Childhood Physical Development at Aspire Wollert
Early childhood is a pivotal phase with accelerated growth in various scopes—social, emotional, physical, and cognitive. These formative years lay the groundwork for a child's trajectory into schooling and, eventually, adulthood.
Recognising the profound impact of early development, it becomes vital to ensure that children receive the highest standard of early education and care. This article delves into the role of quality early childhood education at Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten Wollert in aiding in the physical development of children.
Motor development entails strengthening muscles and bones, empowering children to move, explore, and interact with their surroundings effectively. There are two categories of motor development, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills.
Characterised by whole body movements, gross motor skills require the use of large muscles of the body. The development of gross motor skills is gradual as different muscle groups are used. Children use these skills very day, to walk, run and climb, as well as hand-eye coordination-based activities. Balancing while riding a bike or kicking a ball are ways that gross motor skills are used. Using these motor skills throughout our lives is key to staying healthy.
A way that Aspire Wollert encourages the growth of gross motor skills in their nursery rooms is through tummy time. Tummy time promotes the muscle development of babies, and helps them learn how to move their bodies. As young babies have little control over their bodies and need help to move around safely, they are encouraged to sit up, roll over and begin to walk independently at their own pace.
When the babies move up into our toddler program, they continue their physical development. Educators support toddlers to develop the skills to leap over small objects, throw a ball and use stairs safely. Toddlers also take part in the Hey Dee Ho program, which gets children to dance along to music. They also get the opportunity to tune up their fine motor skills by playing instruments.
Once children reach 3 and 4-year-old kindergarten, they further utilise their gross motor skills when they take part in Little Sports Heroes incursions. The team at Little Sports Heroes help children build their confidence and skill in sport. Kinder children spend lots of time outside, climbing, running and playing in Aspire Wollert’s gorgeous outdoor play areas.
Fine motor skills refer to “the movement and control of small muscle groups, including hands, wrists, fingers, feet and toes”. In a child's early years, movement and play initiate the development of fine motor skills. This lays the groundwork for essential tasks in primary school, when they write, tie shoelaces, open lunchboxes, and play instruments.
During your child’s time at Aspire Early Education Wollert day care, educators incorporate activities designed to develop fine motor skills. Activities such as art and crafts and building towers by stacking blocks are on offer.
Aspire encourages children to use and grow their fine motor skills. Recently, the toddler room took part in a colour recognition task where they had to collect coloured pompoms with a set of tongs. This experience allowed the children to work on their fine motor skills as they grabbed the pompoms with the tongs. It also helped them improve their knowledge of colours and further cognitive development.
In the nurturing environment of Aspire Early Education Wollert, we recognise that early childhood is a crucial time for accelerated growth across social, emotional, physical, and cognitive areas. As we've explored the critical role of quality early childhood education, particularly in fostering physical development, it's evident that motor skills play a central role in a child's journey toward adulthood. The focus on both gross and fine motor skills at Aspire Wollert, from tummy time in the nursery to engaging activities in the toddler room and kindergarten, reflects our commitment to providing a holistic foundation for lifelong physical health and cognitive proficiency.
