Appendix G: ECIPs – Physical & Motor

“I’m eight-months-old and I’m pushing myself up on my hands and knees and rocking myself back and forth. My care provider, Ellen, knows that I need many opportunities for tummy time in a space that is safe and inviting so that I can feel motivated to propel myself forward until I am crawling.  She stays nearby encouraging me as I figure out how to use my body to move. I’m excited and happy as she claps and smiles and enthusiastically urges me on. She’s been letting me hold items while she changes my diaper and dresses and undresses me, too. I like grasping the fresh diaper or holding on to a sock that I know I’ll be wearing shortly. I can pick up some of my own food off of my tray if I concentrate on using my thumb and fingers together. When I get the food to my mouth, I clap my hands together just like Ellen does. When she holds me in her lap to read a book, she lets me turn the pages and point to my favorite pictures. When I squirm to get down, she helps me to stand for a minute or two with her hands in mine. I can feel the strength growing in my legs as I support myself. I’m learning to do so many things with my body!”

Early childhood is a time for incredible changes in children’s physical development. In gross motor development, infants begin as non-mobile beings, and in a matter of months, most creep, crawl, stand, and walk. Toddlers develop balance and coordination as they run and jump and climb.  Preschoolers refine their movements and learn to use their large muscles to move with purpose and intent, to catch and throw, and to coordinate as they climb and gallop. Children’s use of the muscles of their hands and fingers (fine motor development) continues to develop as they learn to feed and dress themselves and using drawing, writing, and other tools.

With widespread concerns about obesity among children and more sedentary lifestyles in general, there is agreement that rigorous physical development is essential for children’s overall health. Researchers are finding direct links between how active babies are and how their brain development is affected.

“In infancy, you can see the relationship between a baby’s motor development and the resultant learning. As a baby moves from a lying to a sitting to a creeping and finally to a standing position, his perspective changes, as do his perceptions of the world and its possibilities. The more mobile he becomes, the more he increases his knowledge about himself and the people and things around him, acquiring information through his tactile (touch), kinesthetic (muscular), proprioceptive (body awareness), and vestibular (motion awareness) senses. With each new experience, new neural connections are made.” (Pica 2010, 48)

The expectations that are set out in the Physical and Movement Development Domain of the Early Childhood Indicators of Child Progress (ECIPs) show the ways that children demonstrate physical capabilities at different ages. The indicators in this domain are written in such a way that teachers and providers can know appropriate expectations for young learners and understand how best to support children in their development related to physical development. There is no alignment with the indicators in this domain with the Minnesota Academic Standards for Kindergarten because there is no similar domain in K-12 Standards.

The Physical and Movement Development Domain includes two components:

• Component P1-4 Gross Motor
• Component P5-6 Fine Motor

The subcomponents and indicators identified for the ages of birth through kindergarten entry address the specific expectations across the developmental spectrum.

• For infants, indicators focus on the ways that children that young infants move both involuntarily and with purpose, how they begin to move through space, and how they reach and grasp and use their hands and fingers.
• The indicators for toddlers include how they are beginning to walk, climb, run, and jump, to roll, push, and throw balls, to use their hands and fingers to manipulate books, crayons, blocks, and other items, and to participate in dressing and personal hygiene.
• The indicators for preschoolers focus on how children show their increasing coordination and balance as they walk, run, climb, hop, jump, and gallop, kick, throw, catch, and bounce balls, and use their hands and fingers to manipulate puzzle pieces, to draw and write, and to put on articles of clothing.

The skills and concepts in the Physical and Movement Development Domain are interrelated with children’s development in other domains. There are direct consequences to brain development for infants and ongoing connections to active movement and general health for all children. The physical health of a child is an important component for the optimal development of the whole child and impacts learning, social and emotional well-being, and realization of the child’s full potential.

Working closely with children and their families to advocate for an active, healthy lifestyle leads to supports for the development of children’s gross and fine motor skills in programs and at home.

“By showing children the natural connections between all areas of learning and development and the activities they do at school and at home, [early educators can help] young children see themselves as learners and movers. This requires mutual cooperation and support among teachers, families, and children. After all, it takes a whole village to raise a healthy child.” (Schilling and McOmber 2006, 2)

Resources:

Pica, Rae. 2010. “Babies on the Move.” Young Children. 65, no. 4: 48-50.
Schilling, Tammy and Kelly Anne McOmber. 2006. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. May. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC.

Domain: Physical and Movement Development

Component P1- 4: Gross Motor

Component P5-6: Fine Motor

Source:

https://education.mn.gov/mdeprod/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dDocName=MDE059811&RevisionSelectionMethod=latestReleased&Rendition=primary