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ToddlersWhat We Saw: The teachers and children were playing in the gross-motor (activity) room. One girl noticed a small trampoline, climbed on and began gently jumping. The teacher, noticing that she was a bit frightened, came closer and said, "Do you want to jump? I can help you." The teacher reached out her hands and the child grabbed hold of them. She then began to forcefully jump up and down on the trampoline using her leg muscles. Later, when the teacher was not around, the child crawled back up on the trampoline and began to jump up and down independently. What It Means: Children need time throughout the day to engage in gross motor (large muscle) activities. Toddlers especially are learning new skills in coordination and body control all the time. They often need a bit of support from teachers, like this one, before they eventually feel confident enough to practice a new skill independently. There are many things they can do with a little bit of support that they cannot yet do all alone. In this case the skill was jumping on a trampoline. On other days it might be climbing a ladder, sliding down the slide, or learning to do a forward role. This teacher's skill is evident in the way she avoided intruding too much, giving the child just enough support, and no more. The child gained in both skill and independence. |
Mixed AgesWhat We Saw: The children were learning about yoga. They stretched their bodies by placing their feet apart, extending their arms over their heads and bending to either side. They explored how to do a tree by standing with one foot on their thigh and balancing on the other foot. The teacher reminded them to "inhale and exhale". The children explored doing a waterfall by bending at the waist and stretching their arms down to the floor. While stretching the teacher commented that they should "surrender to gravity". Several children commented that, "it felt good to stretch". The teacher talked about how stretching is good for the body and spine. What It Means: Experiences for children to develop their gross motor skills (large muscle) can take many forms. Introducing children to techniques such as yoga helps to promote life-long healthy habits in maintaining their physical health. Stretching before any kind of sport activity is an important way to prevent injuries. The development of balance and flexibility are important building blocks in forming a foundation for continued success in mastering the many forms of physical expression throughout life. More Large Motor Development Promising Practices |
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