Stages

This topic covers three stages of motor development, spanning the ages
0 to 12, beginning with early reflexes, and developing through the
various milestones that a child reaches as they mature.

Stages of development
There are three stages of motor development in children.

The first stage is marked by extremely rapid growth and development, as is

the second stage. By the age of 2 years old, this development has begun to
level out somewhat. The final stage does not have any marked new
developments, rather it is characterised by the mastering and development
of the skills achieved in the first two stages.
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0-2 YEARS OR INFANTHOOD

The Newborn Child
It is argued that many of a newborn's reflexes contribute to motor control as
the child learns new motor skills. For example the stepping reflex promotes
development areas of the cortex that govern voluntary walking. This and
other examples can be seen in the table below.
Reflex name

Method

Age Disappears

Motor preparation

Tonic neck

Assumes fencing position; 1 arm extended

in front of eyes on side to which head is
turned. Other arm flexed.

4 months

May prepare for voluntary reaching

Stepping

Lifts one foot after another in stepping

response

2 months

Prepares for voluntary walking

Palmar grasp

Spontaneous grasp of adult's finger

3-4 months

Prepares for voluntary grasping

Assessing reflexes in newborns will determine the health of the nervous

system, as reflexes that are weak or absent, exaggerated, or overly rigid may
indicate some brain damage. Therefore stages will need to be modified
slightly.
The average ages at which gross motor skills are achieved during infancy
may vary. This range may be seen in the table below.

Motor Skill

Average Age
Achieved

Age Range
(90% Infants)

Head erect & steady when held

upright

6 weeks

3 weeks-4
months

Lifts self by arms when prone

2 months

3 weeks-4
months

Rolls from side to back

2 months

3 weeks-5
months

Grasps cube

3 months, 3 weeks

2-7 months

Rolls from back to side

4 months

2-7 months

Sits alone

7 months

5-9 months

Crawls

7 months

5-11 months

Pulls to stand

8 months

5-12 months

Plays Pat-a-cake

9 months, 3 weeks

7-15 months

Stands alone

11 months

9-16 months

Walks alone

11 months, 3 weeks

9-17 months

Builds tower of 2 cubes

13 months, 3 weeks

10-19 months

Scribbles vigorously

14 months

10-21 months

Walks up stairs with help

16 months

12-23 months

Jumps in place

23 months, 2 weeks

17-30 months

Although the sequence of motor development is fairly uniform across

children, differences may exist individually in the rate at which motor skills
develop. A baby who is a late reacher may not necessarily be a late
crawler/walker. Concern would arise if the child's development were
delayed in many motor skills.

Summary of Table
1. Motor control of the head comes before control of the legs. This
head-to-tail sequence is called the cephalocaudal trend.
2. Motor development proceeds from the centre of the body outward;
i.e. the head, trunk and arm control is mastered before the

coordination of the hands and fingers. This is the proximodistical

trend.
3. Physical growth follows these same trends throughout infancy and
childhood.
Once the child has grasped these gross motor skills, they are then able to
explore their environment further by grasping things, turning them over, and
seeing what happens when they are released. Infants are then able to learn a
great deal about the sight, sound and feel of objects.
Reaching and grasping development is a classic example of how motor
skills start out as gross, and then graduate to mastering fine motor skills.

At 3 months voluntary reaching gradually improves in accuracy. It

does not require visual guidance of arms and hands, but rather a
sense of movement and location.

By 5 months reaching is reduced as the object can be moved within

reach.

At 9 months an infant can redirect reaching to obtain a moving

object that changes direction.

6-12 months the infant can use a pincer grasp, thus increasing their
ability to manipulate objects.
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2-6 YEARS OR EARLY CHILDHOOD

The period of the most rapid development of motor behaviors is the period
between 2 and 6 years (also known as the preschool years). Skills that
appear are:

Basic locomotor

Ball-handling

Fine eye-hand coordination

Walking leads to running, jumping, hopping, galloping, and skipping

Climbing evolves from creeping.

The following points need to be highlighted.

