social and physical activity.
We all know the importance of recognizing the critical necessities of food and
nourishment to grow physically to the point where a young adolescent can begin to walk and talk.
Otherwise it is impossible for that child to display normal patterns of development that promote
interaction with the environment and healthy growth.
Without movement, without opportunities to play and explore the environment, the child will not
thrive. People sometimes fail to recognize fully the crucial role of motor development and play in the
overall development of children. Only recently have programs in child psychology begun to offer
specific course work and require students to better understand the importance of the role physical
activity and play serve in the development of the child.
From the moment of conception, the beginning structure of the brain in the embryo is the neural
groove. This allows the development of the cerebral cortex, which we commonly recognize when we
see a picture of the brain. Note that the first closing along this neural groove is the area that will
ultimately develop into the motor cortex. From the earliest period of neural development, it is the
motor cortex that leads the way and provides us with an evolutionary perspective that would suggest
that movement would be the primary vehicle of discovery for the developing child.
A child is born with a series of basic reflexes and is entirely dependent on others for nutrition and
sustenance. In a relatively short period of time, assuming normal nutrition and weight gain, the child
quickly develops the capability to move around the environment and begins developing a repertoire of
simple motor skills. These skills allow the child to discover the world with its perceptual systems; the
sensations of smell, touch, sound, and sight. Before long the child reaches a critical point in physical
development, moving from a crawling position to maintaining upright posture. From here on, there is
a veritable explosion of motor activity, as walking, and then running follows the acquisition of control
of upright posture. From this point movement enhancement milestone will occur. Thus, fulfilling the
cycle of motor development.