reap all the benefits of movement yourself..!

When possible, involve the whole family – walk to the park, visit the zoo for a special treat or play soccer in the backyard. Being outdoors is best. Just make sure that your kids are protected from the sun. Sunscreen, hats and playing in the shade are wise choices if you plan to be outside for a long period of time.

If the weather is no good, head indoors and build cubby houses or play hide and seek. Also, to get your children moving, choose ‘active’ toys that will encourage climbing, running, jumping, throwing and catching. This is typically something like boxes, balls, bats, scooters and bicycles, kites, streamers, bubbles, hoops and trampolines. Remember, play materials don’t need to be expensive and can be found around the house.

If your environment does not allow for your kids to be active, arrange with your local church or school to make use of their playground or sporting facilities over the weekend. You can also help to launch the same initiative as in England where they are taking back the streets - for the children to play in!

In this initiative, streets are once again coming alive with scooting and cycling and hopscotch and chalk. The new “play streets” are designated by councils every time that they receive enough requests from residents. It is estimated there are now more than 80 designated play streets in England and Wales.

In South Africa, we may need to take a different route. Until we can get local authorities on board, begin talking to your neighbours and organizing a car-free zone in your street for certain hours of the day. This will allow the children to be more out on the street - playing soccer and riding their bicycles without the fear of being trampled over.

Talking about cars: remember to take breaks on long car trips. Stop at a park or rest area to allow your little ones some movement. Also, when you go for a walk give your child a break from the stroller and let him walk for some of the journey. Park a little further from the shops and use the stairs instead of the elevator. These strategies will help you to move more throughout the day.

Last not least: TV, DVDs and computer games may be popular with kids, but they usually involve sitting for long periods of time. This is causing children to lose out on the very benefits of being active. Regardless of how active kids may be, it is still important to limit screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics has provided guidelines when it comes to screen time.

For children 2 to 5 years of age, sitting and watching television or using other electronic media (DVDs, computer and other electronic games) should be limited to less than one hour per day. Children younger than 2 years of age should not spend any time watching television or using other electronic media (DVDs, computer and other electronic games).

If you are a preschool or school, make sure to include the daily physical activities of the Kwanda Fun program into your school's curriculum. In today's hurried life, stimulation and exercise should be done on purpose, not only by accident. Therefore we need to purposefully plan to get active and healthy. We need to make it one of our lifelong goals!

Motor Development

There is no question about the importance of motor development. In addition to it being a critical part of a child moving successfully, it is also widely believed to be the basis for perceptual and cognitive function. But what exactly is motor development?

Before we can understand motor development, we need to understand what is commonly known as milestones.

There are a variety of developmental charts available in parenting and educational materials. Most of these charts list a series of developmental stages and give the approximate age range during which a child should be able to execute a certain task. These developmental milestones can serve as guidelines to know if a child's development is more or less on par.

However, it is very important to take note of two basic facts when looking at childhood development charts. First, every child is unique. Each child will thus move through the developmental stages at a pace that is right for him. The second fact to remember is that it is rather the "sequence of development" that is important more so than the physical age.

The sequence of a child's motor development can roughly be divided in 3 movement stages. The first stage is when the child uses both arms (and later both legs) together. The second stage can be seen when the arm and leg on the same side of the body are used together to perform a task.

The last stage is when the child uses the opposite arm and leg to move around. Some children seem to be frozen at a certain stage, making it difficult for them to do more difficult tasks that require coordination.

Looking at the sequence of motor development, the baby first develops from the head, then to the "tail". Thus, a baby first learns to control his head movement, then later his trunk, and lastly his legs. A baby also develops "from the inside out". This means that he will first develop trunk control before learning to control movements made by his hands, fingers, feet and toes.

Large muscles from the shoulders, arms and legs are further used before small muscles in the fingers and wrists can work effectively. This means that gross motor development precedes fine motor development.

Now that we know the basics of motor development, let us look at the 3 most important categories of motor skills when it comes to your child's motor development:

• stability skills

• locomotor skills

• manipulative or object control skills

These skills are observed throughout all phases of motor development - from birth to adulthood. St

ability is a key element required for every human movement.

Stability Skills

Let’s begin by exploring stability skills. Stability is necessary for all locomotor and object control skills. In essence, all movement involves an element of stability. Stability skills are focused on gaining and maintaining balance.