1. By the age of 3 walking is automatic.
2. By 4 years the child has almost achieved an adult style of walking.
3. By 3 years the child has attempted to run, albeit awkward in style
and lacking control.
4. By the age of 4-5 years the child has more control over running and
can start, stop and turn.
5. By 5-6 skills in running have advanced to the level of an adult
manner.
6. Between the ages of 3 and 6 climbing proficiency using ladders, etc.,
has developed.
7. By 6 years children can hop and gallop skillfully, and jumping
distances are longer.
8. At the age of 3 children begin a shuffle which evolves into skipping
by the age of 6.
9. At the age of 2 children learn to kick, as their balance mechanism
has developed. A full kick with a backswing has developed by the
age of 6.
10. Throwing at the age of 2-3 years is not very proficient although is
attempted. This has improved by the age of 6 when the child will
include a step forward.
11. At the age of 3 a child can catch a large ball with arms straight; at 4
elbows will be in front when catching; and by the age of 6 years,
elbows will be held at the side.

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6-12 YEARS OR LATER CHILDHOOD

After the age of 6 years old, it becomes increasingly difficult to describe
changes and differences in motor skills development. The following
characteristics are evident:

Changes are more subtle, and are often to fine motor skills only

By 9 years eye-hand coordination has developed to being very good

Growth is relatively slow

This stage is terminated by the onset of puberty

Motor skills are perfected and stabilized

Links can be made to physical development.

The following are assessed during this stage.

1. Running. This will become faster depending on the length of stride
and tempo.
2. Jumping. The ability to jump higher will become greater due to body
size, weight, age and strength.
3. Throwing. Boys begin to throw further with a better technique and
accuracy.
4. Balancing and coordination. This increases as the child becomes
older and control is perfected.
These areas can benefit greatly from systematic instruction in motor skills,
and physical education programs at school. The quality and type of
environment a child is exposed to will influence the extent to which the
child develops the motor skills learned in the first two stages of

development. Furthermore a child's motor interests will be determined by

his or her opportunities. Differences in gender also come into play in this
stage.

Influences on motor development are both environmental and

biological. The diagram below provides information relating to both.

BiologicalInfluences
Motor skill development is influenced by the following:

Genetics and ethnicity. This can affect the rate and ability of motor
skill development and relates to body weight, size, and strength
relevant to body weight. These aspects and differing rates of

development have been shown to exist for example, between

African-Americans and Japanese Americans. These factors can
effect the development of skills for the average individual.

These physical characteristics also account for the initial difference

in gross motor skill ability for males and females.

As the table above indicates, differences between males and females are
apparent as early as preschool. Although boys have larger muscle mass, this
does not appear to have any influence on their superiority with regards to
gross motor skills. This is the result of the social interpretation of what it
means to be male or female in a particular society: gender, the social
construction of sex.
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Environment
Environmental influences that can effect the acquisition or development of
motor skills can be seen as both social and physical.
Social

Social construction of sex

Parental expectations of their children in view of gender. This is

particularly so with regards to boys. As boys mature they are

traditionally expected to be involved in organized sport, to a greater
extent than females. While girls can expect to have better developed
fine motor skills through most of the stages of development, gross
motor skills, as a result of social influences are better developed in
boys.

Child parent interaction. Limiting the opportunities for interaction.

This occurs primarily through families having low levels of
structure, and hence low child-parent socialization. Stresses
affecting structure can stem from economics and/or personal
conditions as diverse as alcoholism and mental health.

Physical

Opportunities that are provided within the home environment. This

is especially so in early childhood, when opportunities outside the
home are limited, e.g. play and activities.

As children become older and spend more time in the school

environment, the opportunities that are provide can either assist or
restrict the further development of motor skills.

That boys and girls socialise differently, e.g. that boys tend to be
competitive and girls more cooperative, has implications for the
organisation of activities and the play environment.

Competitive behaviour = Focus on skill practice.

Cooperative social interaction = Limited skill practice.

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Implications for teachers

Teachers must be aware of the biological and environmental influences that
a child may be exposed to and their limiting effects on motor development.
Awareness can lead to pre-emptive or remedial action with respect to
improving or enhancing existing motor skills. More specific information for
teachers can be found at Implications for Teachers. Please click of the

following link to take you to a checklist for possible early identification

of Physical / Sensory Motor Difficulties

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Learning & Behaviour

These pages provide teachers and parents with a framework from
which to understand the links between motor development and
sensory integration and the relation to learning and behaviour.

