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The co-ordination of muscular movements develops
when spontaneous movements develop, and their precision is one index of
the child's developmental level. The following are the generally
accepted norms for motor co-ordination in the first year :—
At birth.—Reflex grasp very marked. The infant can be lifted as he
closes his fingers round those of the adult.
4 months.—When presented with a small cube brick he can seldom make
contact.
6 months.—He can make a primitive kind of squeeze ; can clutch at a
dangling ring with both hands as he lies on his back.
7 months.—He can make a clumsy grasp of the cube ; can hold two cubes,
one in each hand, for a moment.
8 months.—He grasps with the palm of his hand.
9 months.—He will try to put a block into a hole in
a board.
1 year.—He can grasp with his fingers ; can hold a cup to drink from.
1 year +.—He can oppose his thumb to his finger in grasping, and can
pick up a pellet ; he can build a tower of two bricks.
It is noticeable that skill develops from the large
bodily movements to the finer and more delicate movements. The large
muscles develop earlier than the small muscles. Also flexor or bending
movements are easier than extensor or stretching movements, as the
former approximate more closely to the pre-natal position in the
uterus, when the knees are bent up and the arms are flexed on the
chest.
Five months marks an important stage of development. During the first
four months the baby explores objects at first by his hands and then by
his mouth, while his eyes look and watch more and more eagerly. But
what is seen does not seem to be connected with what is felt. Moreover
at this early period the eyes do not always co-ordinate. Synthesis
takes place at about five months. Eyes and hands co-ordinate ; what is
seen is recognized to be the same as what is felt ; the eyes follow the
hands, and the hands reach out for what is seen with greater precision
; then the object is grasped and usually conveyed to the mouth. This
perceptual-motor development coincides with a marked development in
social perception and recognition which will be referred to later.
Gross Motor
Development
General development can also
be judged to some extent by gross motor development. The following are
the usually recognized milestones of such development :-
1 month.—Can lift his head now and then.
2 months.—Waves his arms about when lying on his back. 3.6 months.—Can
hold his head steady.
5 months.—Sits with slight support.
6.2 months.—Can sit alone for thirty seconds.
7 months.—Can roll from back to stomach.
7.5 months.—Can sit alone steadily.
10.5 months.—Can pull himself to a standing position. 13 months.—Can
walk alone.
It is important to stress that such norms must not be taken too
literally. They need to be qualified according to the particular
circumstances of the individual child's growth. If the child has
suffered a number of illnesses in early infancy, his general physical
development will be retarded. Very heavy children also tend to walk
late. Children brought up in an institution tend to be handicapped in
gross motor development as in most other aspects of development,
because of insufficient opportunity, stimulation, space or materials to
try out maturing abilities.
It is important to consider
the practical applications of a knowledge of normal development. In
general, children develop best if they are encouraged to make use of
their maturing abilities at what is called the " crucial period," that
is, when the function is just beginning to mature. A child needs
adequate stimulation from his environment. The best " play occupation "
for the tiny baby is to lie supported in his pram shielded from too
keen a wind and too strong a sun, but with opportunity to look and
listen to all the exciting " events " of his immediate environment —the
wind rustling the trees, the interplay of sun and shadow, the barking
of dogs, the clucking of hens, the chatter of children, the bustle of
people going to and fro—all these varied stimuli may impinge on the
baby's newly awakening senses. A few toys are needed as he grows
older—a rubber toy for the bath, a string of bright but fast-colored
beads, a bell, a few bricks or hollow boxes, a spoon, a powder tin with
rounded ends, a cuddly toy and a large ball. The three guiding
principles in the selection of toys for the first year should be (1)
everything must be suitable for sucking, (2) toys should be small
enough to hold but not small enough to swallow, and (3) they should be
calculated to help the child to develop his maturing senses of touch,
sight and hearing, and so his perception of distance, size, shape and
sound.
One can best encourage a child to learn to walk by letting him kick
freely in his bath, and by letting him pull himself up by the side of
his cot or play-pen. He will be discouraged and learn slowly if floors
or his shoes are too slippery and if he meets with many tumbles. A toy
may be put at the far end of the room and he can be encouraged to try
to crawl or walk towards it. Sometimes reins or a horse on wheels will
help him to gain confidence in his own muscles.
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