Higher Tier Students    

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Large Motor Development

This area involves the development and coordination of large muscle groups. At birth, an infant usually does not move chest and arms, yet in the first month an infant should lift its head from a lying down position. At about 3 months, the child should hold its chest up and use its arms for support after being in a lying position. At 3 to 4 months, infants should roll over, and at 4 to 5 months, they should support some weight on their legs. (Getting close to the baby walking thingy)!! Other skills associated with this area are rolling over, holding head up, walking, balance and ascending/descending stairs. The actual month at which the these things occur varies by as much as 2 to 4 months, especially among older children. What remains fairly sure is the order in which they occur. As each skill is learned, so does the level of independence as well.  ''Ooooo! me legs are all wobbly gimme me baby walker" (almost, somebody my age needs a similar contraption called a Zimmer frame).

Hand Eye Co-ordination

This area involves the control of smaller muscles and muscle groups such as hands, fingers, mouth and eyes. Children have hardly any control over fine motor skills at birth, although they have many components of what later become finely coordinated arm, hand, mouth and finger movements. Skills associated with this area involve reaching and grasping, manipulating objects, colouring with a crayon, grasping objects appropriately, following objects with eyes, and later, feeding oneself and being toilet trained. Know what we are talking about now? You are so right, putting things into a shape sorter, spinning stuff, making stuff ring and so on. All those are to do with hand eve co-ordination.