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Social Learning
Social interactions are an essential part of motor development. It is
important for parents and teachers to understand the link between
these two areas.
Infants have been born with, or quickly acquire a few abilities that assist
them in learning about people.
Infants spend much of their time using their senses.
Babies show a lot of interest in:

Faces

Voice

Movement

Infants learn at an early stage a few basic discriminations, such as facial

expressions and voice tones. Even before an infant can talk or walk they are
developing skill in social relationships. For example a young baby will
follow another person's gaze to see what that person is looking at. This may
be a small event but it is social interaction. Joint attention focus is a prerequisites for all communication and the start of social learning. An infant
must develop these skills to improve their interactions with other people.
As a child begins to develop mobility, the social interaction with adults soon
turns into playtime with other children.

Playing is essential because it engages motor development.

During play, children learn about the world. They begin

to understand rules and develop problem-solving skills.
Children start to express themselves creatively, talents
are found and friendship groups are formed. Children
require motor development to play. Everyone differs in
motor ability but this difference is more apparent in
children.
Children who have not perfected motor skills are referred to as:

Clumsy

Uncoordinated

Consider a baby beginning to walk. The movements are

unsteady and not yet perfected.

Think about a child riding a two-wheeled bike for

the first time. The steering is wobbly and jerky.

The reasons for this are:

The quality of the movement has not yet been perfected.

The speed in which a child learns the movement differs in every

person.

In both of these cases, the movements will become polished. This may be
over a period of time and after a lot of practice. Children spend enormous
hours at primary school each year. Many hours of school each day involves
motor-based activities.
In the classroom

In the playground

Reading

Sports

Writing

Fitness

Cutting

Recess and lunch

Pasting

Climbing

Children who are not as coordinated may acquire poor play skills. Poor
motor development in children often means they find it hard to keep up with
their peers. These children are likely to be turned away because of the
inability to run, climb, catch or throw. This will affect a child's self esteem
and they are then placed at risk of becoming socially isolated.
If these play skills are affected these children will not make friendships, and
they will be less confident. This will result in an unhappy and very lonely
child. Children placed in this situation usually wander around the school
playground by themselves.

Consequently it is important for teachers and parents to be aware of

children's motor development and the ability to interact with other
children socially.
Back to Learning & Behaviour Page

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Sensory Integration &

Motor Development
These pages explain the development of the sensory and motor components
and their importance in relation to the wide variety of expectations at school.
According to Dr J. Ayers, sensory integration is "the ability to synthesise, organise and
process incoming sensory information received from the body and the environment to

produce purposeful goal-directed responses."

Students with sensory integration dysfunction have difficulty processing sensory

input. This can result in learning or behavioural problems.
A child with sensory integration dysfunction usually:
experiences frustrations and inadequacies
exhibits behaviour problems
has poor social relationships
has low self-esteem
Examples of Symptoms of Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Gross Motor
things like skipping, hopping and
running are awkward or impossible
to do
stumbles
bumps into things

Fine Motor
difficulty manipulating objects such as scissors,
blocks, beads
awkward grasp on objects such as pencils
difficulty tying shoes or buttoning shirt

Postural Control
slouches
props head when sitting

Perceptual Skills
difficulty matching objects
loses place when copying or reading

 uses support when standing

difficulty putting together puzzles

Cognitive Skills
distractible
unable to transfer/generalise skills
usually an average IQ

Psycho social Skills

poor self-esteem
throws tantrums
gets frustrated easily

Sensory Processing
hypersensitive to sensory stimuli
(eg: loud noises)
touches everything/nothing
hates being hugged/loves physical
contact
afraid of movement/loves
movement
lethargic/unusually active

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Handwriting
Why worry about handwriting?
Components of Handwriting
Strategies for Improving Handwriting
Handwriting is influenced by the development of appropriate sensorimotor, perceptual
and cognitive skills. When addressing handwriting difficulties in a child delays in any

of these skill areas need to be addressed.

