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SPECIFIC SKILLS STAGE.
BY AGE SEVEN, MOST CHILDREN HAVE MASTERED THE FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT BEHAVIORS.
NEXT, THEY MOVE INTO SPECIFIC SKILLS STAGE,
WHERE ALL OF THE FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT BEHAVIORS ARE COMBINED
AND USED IN SPORTS, SUCH AS BASKETBALL, SOFTBALL, SOCCER, AND SWIMMING.
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE STAGES ARE APPARENT
WHEN YOU COMPARE YOUNGER AND OLDER CHILDREN
ENGAGING IN THE SAME TASKS.
THESE BEGINNING SWIMMERS ARE WORKING ON EACH INDIVIDUAL PART OF LEARNING TO SWIM.
THEY PRACTICE KICKING, ARM STROKES, AND BREATHING SEPARATELY,
AND HAVE TROUBLE PUTTING EACH OF THESE COMPONENTS TOGETHER.
A TEENAGER IS ABLE TO SMOOTHLY COORDINATE EACH PART OF THE STROKE
AND MASTER THE SKILL COMPONENTS, SUCH AS SPEED AND COORDINATION.
OBVIOUSLY, WITH SWIMMING, AS WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES,
CHILDREN NEED OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE THESE SKILLS.
MASTERING FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS DURING EARLY CHILDHOOD IS CRITICAL,
BOTH FOR MOVING INTO THE SPECIFIC SKILLS STAGE
AND FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE.
OBSERVING AT AN UPPER ELEMENTARY PLAYGROUND,
IT BECOME APPARENT THAT MUCH OF THE CHILDREN'S SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
TAKE PLACE AS THEY ENGAGE IN THE SPORT OF THE SEASON...
KICKBALL, FOOTBALL, SOCCER, BASEBALL.
CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOT MASTERED THE FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS
AND MOVED INTO SPECIFIC SKILLS ARE OFTEN RELUCTANT TO PARTICIPATE,
AND MAY FEEL INFERIOR TO MORE SKILLED CLASSMATES.
THIS MAY EVENTUALLY DISCOURAGE THEM FROM PARTICIPATING IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR LIFELONG HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.
THE FOLLOWING ARE BARRIERS, BOTH AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL,
THAT MAY IMPEDE CHILDREN'S MOTOR DEVELOPMENT...
CHILDREN, PRE-SCHOOLERS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGE,
ARE SPENDING INCREASING AMOUNTS OF TIME ENGAGING IN SEDENTARY SCREEN ACTIVITIES,
LIKE TELEVISION, VIDEO GAMES, AND COMPUTERS.
MORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN ARE LEFT HOME ALONE AFTER SCHOOL
AND INSTRUCTED TO STAY INSIDE FOR SAFETY REASONS.
PRE-SCHOOLS OFTEN HAVE LIMITED SPACE INDOORS AND OUTDOORS
FOR CHILDREN TO ENGAGE IN LARGE MOTOR ACTIVITIES.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE SHORTENING RECESSES
AND ELIMINATING TIME SPENT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES,
IN RESPONSE TO DEMANDS THAT CHILDREN SPEND MORE TIME
FOCUSING ON ACADEMIC SKILLS.
AND OF COURSE, THERE IS OBESITY.
RECENT RESEARCH INDICATES THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 PERCENT OF CHILDREN
IN THE UNITED STATES
ARE AT LEAST 20 POUNDS ABOVE THE AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR THEIR AGE.
THIS MAY IMPEDE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT.
PHYSICAL, AS WELL AS PSYCHOLOGICAL, PROBLEMS MAY ENSUE.
PARENTS AND TEACHERS NEED TO DO THEIR BEST
TO ADDRESS EACH OF THESE ISSUES BY...
LIMITING CHILDREN'S SCREEN TIME,
PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES,
MAKING SURE CHILDREN EAT NUTRITIOUSLY AT HOME,
AND DEVELOPING CURRICULUM IN PRE-SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
THAT DEVOTES TIME AND RESOURCES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOTOR SKILLS.
THIS TYPE OF PROGRAMMING RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF MOTOR SKILLS
IN INFLUENCING PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT,
AS WELL AS SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND COGNITIVE SKILLS.
(music)