Your child is constantly seeking to maintain stability throughout the day. This means he needs to be sensitive to how his body changes posture, and then he needs to be able to make the necessary changes to be stable again. Stability skills in a baby can be observed by him controlling his neck, head and trunk whilst sitting and standing.

Stability skills in children include:

• static balance (maintaining the body in the same posture/position)

• dynamic balance (maintaining postural stability whilst the body is moving)

• bending and curling

• turning

• twisting

• stretching

• transferring weight

These stability skills are refined throughout childhood until a child reaches the sport specialization stage of motor development. Static balance is one of the most important stability skills. In order to help your child develop static balance, ask your child the following:

Can you balance ......?

• like a dragonfly on a leaf

• with eyes opened/closed

• while swinging your arms like a helicopter trying to take-off

• on tiptoes like a flamingo

• on three different parts of your body

• on a low stool

• standing on one foot with the other foot on a soccer ball

Locomotor Skills In Children

From stability skills, we move on to locomotor skills. Locomotor skills involve moving the body from one location to another. Many locomotor skills are used on a daily basis (e.g. running after a bus, leaping over a puddle). Locomotor skills are also applied in games and sports (e.g. jumping up to catch a ball).

To move with control, your child will need good balance as well as an awareness of the environment in terms of effort and space. He will also need to know where his body is in relation to other people or objects. This is because body movements often occur in relation to at least one of these factors.

Locomotor skills include (in ascending levels of difficulty for most children):

• walking

• running

• leaping

• jumping (off a height), jumping for height (vertical jump), jumping for distance (horizontal jump)

• sliding

• galloping

• hopping

• skipping

While children learn the different locomotor skills at their own pace, many would learn to walk at about one year old, then progress to run and jump at about two years of age. From about three, they start to explore sliding, galloping, hopping and skipping. To master these skills, children need instructions at an early age and lots of opportunities to practice them... and in the course of it, have fun!

Running is one of the most basic movement skills required in our everyday life. It is also a foundational skill required in many dynamic activities, games and sports (e.g. tag games, athletics, hockey, rugby). Mastering good running techniques for different situations will enable your child to move successfully and confidently.

In order to help your child develop good running skills, ask your child the following: Can you run ......?

• heavily like an elephant

• funny as a clown

• in a quick-slow-quick rhythm

• on the spot like a hamster on the wheel

• along the outlines of a big lazy 8 figure on the floor

• and reach for the clouds

• holding hands with your sisters and/or brothers

You can take the above suggestions and also combine them to get more fun, silly ideas!

Object Manipulation And Coordination Skills In Children

Lastly, we are going to look at object control skills. These skills require your child to control an object using a part of the body or using equipment such as a bat. There are two types of object control skills: propelling skills (sending an object away e.g. throwing or kicking) and receiving skills (receiving an object e.g. catching). In daily living, as well as in many games and sports, there is often a need for both these types of skills.

Object control skills include:

• throwing

• underarm rolling

• underarm throwing

• overarm throwing

• catching

• kicking

• dribbling with foot

• bouncing

• dribbling with hand

Catching is an important skill in most ball games but is challenging for many young children, as the catcher is not in control of the speed of the oncoming object. The child has to track the object (keep his eye on it) and move his body and hands in response, before catching it.

For beginners, start with objects that are bright, light and travel slowly (e.g. scarf, stuffed toy, balloon). This skill may need to be taught together with throwing skills.

The ‘avoidance tendency’ is common among younger children who instinctively turn their faces away or close their eyes to avoid being hit. This is sometimes also true for anxious children of any age who prefer to rather throw an object away from them than receiving an object (into their personal space).

In order to help your child develop good manipulation skills, ask your child the following: Can you throw a ball underhand or overhand ......?

• as far as possible

• hitting a large object, then a smaller object

• using your dominant hand, then your non-dominant hand

• upwards, backwards or sideways

• so that it draws a rainbow in the sky

• in between lines or inside a hoola hoop

• so that it first bounces before it touches a wall

• so that it first hits a wall, then bounces on the floor before catching it again

Conclusion

Now that you know more about motor development per se, it will be good to look at common factors that can keep children from enjoying movement and being active. For this reason, our next article will focus on hypermobility (or being double-jointed). We will explore what hypermobility entails, how it can affect a child's motor development and what you can do to help a child with lax ligaments. Until then, happy moving moments!

