Motor Skills.docx

Motor skills, Principle and Application Motor skills are movements and actions of the muscles. Typically, they are categorized into two groups: gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are involved in movement and coordination of the arms, legs, and other large body parts and movements. They participate in actions such as running, crawling, swimming, etc. Fine motor skills are involved in smaller movements that occur in the wrists, hands, fingers, and the feet and toes. They participate in smaller actions such as picking up objects between the thumb and finger, writing carefully, and even blinking. These two motor skills work together to provide coordination. PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING MOTOR SKILLS 1. PRINCIPLE OF INTEREST • a student's attitude toward learning a skill determines for the most part the amount and kind of learning that takes place. 2. Principle of Practice • practicing the motor skill correctly is essential for learning to take place. 3. Principle of Distributed Practice • in general short periods of intense practice will result in more learning than longer, massed practice sessions. 4. Principle of Skill Specificity • a student's ability to perform one motor skill effectively is independent of his/her ability to perform other motor skills. 5. Principle of Whole-Part Learning. • the complexity of the skill to be learned and the leaner's ability determine whether it is more efficient to teach the whole skil or break the skill into component parts. 6. Principle of Transfer • the more indentical two tasks are the greater the possibility that positive transfer will occur. Practice conditions should match the conditions in which the motor skill is going to be used. 7. Principle of Skill Improvement • the development of motor skills progresses along a continuum from least mature to most mature. The rate of progression and the amount of progress within an individual depends upon the interaction of nature and nurture. 8. Principle of Feedback • practice aids in learning. Variable practice causes an increase in attention. Types of motor skills - Motor skills are movements and actions of the muscles. Typically, they are categorized into two groups: gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills are involved in movement and coordination of the arms, legs, and other large body parts and movements. -Gross motor skill requires the use of large muscle groups to perform tasks like walking, balancing, crawling. The skill required is not extensive and therefore are usually associated with continuous tasks. Much of the development of these skills occurs during

early childhood. The performance level of gross motor skill remains unchanged after periods of non-use. -Fine motor skill requires the use of smaller muscle groups to perform tasks that are precise in nature. Activities like playing the piano and playing video games are examples of using fine motor skills. Generally, there is a retention loss of fine motor skills over a period of non-use. Discrete tasks usually require more fine motor skill than gross motor skills. Examples of gross motor skills ; 1. Running

2. Swimming

3. Climbing

4. Walking

5. Jumping

6. Dancing

7. Crawling

8. Punching

9. Kicking

10. Cartwheeling

Furthermore, a motor skill is a function, which involves the precise movement of muscles with the intent to perform a specific act. Most purposeful movement requires the ability to "feel" or sense what one's muscles are doing as they perform the act. Motor difficulties occur when an individual lacks the ability to move in the way he or she originally intended. This can have a significant effect on classroom performance and motivation in school. Motor difficulties can be addressed in variety of ways. Some motor skills difficulties can be overcome through development and maturity. In education, a frequent response to motor difficulties is to refer the child to special education services. This is not always necessary or appropriate. Some students just need to be taught a simple activity or strategy,Qwhich they practice to remedy the problem. Others, whose difficulty is more involved, may require the intervention of a professional in special education.

Why are we seeing more children with motor skill difficulties today? Numerous students in every classroom across the country, these days, experience difficulty writing, lose their place on a page, skip math problems, and have trouble paying attention. Many students lack the development and training of the muscles needed for fine and gross motor skills important for a successful classroom experience. Frequently, children hide their difficulties by becoming "class clowns" or "trouble makers" because they are embarrassed. Sometimes t