Introduction
Understanding how children develop at different developmental milestones is crucial. It will help correctly assess children’s abilities at the appropriate stage of life and balanced growth. At each level of a child’s development, the key parameters are such indicators as visual and auditory reactions and emotional reactions. Moreover, monitoring motor skills, hand motility, speech development, and the acquisition of various skills and abilities are essential. Therefore, one needs to analyze growth stages and identify the appropriate exercises for each milestone of a child’s development for a harmonious extension.
Discussion
Children grow at different paces depending on the age period in their lives. Considering a period from birth to twelfth months, then the stages of development of newborns are calculated in days and weeks. An important distinguishing feature of this stage is the active development of auditory and visual perception compared to motor perception (Shelhav, 2019). From the first to sixth months, there are significant changes in the evolution of the visual and auditory perception of the world, the toddler’s emotional reactions, and motor functions (Kaywork, 2019). A child learns to recognize parents, show joy, and perform the first directed movements.
For this period, the skill of turning from the back to the stomach will be essential since it is the basis of sitting, crawling, and walking. Exercises are recommended to strengthen the back, neck, and abdomen muscles and prepare them for new movements for babies from 3 months old. One of the most effective activities will be the “bicycle”, namely the alternate flexion and extension of the child’s legs. By developing and strengthening the muscles involved, namely the legs and back, the foundation will be laid for a more harmonious and efficient development (Oswald, n.d.). As a result, a child will more easily and quickly roll over on one’s stomach, contributing to more efficient physical evolution. The developmental milestone that this activity supports is a stage of motor coordination. The exercise promotes physical development for this age group by strengthening and preparing the muscles and ligaments needed for rolling, crawling, and walking.
The following critical stage of development begins between the years of two and four, as growth becomes more rapid, and it is crucial to choose the right exercises. During this period, a child can perceive short stories of adults without pictures and speak in three-word sentences, using pronouns and definitions (Shelhav, 2019). Moreover, a child can perform one-step over obstacles at a normal pace, distinguish several colors, and can partially dress without assistance. At three years old, a child usually asks difficult questions, and role-playing elements appear in games. One uses different household items and napkins for their intended purpose without prompting, sculpts simple crafts, and draws simple drawings, naming the subject of creativity.
For this period, it is important not only to develop physical indicators such as muscles, posture, lumps, and others. One needs to pay attention to developing motor skills in the hands, fingers, and arms. It is due to the fact that the centers of the cerebral cortex responsible for fine motor skills are adjacent and closely interconnected with the centers responsible for the development of other areas. By activating the fine motor zone, one naturally influences the neighboring ones.
For this, sculpting various figures from plasticine or dough will be a practical activity. A developmental milestone that supports the use of this activity is formulated not only by motor coordination but also by cognitive. The reason lies in the fact that this task can be applied to train memory and imagination by telling a child to remember a specific figure and asking them to reproduce it from plasticine. The activity supports physical development for that age group by working on fine motor skills, contributing to overall growth.
Finally, the third activity will be useful for the development stage from 5 years. At this level, the general development of motor skills is necessary, namely the motility training of the whole organism (Shelhav, 2019). It implies the timely mastery, coordination, and training of all the muscles of the body. Gross motor skills are responsible for the coordinated movements of the whole body, namely walking, crawling, and running. Motor development is closely related to the development of the child’s brain, being an indicator of the formation of the central nervous system.
This activity includes a complex of various tasks based on design. For this, paper, plastic constructors, metal constructors with the use of screws, wooden structures with fastening, and others can be utilized. Creating various figures from paper effectively develops fine motor skills, and designers help to train handwork and logical thinking. Developmental milestones that support the use of this activity include cognitive, motor skills, and coordination. The activity promotes physical development for that age group by developing not only fine motor skills but also the strength of the hands and fingers when tightening the screws or folding the designer.
Conclusion
To conclude, interesting tasks and games will help the child master the necessary writing skills and strengthen and develop one’s fingers. It effectively stimulates brain activity, which will favorably affect one’s intellectual abilities. Developed fine motor skills will help form graphic abilities and help future learning success. The most appropriate activities were identified for important periods of a child’s growth, from birth to five years or more.
References
Kaywork, J. (2019). An educator’s guide to infant and toddler development: Understanding and responding appropriately. Routledge.
Oswald, A. (n. d.). Early Childhood Physical Development: Gross and Fine Motor Development. Gracepoint. Web.
Shelhav, C. (2019). Child space: An integrated approach to infant development based on the Feldenkrais method. North Atlantic Books.