Understanding Motor Skills and Their Importance
We have all heard the term ‘Motor Skills’ in our lives. Understanding what this term implies, however, varies amongst individuals. By coincidence or fate, you have come to the right place to learn all about motor skills and their importance in your child’s development. This article presents a detailed explanation of the concept of motor skills and explains the critical role that they play in the physical and socio-emotional development of a child.
What does the term ‘Motor Skills’ mean?
Motor Skills refers to a person’s ability to make movements of different body muscles, such as when moving their hands, feet, legs, arms, or full-body. Motor skills are further categorized into two subtypes: Fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
Fine motor skills refer to bodily movements for performing more petite, more complex tasks that require precision—for example, moving the lips for talking, moving fingers, toes, tongue, etc.
Gross motor skills refer to movements of the more significant body parts, such as arms, hands, legs, feet, and the torso. We use gross motor skills to perform everyday physical activities, such as walking, running, or swimming.
Be it gross or fine motor skills, both require the muscles and the nervous system to work with cohesion to complete physical tasks. Infants are born with no motor skills at all. They have little or no conscious control over the movement of their body. Motor skills such as the ability to grasp toys develop over time as the baby is exposed to stimuli like touch and sound.
The term motor coordination defines the level of precision with which an individual can complete a physical task. Infants, we can say, have a shallow level of motor coordination. Motor coordination gains maturity by the age of 5-6 years. The table below can be your guide to keep track of your child’s gross and fine motor skills development:
| Age | Gross Motor Skills | Fine Motor Skills |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 month | Trying to hold up their head but failing | Reflexive grasping only |
| 2 months | Able to hold their head up during tummy time | Reflexive grasping only |
| 3 months | Able to hold themselves up using their forearms | Attempting voluntary grasping |
| 4 months | Able to hold their head up when made to sit | Able to hold a toy |
| 5 months | Able to control their head completely | Excelling at voluntary use of hands |
| 6 months | Able to roll themselves over; can stand up with support | Able to grab their own feet |
| 7 months | Able to sit on their own for a short time | Able to put things in their mouth |
| 8 months | Able to sit independently and start to attempt getting into a crawling position | Moving objects between hands |
| 9 months | Start crawling and walking around while taking support from furniture | Able to hold objects using thumb and forefinger |
| 10 months | Mastered crawling, starting to hold things and stand | Learning to point |
| 1 year | Able to stand with no support | Able to release objects deliberately |
| 2 years | Walking and climbing stairs | Twisting doorknobs |
| 5 years | Hop and ride a bike | Dress independently |
Why are motor skills essential?
Besides playing their essential role in performing everyday tasks, such as walking, eating, talking, and moving, motor skills are also linked to children’s social and behavioral development. Motor skills help children move around and interact with peers, fostering social growth and communication.
The development of motor skills is also closely related to cognitive growth, allowing children to explore their surroundings and gain experience that enhances problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.
We can introduce educational toys such as Wooden Building blocks and motor shapes to improve fine motor skills. Outdoor activities like skipping rope and hopscotch can enhance gross motor skills.