Why worry about handwriting?

Handwriting is one of the main reasons for referral of school aged children to OT.
While computers are increasing in popularity and use in everyday life students still
spend up to half of their class time involved in pen and paper tasks.
In the early years of school children are taught basic handwriting skills.
As children advance through school they are expected to progress to higher levels of
writing tasks. They are expected to be at a level where they no longer need to give any
thought or concentration to the mechanics of handwriting, i.e.: it should become an
automatic process.
Students with a learning disability or developmental delay, who have difficulty with
the mechanics of handwriting, suffer considerably in the years when they are expected
to be at a higher level of writing. This often results in
(a) an inability to keep up
(b) frustration
(c) behaviour issues
(d) lack of self esteem
These become more apparent as the child gets older.
The younger the child is the easier it is to change inappropriate patterns and to aid in
the development of the skills required for handwriting.
THEREFORE it is important to identify and address a student's difficulties as early as
possible.

Components of Handwriting
The Handwriting Checklist

Posture
a) Weight of the body is on the non-writing side:

leaning on your writing hand restricts the flowing movement across the page.

Encourage leaning on the non-writing arm.

b) Writing hand is resting on the page (not elevated):

The writing hand should be resting lightly on the page to enable the flowing
movement across the page.

Elevation of the writing arm will also result in decreased control of movement.

c) Paper is held down by non-writing arm:

non-writing arm is used to stabilise the page

Left hand

Right hand

d) Paper is at an angle on the desk, not perpendicular to the desk edge:

paper should be tilted at about 15 degrees to the left for right handers and to the
right for left handers

e) Child sits with back supported by the chair:

child should be sitting upright in the chair

desk surface should be at the correct height so that the elbows are at about 90
degrees, lightly resting on the surface of the table

f) Child has both feet on the floor:

both feet should be resting flat on the floor with knees and hips bent at about
90 degrees

Letter/Word Placement
a) Correct placement between lines
b) Correct spacing between words and letters

Letter Formation
a) Letter formation is legible and the correct shape
b) Letters are written in the correct direction
c) All letters are of a consistent size
d) Clean retrace on letters such as 'm' and 'b'
e) The 'sticks' on letters are the appropriate length

Movement
a) The movement is a smooth and continuous flow
b) Smooth changes of direction
c) The sequence of movements assists efficient writing

Basically there are two movements required for handwriting:

a) Arm movement which slides from left to write
b) Finger movement - this is isolated from the arm movements and allow us to make
the shapes required for forming the letters
Together these movements enable us to write smoothly and legibly across a page and

to form patterns and letter formations automatically and fluidly.

Grasp
a) The pencil is held firmly: not too tight or too limp.

grasps on the pencil that are too tight result in too much pressure being exerted
on the pencil point. This may be evident in children who continually break the
pencil lead, make holes in their page or show signs of fatigue quickly

grasps that are too limp result in a lack of control and precise thumb and

finger movement of the pencil

b) The space between the pencil and the fingers allows for some arching of the fingers:

the pencil is held with the tips of the thumb and index fingers, resting against
the middle finger allowing an open web space.

Left hand grasp

Right hand grasp

c) The fingers are placed away from the pencil point so that the pencil tip is visible:

pencil held close to the tip (about 1 cm)

Appropriate Grasp

Grasps are usually well established by the beginning of Grade 2, making it

very difficult to change a grasp pattern. Therefore, modifying grasp patterns
needs to occur in the early school years

A grasp should be modified if it is developmentally immature and does not

allow for controlled and precise finger and thumb movement.

Strategies to improve handwriting in the classroom

Check seating, posture and paper position

Check the grip, ie: does it allow fine finger movement

Use the self-talk strategy to teach letter formation

Use a multi-sensory approach to teach letter formation

Provide opportunities to 'feel' their writing

Try self monitoring techniques

Click here for more detailed handwriting strategies

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Early Identification

Importance of Early Identification

Focus of Intervention

Importance of Early Identification

Difficulties with learning are seldom the result of a single factor or influence. The
earlier a problem is detected the better chance the child will have in succeeding at
school. Early detection and intervention results in the child being given the necessary

skills for coping with and compensating for their learning difficulty.

