Motor Development and Physical Activity
Domain focus
Motor development and physical activity tests the sequence in which movement skills appear, the principles that govern them, and the activity dose needed at different ages.
Core concepts
- Motor development: change in movement behaviour across the lifespan.
- Directional principles: cephalocaudal (head to toe), proximodistal (centre to periphery), gross to fine.
- Stages: reflexive, rudimentary, fundamental (locomotor, stability, manipulative), specialised/sport-specific.
- Fundamental movement skills: running, jumping, hopping, throwing, catching, striking, balancing.
- Physical activity guidelines: children and adolescents need about 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity daily; adults about 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, plus strength work twice weekly.
- Physical literacy: motivation, confidence, competence and knowledge to stay active for life.
Worked example
A 5-year-old cannot catch a small ball reliably but can catch a large balloon. Reasoning: catching develops proximodistal and from gross to fine; the small ball demands finer tracking and hand closure. The correct teaching step is a larger, slower object before a smaller, faster one - not punishment or labelling as uncoordinated.
Traps
- Reversing cephalocaudal and proximodistal.
- Expecting specialised sport skills before fundamental skills are secure.
- Applying adult activity guidelines to children.
- Confusing motor development with physical fitness testing.