Building Blocks For Pre-School Development

By Gail Troussoff Marks

Two important building blocks for a young child's development are early decision making skills and movement. Young children naturally want to learn about the world around them and how to physically maneuver around that world. Some kids are active from birth and others are tentative. Opportunities such as dancing, jumping, rolling, and climbing should be available for both types of kids.

If the joy of movement is instilled early, sedentary activities such as watching TV or playing computer games will have less attraction. Physical activity is a tool for fighting childhood obesity, developing social skills, and regulating behavior.

Gross motor skills and academic readiness are closely linked. Through physical activity, kids experience right and left, up and down, over and under, as well as, how to balance while standing or moving. Children also gain spatial awareness knowing where their body is in relation to others. These concepts are important for classroom success, self-confidence, and enjoying sports.

What about early decision making? Young children's decisions are often related to their physical environment. Life is not bubble wrapped. A child figuring out how to climb out of her crib has to think and make decisions. As parents we want to protect our children, but a parent's job is to help their child develop into a competent, independent human being. Teaching children how to jump and fall safely, climb up and climb down are examples of movement skills that empower children. Remember the first time your child climbed a tall slide and you had to race from the ladder to the front of the slide hoping to catch your child in time? Coaching a child on ways to approach a new situation helps the child learn a range of responses and how to think through actions and keep themselves safe.

Children need cuddling, protection, and a safe, nurturing environment to grow into secure, empathetic adults. However, in addition to the safe environment, children need to be nudged to venture into new experiences and experiment with their own skills. Children can be taught problem solving techniques. For instance, at free playtime at the local gym one child cries for mom when he can't reach the rings. Another child moves a mat himself so he can reach the rings and learns self-reliance. As children master gross motor skills, they develop confidence and the foundation for an active lifestyle.