Pay attention to the early warning signs.

Early identification is an essential step in
successful planning for intervention of
difficulties with learning.
Children develop at different rates and in different ways.
Potential Learning Difficulty Indicators include:

a disparity between apparent ability and potential

difficulties transferring ideas from mind onto paper

not developing skills at the same rate as classmates

'applies him/herself well, but .'

inappropriate classroom behaviours, such as work avoidance, off-task, poor

peer relationships

Learning experiences and teaching strategies are most effective when teachers combine

their working knowledge of how children learn, with

an understanding of the factors that influence educational success.

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Focus of Intervention
The focus of intervention shifts as students move through school. Although the
emphasis of intervention varies at the different stages of schooling, the individualised
approaches and strategies for learning are equally relevant to primary and secondary
levels.

Developed by Kath Vaughan, 1995

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Implication for Teachers

Teachers need to be aware of motor development. Delays in motor
development can affect a student's progress at school.

Gross Motor Problems can:

make it difficult for students to participate fully in classroom and

playground activities

result in poor self image

affect aspects of development, learning and behaviour

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Fine Motor Problems can:

lead to difficulties with writing skills

result in students having trouble concentrating on the content of

material being written

make it difficult for students to complete work, take notes

make it difficult for students to write on or between the lines

make letter formation difficult

result in written work being slow, rarely finished on time and often
messy and unintelligible.
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Suggestions

encourage participation in all aspects of physical activity

practice activities such as cutting, pasting, tracing etc

use of pencil grips

interlined paper to indicate half the size

verbal cueing

accept messy work if it is the best effort

accept printing

frequent use of computers

show understanding and caring by using reflective listening

empower the child by teaching coping skills to handle emotions

let the child know what behaviours are acceptable

provide vocabulary for expressing feelings

role play

brainstorm ways to solve a problem

be firm, clear and consistent about boundaries/limits

set the stage for compliance by

adapting tasks (time, skill level, method, amount)

minimising distractions

giving short simple directions

providing a balance of structure and freedom

allowing time to transitioning to new activities.

reinforce positive behaviour and acknowledge progress so that the

child will feel accepted, supported and capable of succeeding

let the student know what the expectations are (eg: the student's best
work)

teach skills that promote problem solving, questions, self-discipline

and independence

learn behavioural signs that indicate the child is having difficulty

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Activities that address certain sensory and motor development
problems

to promote motor planning: a child could build an obstacle course or

fort with blocks

to improve visual perceptual skills: a child could assemble a jigsaw

puzzle or find hidden pictures

to improve fine motor skills: a child could string beads

to increase sequencing skills: a child could clap rhythm patterns

Interview with: Vanessa Bird

Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Community Health - NT
1.

At what stage do you, as an OT, come into the scene? Who

asks for your assistance?
Parent permission is required before a referral can be accepted (parental
referral is encouraged). We also get referrals from:
paediatricians or GPs
child care workers
Community Health Centres
Teachers
other professionals
Parents ring if they are concerned about their child's development.
Usually other health professionals, teachers etc have done a screening
(formal or informal) on the child to identify delays in particular areas.
Obviously we promote early identification and referral.

2. What parental/teacher involvement is there in the program?

We encourage parent/teacher involvement as home and school are where

the child spends the majority of his/her time. While we provide therapy
input at the centre, these programs are also aimed at educating
parents/caregivers so that they have an understanding of the difficulties
their child is experiencing and strategies they can use to help their child
to develop particular skills. We also provide programs to be followed up
at home and at school. We usually follow up any assessment in the
centre with a preschool (or child care) visit, and, if necessary, provide
strategies to be used within the school. We encourage a coordinated
approach to therapy between therapist, parent/caregiver and teacher.

3. What activities do you suggest for motor development

problems?
There are many different activities that can be used to develop different
motor skills. Rather than prescribing certain activities for certain
motor/developmental delays we aim to facilitate understanding of the
motor difficulty and suggest activities taking into account:
age level
skill level
what the child enjoys
the resources available
The list of activities is endless and is only limited by an individual's
imagination.

