Importance of Gross Motor

Serena Cuoghi
Title of Professor of Biology

Gross motor skills allow us functions such as: 1) control the support and movement of the head; 2) move around the environment walking or running; 3) move the limbs independently or simultaneously; 4) control of the largest muscle groups throughout the body; and 5) the development of more general facial expressions such as smiling, also making it possible to transformation of the sucking reflex towards chewing food in an increasingly more aware.

Having the ability to move through mastery of the different parts of our body, allows us the possibility of conducting ourselves in different ways. forms with respect to the functional needs that circumstances suggest, for this, the control of the musculoskeletal system by Our brain, as well as the bodily flexibility that having articulated limbs gives us, are given the task of giving us motor skills. thick that begins to develop from the very gestation and of which we are assuming greater control in stages during the first years of life.

actions in the environment

Assuming control over the actions of one's own body through the adequate stimulation of gross motor skills, in turn, allows greater body control for the interaction with the environment, since the balance functions are directly linked to the pattern of movement, complementing each other throughout the first stages of growth, being so that already in adolescence there is a greater efficiency in the sense of balance than it was had at five years, with also less clumsiness in more complex coordination movements and an increase in their speed, such as what is required to dance, dodge obstacles or practicing sports with balls, efficiently and with a notable reduction in the risks of accidents and injuries characteristic of the first year old.

Due to the transcendental need to know how to properly coordinate movements for the person's own integral development, the motor stimulus received throughout the early stages of life becomes a key piece even in the construction of personality and self-esteem, all these reasons for which the generation of a physically stimulating sharing between parents and their children, as well as in school environments, in order to provide children with activities that, in addition to being playful and recreational activities, serve them to fix their attention on their movements, thus achieving encourage greater body control that in turn facilitates the also progressive fine motor control.

personal development

As the development of control over gross motor skills is a functional process that follows a specific pattern oriented from the head to the feet, where stages are evident very marked for the self-control of each one of the parts of the body, the propitious stimuli for its exercise also have a progressive incidence depending on said stages. During the first months, the newborn is barely able to support its head, needing adequate support when being carried in the arms or manipulated for his attention, but as the muscles in his delicate neck strengthen and he begins to control them on his own, we see how their interest in relating to the environment is also increasing, as a sign of the existing parity between the development of physical and cognitive control, quality that allows the early detection of possible signs of deficient development that suggest the existence of some functional organic condition, such as in the case of cerebral palsy, mental retardation or self-control difficulties, typical of autism or attention deficit disorder, with or no hyperactivity

Similarly, the link between the early stages of gross motor development and the normal desire to interact with the environment, through the actions of the crawling and later walking, as well as the search for contact and manipulation of nearby objects, are the primary source of the perceptive experiences of the being human, therefore, offering safe spaces, specially conditioned so that the child can freely experience these experiences, will allow him to assume control physical with greater security, which in turn is reflected in the development of a personality that is also much more secure, having a considerable impact on their future level of self-esteem.

Levels and analysis of motor skills

The evaluation of the development of gross motor skills from birth is a competent task in the first instance of the pediatrician, who must provide the appropriate advice to new parents on the development of the various functions according to age, so that they can ensure their adequate stimulation, while being alert before any possible sign that requires a more in-depth evaluation to rule out or confirm an anomaly, but in general, motor development started during the first year of life it is oriented towards full control of head mobility and opening and closing of the hands, with a basic ability to hold lighter objects and putting things in their mouths, crawling and sitting, while by the time they are close to two years old they have started the process of walking and standing by itself, a crucial stage for the consolidation of their subsequent ability to interact safely with the environment and learn to fall doing the least damage possible.

References

Alburqueque Silva, S. EITHER. (2019). Gross motor skills in children of the second childhood.

Castañer, M., & Camerino, O. (2006). Basic manifestations of motor skills. University of Lleida.

Moran, a. m. m. (2017). Development of fine and gross motor skills in childhood. Educational Synergies, 2(2), 10-20.

Valles, G. AND. J., & Castillo, C. Q. R. (2019). Strengthening gross motor skills in closed spaces. Technological Science and Education Magazine Edwards Deming, 3(2), 1-14.