Child development is a complex process. Unlike "growth," which simply refers to a child's increase in size, development refers to a set of specific milestones of increasingly complex learned skills. Child development is composed of five key elements: gross motor, fine motor, language, cognitive, and social/emotional skills. Gross motor refers to the ability to use large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run, keep balance, and change positions. Fine motor refers to the ability to use your hands to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and do many other things. Language is the ability to speak, use body language and/or gestures, communicate, and understand what others say. Cognition refers to thinking skills: including learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering. Social/Emotional skills involve interacting with others, having relationships with family, friends, and teachers, cooperating, and responding to the feelings of others. A set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range are called Developmental Milestones. Researchers who examine child development identify developmental milestones by observing a large population of children to determine the most common or "average" expectations at each month/year of life.
The questions parents often ask are "how do I know that my child is developing normally?" or "My child did _____. Is that normal? Should I be concerned?" Those are excellent questions to ask! Occupational Therapists specialize in the development of fine motor/visual skills and have an in depth knowledge of how neurological changes affect those skills. If your child has fine motor concerns, then it is likely an Occupational Therapist will be consulted. It is important to note that OTs are trained to understand ALL areas of development and will take a "whole child" approach to therapy by working on all the areas of development. Without further ado, below are a few Developmental Milestone charts. Keep in mind that this is only a guideline. Each child is unique and develops at their own pace.
The questions parents often ask are "how do I know that my child is developing normally?" or "My child did _____. Is that normal? Should I be concerned?" Those are excellent questions to ask! Occupational Therapists specialize in the development of fine motor/visual skills and have an in depth knowledge of how neurological changes affect those skills. If your child has fine motor concerns, then it is likely an Occupational Therapist will be consulted. It is important to note that OTs are trained to understand ALL areas of development and will take a "whole child" approach to therapy by working on all the areas of development. Without further ado, below are a few Developmental Milestone charts. Keep in mind that this is only a guideline. Each child is unique and develops at their own pace.
Activity of the week!
Play-doh People! This activity is great for fine motor strength, body awareness, and sensory exploration! Follow the link below or click on the image to print out the people for free!
http://picklebums.com/2014/01/22/people-play-dough-mats/
Play-doh People! This activity is great for fine motor strength, body awareness, and sensory exploration! Follow the link below or click on the image to print out the people for free!
http://picklebums.com/2014/01/22/people-play-dough-mats/
If you are feeling ambitious a great activity is to make your own play-doh with your child (children). Below is a basic recipe for play-doh. I've added scents like peppermint oil and orange oil to create a multistory experience. If your child reads, then print out the ingredients and directions and go through the recipe with your child. I recommend making your own play-doh because it is non-toxic and relatively harmless if ingested (though I would not recommend it).
Play-doh Recipe
You will need:
Play-doh Recipe
You will need:
- 1 firmly packed cup of flour (or brown rice flour for gluten free)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 Tablespoons oil
- 1 Tablespoons cream of tartar
- Food coloring as desired (2-3 drops)
- Place all ingredients into a medium sized saucepan.
- Stir continuously over a medium heat until the mixture congeals and forms a ball, approximately 3-5 minutes. Continue to turn the ball over on the heat for another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and turn dough out onto a board or bench top.
- Allow to cool completely* and then knead until the dough is smooth. Sprinkle with a little rice flour as you knead if the dough feels at all sticky but be sure to only add a little at a time to prevent your dough drying out.