Die Verband Tussen Motoriese Ontwikkeling, Fisieke Geletterdheid en Sport

Welkom terug! In ons vorige blog het ons gekyk na die geheime verband tussen beweging en jou kind se brein. Beweging is egter ook van kardinale belang om jou kind te help om deur al die verskillende fases van motoriese ontwikkeling te beweeg. Dit help 'n kind verder om al die nodige fundamentele vaardighede te ontwikkel wat nodig is vir toekomstige sportsukses.

Noudat ons weet hoe belangrik beweging is, moet ons daarna streef om intensioneel te wees en om beweging daagliks vir ons kinders te prioritiseer. Het jy geweet dat peuters (ouderdom 1 - 3 jaar) en kleuters (ouderdom 3 - 5 jaar) minstens drie ure per dag fisies aktief moet wees?

Kinders tussen 5 en 17 jaar oud moet daagliks vir ten minste 60 minute fisiek aktief wees. Die meeste van hierdie aktiwiteite moet aërobies van aard wees. Hoë intensiteit aktiwiteite wat 'n kind se spiere en bene sal versterk, moet minstens 3 keer per week ingesluit word.

Wat keer kinders om te beweeg?

Ons hedendaagse leefstyl het veroorsaak dat baie kinders meer tyd in 'n sittende posisie deurbring as om aan die beweeg te wees. Volgens die Urban Child Institute, meld ongeveer twee derdes van mammas met driejariges dat hul kind twee ure of langer per dag televisie kyk.

As agtergrondtelevisie ingesluit word, word baie jong kinders elke dag aan gemiddeld vier ure televisie blootgestel.  Volgens 'n artikel wat BBC in Maart 2015 gepubliseer het, spandeer tieners gemiddeld ses en 'n half uur per dag voor digitale skerms!

Watter koste is ons bereid om te betaal omdat ons onaktief is, veral as dit by ons kinders kom?  Linda S. Pagani, 'n navorser aan die Universiteit van Montréal in Kanada, is van mening dat skermtyd wat vroeg in 'n kind se lewe voorkom (veral gedurende die kritieke tydpwerk vir breinontwikkeling tussen 0 – 5 jaar), uiters negatiewe langtermyneffekte kan hê. Verskeie navorsingstudies het dit bevestig.

Een so 'n studie het bevind dat die hoeveelheid tyd wat op 2-jarige ouderdom voor die TV deurgebring is, direk verband hou met akademiese, sosiale en gesondheidsprobleme op die ouderdom van 10.

Om Urban Child Institute aan te haal: "Ten spyte van bemarkingsaansprake dat sommige televisieprogramme en DVD's babas en kleuters help leer, toon onlangse studies dat TV slegs leë kalorieë vir 'n kind se groeiende brein verskaf."

Ons omgewing het ook 'n groot impak op ons aktiwiteitsvlakke. Ons woonstelle en erwe word kleiner, en die kriminele aktiwiteite in ons land veroorsaak dat die meeste ouers hul kinders binne hou eerder as om hulle toe te laat om saam met vriende in die strate te speel.

Hoe kan ons dan prakties ons kinders help om voordeel daaruit te trek om aktief wees? Wat kan ons in ons alledaagse lewe implementeer om te verseker dat ons kinders beter leer en gesonder is?

Praktiese wenke vir ouer kinders om aan die beweeg te kom

Die eerste wenk sal wees om jouself aan die beweeg te kry! Onthou jy is die belangrikste rolmodel in jou kind se lewe. Deur saam met jou kind aktief te wees, kan jy 'n lewenslange liefde vir oefening aanmoedig. 'n Bonus is dat jy self al die voordele van beweging sal ervaar..!

Indien moontlik, betrek die hele gesin - stap na die parkie, besoek die dieretuin vir 'n spesiale bederf of speel sokker in die agterplaas. Om buite te wees is die beste. Maak net seker jou kinders word teen die son beskerm. Sonskerm, hoede en skaduwee is wyse keuses as jy van plan is om vir 'n lang tydperk buite te wees.

As die weer nie goed is nie, speel handjie-tennis binne-in jou huis met ‘n ballon.  Jy kan ook maskeerband gebruik en lyne op die vloer plak.  Dink dan aan kreatiewe bewegings waar jou kind op, oor, langs, tussen die lyne of weerskante van die lyne moet loop, huppel, hop of spring.

