Course:KIN355/2020 Projects/Relationship Awareness: To Other People
Defining the Concept and Its Importance
When discussing the concepts of basic human movement, it is important to consider the relationship awareness of other people. Relationship awareness is what/what the body is in relation to the movement (Bredin, 2020). There are various aspects on how children can relate to others. Bredin (2020) states five methods of children’s movement. They can: move alone in a mass, move solo, in partners, in groups and between groups. Moving alone in a mass is the instance when a child moves without the observation of another person, where moving solo features a child’s movement being overseen by others. Partners involve two people engaging in movements. Groups consist of two or more children working to achieve a movement goal, and between group relationships is when one group relates their movement to another group.
The importance of movement development primarily comes through the involvement of another figure. For instance, and a child points at a designated object that is close with another child, they are likely to engage in the same activity (Soto-Icaza et al., 2015). Additionally, children are able to give a gaze to find their partner for future interactions. This gaze is also impactful as it gives reassurance that both parties are still engaged in the same event (Soto-Icaza et al., 2015). Additionally, engaging movement with others develops friendships. Friendships are established through shared activities. The child is likely to aid, help and express honesty with another during engagement (Walker, 2016).
Newborns have the capability to differentiate biological motion from non-biological motion (Soto-Icaza et al., 2015). For instance, children are able to distinguish a motion pattern from a set of dots through a walking animation. Furthermore, newborns also develop proprioception where they begin to understand the positioning and movements of his body in aid to control their own movements (Poole & Miller, n.d.).
As the child develops, they will engage in activities within groups to carry out movement goals (Bredin, 2020). Groups sizes will increase, thus the complications of relationships arise. This is due to the child’s attention of awareness to their own group and finding relations of movement with another group (Bredin, 2020).
Role in Childhood Development and Contemporary Considerations
Children engaging in movement with another figure is impactful for their development. As they continue to get older, children will begin to develop a sense of self-awareness (Hollett et al., 2016). It provides them the insight on the flexibility their body can do, such as body transfer or moving to another location, concerning others. Additionally, children also develop safety awareness towards others as they engage in the same activity. By the age of 5 to 6 years old, children should have mastered the fundamental movement patterns (Raudsepp, 1995).
As children participate in activities with one another, they can capture expressions and experiences of their partner's project and apply it with their own experience (Soto-Icaza et al., 2015); this is the social perspective-taking. By applying one’s experience, it provides an insight into what the other’s preferences are through vision, movement, and auditory. This phenomenon can also allow children to predict and understand their partner’s behaviour in social situations.
When groups (two or more) of children participate in an activity, the child should not only be aware of their movements but also be concerned about others. Group engagement features all children working together to complete a task (Bredin, 2020). Thus, participants must be able to develop a social sense for one another through interaction and communication. As group sizes increase and additional groups are added to the environment, the complexity of the child’s relationship rises (Bredin, 2020). This is due to the child engaging with their group, but also findings any relations to another group. Whether it is in proximity among groups, the child must carry the responsibility to gather movement experiences from both parties; thus, it will continue to aid their movement development as they get older.
Although relationship awareness to other people facilitates movement, there are contemporary issues that halt a child’s movement development. Although children can enhance movement alone in mass or solo (Bredin, 2020), this independence development can be a limiting factor to where the child may struggle in facilitating social skills when able to work with another. According to Hollett et al. (2016), the main focus of the Physical Education curricula is to enable movement skill development. It provides the opportunity for children to enhance their body and special awareness within a school environment around other students. Educators should consider implementing more group activities to allow children to maximize their social abilities and establish relationships (Hollett et al., 2016). Furthermore, teachers should incorporate elements from other school subjects, such as math, art, social studies, etc., while teaching motor skills to make activities more engaging to students (Hollett et al., 2016). Children will enjoy these types of games and also engage in creative movement. Providing group activities not only promotes motor development but also has a positive effect on linguistic capabilities as the child will strengthen their verbal skills through interaction with others.
In the uprise of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the implications of group activity have been restricted. Deemed as the ‘new normal,’ children may struggle to develop their movement skills with other partners due to the avoidance of large social interactions to help prevent the spread (Peçanha, 2020). Peers and educators should consider activities that consist of small groups that can interact and develop movement. Although it is not recommended to use objects that are touched by many people, it is suggested to utilize only their body weight to accomplish tasks. Ideally, activities should facilitate verbal interactions and using physical gestures, such as pointing, to help further develop a relationship with others while keeping a safe distance.
Practical Applications
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Summary
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References
Bredin, S. (2020, October 6). Module Four: Developing Fundamentals of Movement [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas. https://canvas.ubc.ca
Hollett, N., Sluder, B.J., Taunton, S., & Howard-Shaughnessy, C. (2016) Teaching Body and Spatial Awareness in Elementary Physical Education Using Integration of Core Content Subjects, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 87:7, 31-35, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2016.1202800
Miller, J., Wilson-Gahan, S., Garrett, R. (2018). Heath and Physical Education: Preparing Educators for the Future (3rd Edition ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Peçanha, T. (06/2020). Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic can increase physical inactivity and the global burden of cardiovascular disease American Physiological Society. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00268.2020
Poole, C., & Miller, S. A. (n.d.). Ages & Stages: All About Body Awareness (Ellen Booth Church, Ed.). Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/ages-stages-all-about-body-awareness/
Raudsepp, L. (08/1995). Gender differences in fundamental movement patterns, motor performances, and strength measurements of prepubertal children Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. doi:10.1123/pes.7.3.294
Soto-Icaza, P., Aboitiz, F., & Billeke, P. (2015). Development of social skills in children: neural and behavioral evidence for the elaboration of cognitive models. Frontiers in Neuroscience. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A466347824/HRCA?u=ubcolumbia&sid=HRCA&xid=c83a4b49
Walker, D. I. (09/2016). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being Blackwell Publishing. doi:10.1111/jtsb.12100