4. What are the perceived causes of problems with motor

development? How do you work to overcome these

problems?
There is no proven cause for developmental delay (other than diagnosed
conditions such as cerebral palsy, haemophilia etc). However it has been
suggested that there are links to:
genetic factors
environmental factors (emotional, stimulation, nutrition, medical
factors/influences)
Obviously we can't change the genetic condition, but we can work
towards developing the skills to compensate. The environmental factors
can be overcome through increased education regarding how they affect
development (eg: stimulation, nutrition). Also it may be necessary to
link into other agencies/professionals, such as psychologists,

paediatricians and ENT, to explore other areas.

5. What is your assessment procedure? What stages do you go

through and what level does the child reach before you deem
that they don't require your OT services any longer?
Assessment procedure:
referral received
referral is brought to intake meeting where it is discussed and assigned
to the appropriate professionals (ie: speech, physio, OT)
parent/caregiver to arrange initial assessment (at the centre)
initial assessment
further assessment as required (may be at the centre, at home, at
preschool or childcare)
report written and ongoing input discussed with family
There are usually two ways in which a child is deemed as no longer
requiring occupational therapy:

on review they fall into the average skill level for their age

the family no longer wants

If they are going to full-time school and still require occupational

therapy we refer them to the school therapy services.

6. What role do the other professionals (eg: speech therapists)

play? Do children with motor development problems usually

have other problems (eg: a disability) or can motor
development problems be isolated?
I work in an multidisciplinary/transdisciplinary team and therefore I
work very closely with speech pathologists and physiotherapists. Most
referrals we receive are not OT input only, ie: speech pathology and/or
physiotherapy needs as well. However it is important to remember that
each case is very different and needs to be taken on a case by case basis.

7. Will therapy cure the child?

No, but it will make his or her life easier.

How frequently and for how long does a child participate in

therapy?
8. Duration of therapy usually ranges from six months to two years,
depending on the severity and type of problem. A child may require
additional sessions to improve fine motor skills and daily living skills.
Most therapy sessions last between 30 and 60 minutes, and are usually
held one to three times a week.

9. How long after therapy will changes be noticeable in the

child?
How soon you notice changes depends on the type of problem and its
severity. Changes are observed, on average, about six to eight weeks
after therapy begins

10. How does the therapist determine when therapy should end?
The therapist continually assesses the child. Improvement generally
occurs in the following areas:
gross and fine motor skills
interpersonal skills
academic performance
self-esteem
language skills.

11. How does problems with motor development relate to the

development of social skills?

Frustration and/or lack of self confidence may lead to behavioural
concerns ie. withdrawal, aggression, non compliance etc. As children
get older they tend to become very aware of their ability to perform

particular tasks compared to their peers.

12. What are the implications for teachers?

Teachers need to be very aware of the skill level of the children in their
classroom. Obviously, there are different age ranges within the norm for
developing various motor skills however it is important to decipher
whether the child is within his/her age range or is developmentally
delayed. There are many checklists to check if a child is delayed with
his/her motor skills (he/she may not necessarily be delayed in all areas
of motor development).
Because teachers have an understanding of development they are often
the first person to voice concerns about a particular child's development
to the parents. Teachers have a responsibility to provide the information
on where the parents can refer their child for assessment and/or
intervention by health professionals.
Therapy often involves providing home/school programs and so a
teacher needs to be aware of and understand the child's difficulties and
the aims of the programs provided. It is often beneficial for meetings to
be set up between all parties involved (parents/teachers/health
professionals), and open communication is encouraged between teachers
and parents.

Theme Activities
Getting to know your body
THIS WEEK'S THEME IS:

"Weather"
This week's activities were
based around the weather
theme.

Make a sandwich
following the
sequence given,
have all ingredients
ready, e.g. butter,
then cheese, then
ham.

Helping to hang
out washing, e.g.
give me the
'undies', then the
shorts, then the
(red) shirt.

The obstacle course

focussed on:

sequencing skills

language
development and
awareness.

The opportunities for

language development
with pretend themes are
endless. Using questions
beginning with:
"What would happen
if ...?"

Play 'Simon Says',

giving 2 directions
or more, e.g. clap
hands, then touch
your ears, then
jump.