Om jou kinders ook aan die beweeg te kry, kies 'aktiewe' speelgoed wat klim, hardloop, spring, gooi en vang sal aanmoedig. Dit is tipies iets soos bokse, balle, kolwe, trapfietsies of fietse, vlieërs, borrels, hoepels en ‘n trampolien. Onthou, speelmateriaal hoef nie duur te wees nie en kan oral in die huis gevind word.

As jou area nie toelaat dat jou kinders aktief is nie, reël met jou plaaslike kerk of skool om oor die naweek van hul speelgrond of sportgeriewe gebruik te maak. In Engeland is daar ‘n baie oulike inisiatief waar die strate na werkstyd weer terugneem word – vir die kinders om in te speel!

In hierdie inisiatief word strate lewendig waar kinders kan lag en gesels, ‘hopscotch’ en krieket speel, fietsry en met bordkryt op die sypaadjies kan teken. Die nuwe "speelstrate" word deur die stadsraad aangewys elke keer as hulle genoeg versoeke van inwoners ontvang. Na raming is daar nou meer as 80 aangewese speelstrate in Engeland en Wallis.

In Suid-Afrika moet ons dalk 'n ander roete volg. Begin om met jou bure te praat en organiseer 'n motorvrye sone in jou straat vir sekere ure van die dag totdat ons plaaslike owerhede aan boord kan kry. Dit sal die kinders in staat stel om sokker te speel en fiets te ry sonder die vrees dat hulle omgery kan word.

Van motors gepraat: onthou om gereeld breuke te neem wanneer julle gesin op die langpad is. Stop by 'n park of rusarea om jou kinders 'n bietjie te laat beweeg. Indien jy ‘n baba het, gee jou kind 'n breek uit die stootwaentjie of stoeltjie, en laat hom toe om vrylik rond te loop of te kruip. Parkeer ook 'n entjie verder weg van die winkels en gebruik die trappe in plaas van die hysbak. Hierdie strategieë sal alles help om meer deur die dag te beweeg.

Laaste maar nie die minste nie: TV, slimfone en rekenaarspeletjies is miskien gewild onder kinders, maar dit veroorsaak dat hulle vir lang tye sit en uiteindelik uitmis op die voordele van beweging. Ongeag hoe aktief kinders kan wees, is dit steeds belangrik om skermtyd te beperk. Die American Academy of Pediatrics het riglyne gegee wat skermtyd betref.

Vir kinders van 2 tot 5 jaar moet skermtyd beperk word tot minder as een uur per dag. Kinders jonger as 2 jaar moet geensins aan skermtyd blootgestel word nie a.g.v. die negatiewe invloed wat dit op hulle breinontwikkeling het.  Twee ure skermtyd per dag is ‘n goeie riglyn vir kinders wat ouer as 5 jaar oud is.

As jy 'n kleuterskool of skool het, maak seker dat jy daagliks die fisieke aktiwiteite van die EduMove program by jou skool prioritiseer. In vandag se haastige lewe moet stimulasie en oefening doelbewus gedoen word, nie net per ongeluk nie. Daarom moet ons doelbewus beplan om aktief en gesond te word. Ons moet dit een van ons lewenslange doelwitte maak.

Motoriese ontwikkeling

Daar is geen twyfel oor die belangrikheid van motoriese ontwikkeling nie. Benewens die feit dat dit 'n kritieke deel vorm van 'n kind wat suksesvol beweeg, word daar ook algemeen geglo dat dit die basis vorm vir perseptuele en kognitiewe funksies. Maar wat presies is motoriese ontwikkeling?  Voordat ons motoriese ontwikkeling kan verstaan, moet ons eers vinnig na mylpale kyk.

Daar is 'n verskeidenheid ontwikkelingsgrafieke beskikbaar in ouerskap- en opvoedkundige materiaal. Die meeste van hierdie grafieke lys 'n reeks ontwikkelingsfases en gee ‘n ouderdom waartydens 'n kind 'n sekere taak moet kan uitvoer. Hierdie ontwikkelingsmylpale kan dien as riglyne om te weet of die ontwikkeling van 'n kind min of meer op standard is.

