Question

What is the difference between gross and fine motor skills? What are some of the major developmental milestones that occur in the preschool years? What types of activities can help a child to develop their gross and fine motor skills?( Child and Adolescent Development) Must be at least 350 words and PLEASE CITE ALL REFERENCES

Answer 1

Motor skills are the different kinds of motions that are carried out when the nervous system, brain, and muscles work together (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2013). The development of these motor skills involves a progressive change that occurs throughout the lifespan, and the change is sequential and age appropriate. Motor skills are broadly divided into two parts viz. fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills involve the control and coordination of the hands, wrists, and fingers in performing a task with accuracy. This skill comprises of small movements such as holding a spoon, licking a candy, holding a toy and so on. Whereas, gross motor skills involve using large muscles such as torso, arms, and legs during the course of movement (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2013). It comprises of larger movements such as sitting, rolling over, getting on a bike and so on.

During the pre-school, children go through tremendous changes in physical, social, emotional and cognitively. However, each individual has their own pace of development and there is no specific day that a change will occur. Here are the major milestones during pre-school:

1. Physical: They slowly learn to stand, their tooth is in, improve fine motor skills, most toilet trained, clumsily throwing things, restless, and so on.
2. Cognitive: Learning meanings, ego centric, primitive drawing, poor understanding of time, have a sharp memory, and so in.
3. Social: Have the need to please elders, playing and developing fine and gross motor skills, and developed a little conscience, and so on.
4. Emotional: Gratification improves, understand what is right and wrong, evaluate own self by what others tell them, curious and self-directed, and so on (University of Pittsburgh).

Engaging in activities can help in improving fine and gross motor activities. For instance, outdoor games like running, biking, and so on can improve the gross motor skills of the child. Whereas, indoor activities like playing chess, video games can help in the improvement of the fine motor skills. Children must be encouraged to engage in activities that they like, which will help them in developing motor skills.

Reference

Ministry of Education Singapore. (2013). Nurturing early learners a curriculum for kindergartens in Singapore: Motor Skills Development. Singapore: Ministry of Education.

University of Pittsburgh. (n.d.). Developmental Milestones 3-5 years. Retrieved 11 24, 2017, from Office of child development: http://www.ocd.pitt.edu/Files/PDF/Foster/27758_ocd_DM_3-5.pdf