Introduce
Physical development covers a wide range of gross and fine motor skills (outputs) that are made in response to sensory input.
- Gross Motor Skills: the controlling of large body movements that involve large muscle groups, including core stability and posture e.g. crawling, walking, running, jumping, and climbing.
- Fine Motor Skills: Smaller movements involving the hands and fingers, such as grasping, drawing, cutting, and manipulating small objects. refer to physical skills that involve small muscles and hand-eye coordination. Movements are more controlled and precise and often a well-developed pincer grip is needed
Both gross motor skills and fine motor skills are needed for mark making, doing up buttons, creative activities such as dance, self-care tasks such as being able to get dressed or go to the toilet independently.
Within the EYFS, the difference between gross and fine motor skills is stated as follows:
‘Children [should] show control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They [should] move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They [should] handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing’
(DfE 2017a, 8).
Develop
Watch the following video to see the difference between fine motor and gross motor skills:
‘Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults.
By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination which is later linked to early literacy. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and the practise of using small tools, with feedback and support from adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence’
(EYFS)
Val Ganner, (teacher & PE Coordinator) at Ravensbury Primary School in Manchester, has compiled detailed summaries of gross and fine motor skill milestones. These include various practical ideas to support development across different ages and stages.
Watch the team from Ladybird Childcare in Brinnington, discuss how important physical development is in their setting and how they support the development of fine and gross motor skills:
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: The following questions encourage you to explore how best to support children’s development in both gross and fine motor skills:
– What activities and opportunities help babies and children to develop both gross and fine motor skills throughout the day?
– What strategies do you use to observe and assess a child’s motor skill development, and how do you track their progress over time?
– How can you identify children who may need additional support or intervention in developing their motor skills?