We All Need A Way To Move
Gross motor development involves the use of larger muscles in the body, such as those in the arms, legs, and torso. We use these muscles to perform activities such as crawling, pulling yourself up, rolling, walking, running, kicking, or sitting up. Gross motor development is important for your child to be able to participate in activities both at home and at school. Coordination of your body is key to movement and we all need a way to move.
Gross motor skills begin to develop in a head to toe pattern. We learn to control our head and neck as babies, then progress to upper body, trunk and lastly lower extremities. It is important for each segment of our body to coordinate and function together to gain total motion and movement. As children get older they begin to work on more manipulative tasks such as catching, throwing and kicking.
When children demonstrate delays in the skills listed above as well as others, they may benefit from treatment to address their gross motor development. These treatments may include muscle stretching or strengthening, gait training to improve walking, games and exercises, shoe inserts for foot and ankle alignment, and other interventions.