What are the Steps of Motor Development?

1. Prenatal period

The motor that are seen during prenatal period turning over side, throwing of the limit bending the body, etc

2. Motor development after Birth

After birth infant does three main activities in the region of head:

(a) Eye movement

(b) Smiling

(c) Holding of hands

Let us study the major motor development of the child during the age of months to 3 years.

(а) Eye movement

According Gassel child shows reaction towards objects after 12 hrs of his birth. He control over his eye movements after months of age.

(b) Smiling.

It is a natural activity found in the child since birth though this is not a social smile.

(c) Holding of head. In the baby can’t hold his head but after two months he can hold his head for a short while and raise Holding of head his chest when lying on his abdomen.

After 3rd month, the child cans hoi head for a longer period.

(d) Hand skills. During 3rd month, tries to catch the objects but cannot do so due to lack of coordination between eye muscles and hand muscles.

4-6 months

(a) Sitting

Four and a half to five months-old child can sit with the support, while six months- old child can sit without support. Seven months-old child can get up and sit without anybody’s help.

(b) Hand skills

5 to 6 months-old child can grasp objects, can hold his bottle but soon drops it. He responds to colourful objects. He tries to hold his mom’s bind or spectacles but cannot open his own fingers to give away the object. He tries of reach out to toys and other objects by pushing his whole body towards them. This is the starting of another skill, i.e., ‘crawling’.

7-9 months

(a) Crawling

Six to seven months-old baby tries to crawl. He puts forward his one leg, and then his other leg maintains the balance of his body. Meanwhile he pushes forward his body with the help of both of his palms and arms firmly on the ground. The whole body participates in this activity. 8 to 10 months- old baby can easily crawl with the help of his legs and arms while holding back the abdomen.

(b) Standing

Baby at the age of 7-8 months can stand with the support of some object or both the hands held by someone. 9 months- old baby can stand without support.

(c) Walking

From 9 month, baby can walk few steps without support individual differences in walking are always there. Some babies walk at 9-10 months, some at 12-14 months. This depends on their health and heredity. In the beginning, the baby cannot walk straight as he is not able to balance properly. After 3 or 4 steps he falls.

(d) Hand skills

7 to 8 months-old baby can transfer an object from one hand to another. The baby can hold milk bottle by using both his hands. A special feature of this age is that the baby learns to use his index finger and thumb.

He picks up small objects with them. Baby can pick peas or chips from his finger and thumb and eat them with ease. He can hold a spoon and tries to eat with it. In this age, specific motor development starts taking place rapidly and his muscles gain strength to coordinate.

10-12 months

The baby masters the newly acquired skills of legs and hands. He is able to eat independently. He stands without support and able to walk without falling.

1-2 years walking

(a) Climbing stairs

The baby starts climbing stairs at the age of 13 to 14 months.

The baby uses his hands and legs both in climbing stairs but is unable to descend from them. Around 2 years of age, baby is able to climb and descend the stairs step by climbing stairs step.

(b) Running and jumping

2 years-old baby can jump, run and play easily. He can jump from higher to lower level with ease.

(c) Hand skills

Now the child can manipulate his toys with one hand only. He can throw a ball or a thing but cannot catch a ball. His muscular coordination increases day by day. Baby continuously explores his environment.

Motor development of a two years-old baby makes him capable of doing many new things:

· Drinking water by holding the glass without spilling it

· Feeding himself with a spoon

· Making blocks

· Playing with ball

2-3 years

Motor development of the child at this stage is more specific and deals with finer skills. The child now performs the following activities:

(i) Holding of pencil.

(ii) Drawing of lines.

(iii) Dancing on music.

(iv) Combing of hair.

(v) Handling tricycle.

(vi) Opening and shutting of boxes.

(vii) Helping mother in dressing up, pulling up and down his clothes.

(viii) Putting on his shoes.

(ix) Better grip due to strength in muscles.