The Development of FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS and what it means for young children
By Tan Swee Kheng, PhD. Kinesiologist & Movement Specialist
Children learn, grow, develop, and interact through play and games, and this contributes to their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional growth, in particular, their psychological sense of well-being. However, children must be equipped with the proper Movement skills in order to be able to play effectively also. This is because Movement is a medium through which they experience and explore the many dimensions of their environment. It is also a means for them to acquire life-long skills.
Remember when you were playing a Sport in Primary or Secondary school and there were always a few classmates whom you never wanted in your team? It may not have been intentional. However, can you imagine how it must have felt like to be one of these rejected children? Their "deficiencies" would have made a significant impact on their levels of self-confidence and perception of self-competence.
Often, children who are not well equipped with the proper Movement skills are not able to play effectively with their peers or make friends. They may either be excluded from play and games by/with their peers, or they may choose to withdraw from any form of physical activity. In turn, these children may become socially disadvantaged, which can then have repercussions on their levels of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-perception. Importantly, this can apply to both children with and without special learning needs. Hence, being proficient and skilled in Movement is not only advantageous from an athletic or physical perspective.
Children should be provided with many opportunities to practice the basic fundamental Movement patterns of Running, Jumping, Skipping, Catching, Kicking, Striking, to name but a few. With appropriate guidance, children can become more proficient and skilled "movers".
To elaborate, the levels of proficiency in the performance of basic Movement patterns can vary considerably amongst children of the same age. To see a refinement ("sophistication") in these basic patterns, appropriate and sound guidance must usually be given to help children develop more "mature" patterns.
Between the ages of one to seven years, there are typically three stages, with some overlap, which children will progress through, in the acquisition of a Fundamental Motor Skill. These are: the initial stage, the elementary (or intermediate) stage, and the mature stage (Gallahue, 1996). The progress from one stage to the next is very much dependent on the number and frequency of opportunities for practice, as well as the kinds of activities planned to enhance the learning of the Movement pattern(s).
Children who are better able to learn specialized Movement skills will become better players in a given sport or activity. So, for instance, a child who has an elementary throw is likely to be picked out as a better (even, good) player by his baseball coach, than a classmate who is still struggling with an initial kind of throwing pattern. Similarly, a child who can run and kick competently with ease has a much better chance of excelling on the soccer-field (and possibly being socially more recognized for this ability), than a child who cannot.
In short therefore, the development of Fundamental Movement Skills is important during the early childhood years. And this is similar to academic learning where the right foundation for an understanding of Numbers, for instance, will enable the child to progress on to higher levels of comprehension in abstract Mathematics, such that he/she can attempt more difficult and complex questions and problems with time.
It may be logical to think that the older we get, the more proficient and skilled we become in our Movements. However, this is true only to a certain extent. The development of Fundamental Movement Skills is related to age (that is, the older you are, the more proficient and skilled you usually would be than when you were younger). However, the development of Movement Skills is not dependent on age (meaning, an older individual may not necessarily be a better "mover" than someone who is younger). One need only think of a young Tiger Woods in his hey-day, in comparison to a middle-aged office executive who merely engages in the sport for "fun" or as a "hobby".
As a final point, it is also important to assess if children are developing appropriately in their Movement skills for their given age, as this may not always be the case. There are children who may become delayed in their development of these skills, especially when they are not given sufficient opportunities to play, and when practice is not properly facilitated.
Through Movement and Play, a child can grow and learn to develop their full spectrum of potential. With the right opportunities, children develop Movement control, and master their co-ordination and social skills. All for the better, I might add, as they interact with people and the environment, move around, and acquire the life-skills necessary to have a full and satisfying future.
Reference:
Gallahue D. (1996) Developmental Physical Education for Today’s Children. 3rd Ed. Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark.
|
How developed are your child’s Fundamental Movement Skills?
If you have found the information in this article useful, please pass it on to your friends.
For more information on the Bright Starts Programme for ages 2-4yo, please visit our website at www.weecare.com.sg.