Course:KIN355/2020 Projects/Rate of Movement

Defining the Concept and Its Importance

As many topics and concepts in health fields, experts don’t always agree on definitions, through a study, however, on motor tests that qualify and quantify children’s movement abilities and attempt to come up with a more inclusive motor skills standard test, Anjo J.W.M. Janssen and his team, as well as a panel of experts on the field, came up with two different terms that have to do with rate of movement (Janssen et al., 2011). The first is timing, which focuses more on the control of movements and is interconnected with strength, force and reaction times, such as hearing “Catch” and being able to move one’s self to be able to catch what is being thrown. The second term is speed, and that involves the ability to distinguish the appropriate movement that will get an object or oneself to its goal spot at an optimal rate, this could refer to racing from spot A to B, but could also relate to optimizing speed so a task can be performed effectively, such as by also keeping balance, or control of their coordination, or matching the gross motor skills to fine motor skills, such as pouring juice in a cup as fast as possible without spilling(Poole et al., 2020).

Rate of movement falls under the movement quality branch of movement development and is intrinsically connected to force and flow of movement. Understanding that kids develop at different rates and understanding the limitations that might come with lack of rate of movement awareness can help parents and teachers guide children in a way that isn’t shutting them down. Children don’t need to move slowly all the time, but they might need to learn to adapt and move at a slower rate when carrying a cup, so that movement doesn’t come across as clumsiness(Poole et al., 2020). It is an important part of a normal motor development to be able to adapt the speed of action to the task at hand. Younger children might not be able to perform tasks at appropriate speed, but progressively learn to adjust to an optimal speed, initially by being directed to do so, and later on through cognitive development children are able to remember and recognize on their own what rate is needed in their movements(Dekkers et al., 2019).

Role in Childhood Development and Contemporary Considerations

Motor skills are often thought of as separate from cognitive skills, but both go hand-in-hand. In an aspect of development such as movement quality, cognitive development in children can lead to a fine tuning of motor skills and the quality of these(Koziol et al., 2011). Children slowly progress through movement development, once they’ve learned movement they can learn how to affect that movement to meet the goal they desire (Bredin, 2020). At a young age, infants may have a sort of on/off take on movement, they have one speed to do something, as they learn to walk, their speed is that of a waddle, as they throw an object, they do an uncoordinated toss. With time however, the fine-tuning of these movement skills develops, and can be guided and stimulated by those around the children, so they are able to learn that when playing and someone is walking after them, they can walk, but if someone is running after them they’ll need to change their speed, similarly at an older age, when playing baseball, they will need to be able to catch a ball and quickly throw it at a different direction with enough force and speed to reach their desired teammate.

When looking at reaction timing and processing speeds, while minor differences are always present from one kid to the other, certain conditions will significantly affect this, such a as Steven Mattis found in his study on different motor behaviour between children with ADHD who had faster processing speeds, as opposed to children with pediatric bipolar disorder(Mattis et al., 2010), In this study, Mattis explored the neuropsychological factors that can lead to these differences between kids(Mattis et al., 2010). Koziol points out how the brain is an integrated whole, therefore a compartmentalization between brain function and behavior is artificial, and in fact, bringing a multidisciplinary understanding of the different domains of brain function, such as cognitive, learning, visual and the motor domains, is the bes way to further understanding how it is that infants and children develop, and how it is that people with different conditions may develop differently(Koziol et al., 2011).

At a young age, prior to schooling, development in certain functional domains might not be as perceptible as motor skills, such as a child’s ability to adapt the speed of one’s movement to achieve desired goals. There has however, in the past couple of decades been more studies that explore the interconnectedness between motors abilities, and cognitive, social, learning, visual and emotional abilities(Piek et al., 2012). Even more specifically than their interconnectedness, researchers have been looking at motor impairments and accompanying disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety disorders, and autism (Piek et al., 2012). Educators, coaches and parents however, should certainly not simply attribute motor development delay to these disorders or motor disorder themselves, because it important to realize that delays may simply be delays due to lack of opportunity to develop motor skills, and nothing more(Piek et al., 2012). For example, infants living in apartments don’t necessarily have the same opportunities for movement as infants living in houses with playrooms and large backyards.

As children develop effort awareness and learn how to control the flow, force and speed of their movements, parents and educators can provide guidance and room for growth. Assisting enough to allow for kids to grow in confidence in the actions and feel encouraged to keep on developing the skill necessary to know when to run and when to walk, when to throw and when to toss(Parlakian and Lerner, n.d.).

Practical Applications

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Summary

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References

Bredin, S (2020). Module 4: Developing Fundamental Movements. KIN 355 Movement Experiences for Young Children, School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia

Dekkers, L., Janssen, A., Donders, A., Nijhuis-van der Sanden, M. and de Swart, B., 2019. Construct Validity of the Observable Movement Quality Scale in Pediatrics: Hypothesis Testing of a Formative Measurement Model. Physical Therapy, 100(2), pp.346-358.

Janssen, A., Diekema, E., van Dolder, R., Kollee, L., Oostendorp, R. and Nijhuis-van der Sanden, M., 2011. Development of a Movement Quality Measurement Tool for Children. Physical Therapy, 92(4), pp.574-594.

Koziol, L., Budding, D. and Chidekel, D., 2011. From Movement to Thought: Executive Function, Embodied Cognition, and the Cerebellum. The Cerebellum, 11(2), pp.505-525.

Mattis, S., Papolos, D., Luck, D., Cockerham, M. and Thode, H., 2010. Neuropsychological factors differentiating treated children with pediatric bipolar disorder from those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 33(1), pp.74-84.

Parlakian, R. and Lerner, C., n.d. 12–15 Months: Your Child’S Development. [online] ZERO TO THREE. Available at: <https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/104-12-15-months-your-child-s-development> [Accessed 19 October 2020].

Piek, J., Hands, B. and Licari, M., 2012. Assessment of Motor Functioning in the Preschool Period. Neuropsychology Review, 22(4), pp.402-413.

Poole, C., Miller, S. and Church, E., 2020. Ages & Stages: All About Body Awareness | Scholastic. [online] Scholastic.com. Available at: <https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/ages-stages-all-about-body-awareness/> [Accessed 19 October 2020].