Dit is egter baie belangrik om twee aspekte in gedagte te hou wanneer daar na kinderontwikkelingsgrafieke gekyk word. Eerstens is elke kind uniek. Elke kind sal dus deur die ontwikkelingsfases beweeg teen 'n tempo wat vir hom reg is. Die tweede aspek om te onthou is dat die "volgorde van ontwikkeling" belangriker is as die fisiese ouderdom van die kind.

Die volgorde van 'n kind se motoriese ontwikkeling kan rofweg in 3 stadiums van beweging verdeel word. Die eerste fase is wanneer die kind albei arms (en later albei bene) saam gebruik. Die tweede fase kan gesien word wanneer die arm en been aan dieselfde kant van die liggaam saam gebruik word om 'n taak uit te voer.

Die laaste fase is wanneer die kind die teenoorgestelde arm en been gebruik om rond te beweeg. Dit lyk asof sommige kinders op 'n stadium gevries is, wat dit vir hulle moeilik maak om moeiliker take te verrig wat koördinasie benodig.

As ons na die volgorde van motoriese ontwikkeling kyk, ontwikkel die baba eers van die kop af, dan na die tone. So leer 'n baba eers om sy kopbeweging te beheer, dan later sy romp, en uiteindelik sy bene. 'n Baba ontwikkel ook "van binne na buite". Dit beteken dat hy eers rompbeheer sal ontwikkel voordat hy leer om bewegings wat deur sy hande, vingers, voete en tone gemaak word, te beheer.

Groot spiere van die skouers, arms en bene word verder gebruik voordat klein spiere in die vingers en polse effektief kan werk. Dit beteken dat groot motoriese ontwikkeling fyn motoriese ontwikkeling voorafgaan.

Noudat jy die basiese beginsels van motoriese ontwikkeling beter verstaan, kan jy kyk na die 3 belangrikste kategorieë van motoriese vaardighede wat jou kind se motoriese ontwikkeling betref:

• Stabiliteitsvaardighede

• Lokomotoriese vaardighede

• Objekmanipulasie en koördinasievaardighede

Hierdie vaardighede word in alle fases van motoriese ontwikkeling waargeneem - van geboorte tot volwassenheid.

Stabiliteitsvaardighede

Stabiliteit is nodig vir alle lokomotoriese en balvaardighede. In wese sluit alle bewegings 'n element van stabiliteit in. Stabiliteitsvaardighede is gefokus op die handhawing van balans.

Jou kind soek voortdurend stabiliteit deur die dag. Dit beteken hy moet sensitief wees vir hoe sy liggaamshouding verander, en dan moet hy die nodige veranderinge kan aanbring om weer stabiel te wees. Stabiliteitsvaardighede by 'n baba kan waargeneem word deur die feit dat hy sy nek, kop en romp beheer terwyl hy sit en staan.

Stabiliteitsvaardighede by kinders sluit in:

• Statiese balans (handhawing van die liggaam in dieselfde postuur/posisie)

• Dinamiese balans (handhaaf postuurstabiliteit terwyl die liggaam beweeg)

• Draai

• Swaai

• Strek

• Gewigsverplasing

Hierdie stabiliteitsvaardighede word gedurende die kinderjare verfyn totdat 'n kind die sportspesialisasiefase van motoriese ontwikkeling bereik. Statiese balans is een van die belangrikste stabiliteitsvaardighede. Om jou kind te help om statiese balans te ontwikkel, vra jou kind die volgende:

Kan jy balanseer….?

• soos 'n naaldekoker op 'n blaar

• met oop/toe oë

• terwyl jy jou arms swaai soos 'n helikopter wat probeer opstyg

• terwyl jy op jou tone loop soos 'n flamink

• op drie verskillende dele van jou liggaam

• op 'n lae stoel

• deur op die een voet te staan met die ander voet op 'n sokkerbal

Lokomotoriese vaardighede by kinders

Lokomotoriese vaardighede is wanneer jy van een plek na 'n ander beweeg. Baie lokomotoriese vaardighede word daagliks gebruik (byvoorbeeld om agter 'n bus aan te hardloop of oor 'n plas water te spring). Lokomotoriese vaardighede word ook in speletjies en sport toegepas (bv. om op te spring om 'n bal te vang).

Om met beheer te beweeg, moet jou kind ‘n goeie balans sowel as 'n bewustheid van die omgewing hê. Hy sal ook moet weet waar sy liggaam is in verhouding tot ander mense of voorwerpe.

