Childhood Physical Development

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Physical activity enhances children’s quantitative development within middle childhood, supporting growth toward healthy strong people, physically and psychology. Middle childhood is documented as being between the ages of six to ten years old. A lack of physical activity affects children across all areas of development; it is not restricted within the domain of physical development. Discussed within are the expectations of motor development within middle childhood, the benefits of physical activity and the consequences of prolonged inactivity. Along with how a student’s physical development facilitates or restricts development in other areas and how the learning environment can accommodate and support the physical needs of students. McDevitt and Ormrod (2009) describe middle childhood, six to ten years old, as ones of vast cognitive and emotional development as children move from early childhood towards early adolescence. These years build on the foundations of early childhood, children are greatly influenced by their surroundings when cementing healthy habits around physical activity and eating, providing for lifelong lifestyle habits. According to McDevitt and Ormrod (2009) physical development extends from early childhood, children will have learnt to run and climb then integrate them into play through “further refinement and consolidation of gross motor skills evident throughout middle childhood” (p.167). Children who have progressed through previous stages of gross motor development will often find the next development stage less challenging than those who are just learning those stages. Gross motor development is complex as it relies on all of the developmental domains assisting with physical development from infancy... ... middle of paper ... ...ved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/outdoor_play_does_avoiding_the_risks_reduce_the_benefits.html Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues (5th Ed). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Australia McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child development and education (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Plenty Parklands Primary School (2012). Perceptual Motor Program. Teaching Resources. Supplied by class teacher 29 February 2012. State of Victoria. (1999/2011). Better health channel: sport and children. Retrieved from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sport_and_children. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2008). Health and physical education. Retrieved from http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vels/downloads.html

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