Sensory-motor development during early childhood refers to the growth and refinement of a child’s sensory and motor skills, which are essential for exploring and understanding the world around them. This stage of development, as defined by Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, typically spans from birth to around 2 years of age.
Developmental aspects directly and indirectly related to sensory-motor development during early childhood:
1. Sensory Exploration: Infants are born with basic sensory abilities, such as hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and touching. During early childhood, they refine these senses and learn to discriminate between different sensory stimuli. They become more aware of their surroundings and begin to focus on specific objects, sounds, and tastes.
2. Object Permanence: Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. In the early months, infants believe that when an object is not visible, it ceases to exist. However, during early childhood (around 8-12 months), they begin to develop a sense of object permanence, which is a crucial cognitive milestone.
3. Motor Development: Early childhood is marked by significant motor development. Babies start with basic reflexes, like sucking and grasping, and gradually develop more intentional motor skills. They learn to roll over, sit up, crawl, stand, and eventually walk. Fine motor skills also improve, allowing them to grasp and manipulate objects with increasing precision.
4. Exploration and Play: Sensory-motor development is closely linked to exploration and play. Infants and toddlers explore their environment through sensory experiences, such as touching, shaking, tasting, and smelling objects. Play, especially play that involves physical movement and interaction with objects, is essential for developing sensory and motor skills.
5. Social Interaction: Social interaction with caregivers and other children plays a crucial role in sensory-motor development. Through interactions with adults and peers, children learn about cause and effect, imitate others, and develop basic communication skills.
6. Communication: Although language development is not the primary focus of sensory-motor development, early childhood is when infants begin to communicate non-verbally. They may use gestures, facial expressions, and babbling sounds to express their needs and emotions.
Overall, sensory-motor development during early childhood is a dynamic process that involves the integration of sensory input with motor responses. It forms the foundation for higher-level cognitive and motor skills that children will continue to develop as they grow and explore their world.
Motor milestones from birth up to age 6:
Birth to 1 Year:
- Infants gradually gain control of their head and neck muscles, allowing them to lift and turn their heads.
- They start to roll over from their back to their stomach and vice versa.
- By around 6 months, they can sit up with support and, later, independently.
- Babies begin to crawl on their hands and knees or scoot on their bellies.
- At about 9-12 months, some infants may pull themselves up to stand, often using furniture for support.
1 to 3 Years:
- Toddlers become more proficient in walking and may take their first independent steps around 12-15 months.
- They develop the ability to run, jump, and climb stairs with assistance.
- Fine motor skills improve, allowing them to stack blocks, hold and use utensils, and turn the pages of a book.
- They start to show hand dominance (left or right hand preference).
3 to 6 Years:
- Children refine their gross motor skills, becoming more coordinated in activities like running, jumping, skipping, and hopping.
- They can pedal a tricycle and may learn to ride a bicycle with training wheels.
- Fine motor skills continue to develop, enabling activities such as coloring, drawing, and writing.
- They become more proficient at using scissors and building with small objects like Lego blocks.
- By age 6, most children can tie their shoelaces, button and unbutton clothing, and use utensils independently.
It’s important to note that these milestones are general guidelines, and individual children may reach them at slightly different times. Motor development is influenced by factors such as genetics, environmental opportunities for physical activity, and individual variation in growth rates. Parents and caregivers should provide opportunities for physical play and exploration to support healthy motor development in children.