• Lokomotoriese vaardighede sluit in (en is gelys van maklik na moeilik):

• Loop

• Hardloop

• Spring (vanaf 'n hoogte, spring vir hoogte, spring vir afstand)

• Glypasse

• Gallop

• Hop

• Huppel

Terwyl kinders die verskillende lokomotoriese vaardighede op hul eie tempo aanleer, sal die meeste kinders op ongeveer een jaar oud leer loop en dan op ongeveer tweejarige ouderdom na hardloop en spring beweeg. Vanaf ongeveer drie jaar begin hulle gly, gallop, spring en huppel. Om hierdie vaardighede te bemeester, benodig kinders op 'n vroeë ouderdom instruksies en baie geleenthede om dit te oefen ... Hoe meer sukses hulle ervaar, hoe meer sal hulle dit geniet!

Hardloop is een van die mees basiese bewegingsvaardighede wat in ons alledaagse lewe vereis word. Dit is ook 'n grondslagvaardigheid wat in baie dinamiese aktiwiteite, speletjies en sport vereis word (bv. “tag”-speletjies”, atletiek, hokkie en rugby). Om jou kind te help om goeie hardloopvaardighede te ontwikkel, vra jou kind die volgende: Kan jy ...... hardloop?

• swaar soos 'n olifant

• snaaks soos 'n nar

• in 'n vinnig-stadig-vinnige ritme

• op die plek soos 'n muis op die wiel

• langs die buitelyne van 'n groot 8-figuur op die vloer

• terwyl jy opreik na die wolke

• terwyl jy iemand anders se hande houvas

Jy kan bogenoemde voorstelle neem en dit ook kombineer om meer prettige, snaakse idees te kry!

Objekmanipulasie en koördinasievaardighede by kinders

Hierdie vaardighede vereis dat jou kind 'n voorwerp beheer – met sy eie liggaam of met behulp van toerusting soos 'n kolf. Daar is twee tipes manipulasie vaardighede:

• dryfvaardighede (om 'n voorwerp weg van jou liggaam af te stuur, bv. gooi, skop ‘n bal)

• ontvangvaardighede (die ontvangs van 'n voorwerp, bv die vang van ‘n bal)

Objekmanipulasie en koordinasievaardighede sluit in:

• Gooi

• Onderarm rol

• Onderarm gooi

• Oorarm gooi

• Vang

• Skop

• Dribbel bal met voet

• Bons

• Dribbel bal met hand

Vang is 'n belangrike vaardigheid in die meeste balspeletjies, maar dit is uitdagend vir baie jong kinders, aangesien die kind nie in beheer is van die spoed van die aankomende voorwerp nie. Die kind moet die voorwerp dophou (sy oog daarop hou) en sy liggaam en hande in reaksie beweeg voordat hy dit kan vang.

Om ‘n jong kind te leer om ‘n bal te vang, begin met voorwerpe wat helder, lig en stadig beweeg (bv. ‘n serp, opgestopte speeding of ballon). Jong kinders is geneig om instinktief hul gesigte weg te draai of hul oë toe te maak om te verhoed dat hulle getref word. Angstige kinders (van enige ouderdom) doen dit ook soms aangesien hulle verkies om eerder 'n voorwerp weg te gooi van hulle liggame af eerder as om 'n voorwerp in hul persoonlike ruimte te ontvang.

Om jou kind te help om goeie manipulasievaardighede te ontwikkel, vra jou kind die volgende: Kan jy 'n bal onder hand of oorhand gooi ......?

• sover as moontlik

• met jou dominante hand, dan jou nie-dominante hand

• opwaarts, agtertoe of sywaarts

• sodat dit soos 'n reënboog in die lug trek

• tussen lyne of binne 'n hula hoepel

• sodat dit nie bons voordat dit aan 'n muur raak nie

• sodat dit eers 'n muur tref en dan op die vloer bons voordat dit weer gevang word

Slot

Noudat jy meer weet oor motoriese ontwikkeling, sal dit goed wees om na algemene faktore te kyk wat kinders kan weerhou om beweging te geniet en aktief te wees. Om hierdie rede sal ons volgende artikel fokus op hipermobiliteit (“double-jointedness”). Ons sal breedvoerig oor hipermobiliteit gesels, die tekens en simptome daarvan en wat jy kan doen om 'n kind met lakse ligamente te help. Tot dan, gelukkige bewegingsoomblikke saam met jou kind!