Emphasize 'start'
and 'finish' as you
ask the child to
take a certain
number of steps
along a line; jump
along a path; clap.
Gradually increase
the number and
variety of
movements as the
child succeeds.
Every movement
should also be

How does/ how do ...?"

"What do we need ...?"

"What do we do first ...?"
"What do we do next ...?"
Sequencing is the ability to

Help develop
your child's
awareness in
seeing a
pattern or
order in
movement,
e.g. walking
with one foot
in front of
the other.
Count
footprints on
a wet floor,
on the beach
or in the
mud.

Copy the
pattern of 3dimensional
objects. Use
a variety of
different
things
(blocks,
cutlery, pegs,
Lego) and
make a
sequence for
the child to
copy.

Play simple
games of
movement
using dice.
For example,
throw the
dice and the
child moves
the number
of spaces
indicated on

Moving in a sequence

"Why do we ...?"

are a good way to

encourage more complex
language. You can also ask
your child to help you
plan, using questions like:

notice the order of things

in a line, i.e. first, then
second, next, last.

verbalised by the
child as he/she
does it. 'Hands on
knees, clap hands
together.' ' Walk
backwards to the
window, touch
nose, sit on the
floor'.

Sequencing skills help us

to plan and organise
ourselves to complete
things, remember things,
tell stories that make sense
and understand
consequences.
Counting a sequence

The ability to
recognise and
reproduce a
sequence is needed
in order to plan
anything. Obstacle
courses are the
most effective way
of teaching these
skills to children.

Counting
movements.
Children need to
experience
numbers by first
counting their own
movements. Any
kind of movement
can be counted, out
loud, and often.

You can help your

Counting things as
child to sequence
you point to them.
by teaching him a
new skill one step
Recount something
at a time. You can
that someone else
start off by helping
has just done e.g.
with all of the
you tapped your
activity except the
head, then jumped,
last part which your
you ate some
child completes for
sandwich, then had
himself/herself.
a drink, then wiped
When he has
your face.
learned this part
he/she can attempt Feeling, hearing and
the last 2 parts of seeing a sequence
the activity and so
on until he/she is
Gather a selection
completing all of
of toys and ask
the activity. Build
your child to pick
up from a sequence
up and feel the
of 2 things, then to
weight of each, put

the dice by
jumping or
clapping.

Most
children
enjoy
following a
recipe to
bake a cake
or biscuits.
Help your
child to
follow the
sequence in
the recipe.

Using a doll,
dress the doll
in the order
given, e.g.
socks, shirt,
then shorts

Do simple
paper folding
with the
child
copying and
talking about
each step as
you go. Then
see if 2 or 3
steps
combined
can be
followed.

Cut up a
simple comic
strip, then
put it back in
order.
Describe

3, then 4 etc..

them in order from

lightest to heaviest
OR smallest to
biggest.

The order of activities in a

child's own day:

Discuss the process

of completing
household tasks.
'The first thing you
do if you are going
to set the table is go
into the kitchen.
What is the next
thing you do?
Next? Last?'

Discuss order of
daily events. Relate
these to what time
of day it is e.g.
morning. Cut out
pictures from
magazines of
children doing
various daily tasks
e.g. sleeping,
eating, walking,
brushing teeth etc.
Have your child put
these in the correct
order. Use a
structured photo
system for the daily
routine, consisting
of initially one or
two items then
gradually
increasing the
demands.

With your child's

back to you,make 2
or 3 different
noises - hitting a
glass, clapping
hands and
knocking on the
table. 'Which was
first?' 'Last?'.

Encourage your
child to listen to
the order of sounds
in the environment,
e.g. 'During the
storm, what was
heard first - the
rain, the thunder or
the wind?'.

Copy sounds
made:
with the body,
e.g.: clicking
fingers and tongue,
clapping,
raspberries with
the mouth, lip
smacking, whistle,
stamp feet ... with
instruments, e.g.
drum, rhythm
sticks, whistle,
shakers,
tambourine,
triangle, recorder
animal noises, e.g.
moo, neigh, snap,
woof, baa, miaow,

each step.

Thread beads
following a
sequence,
e.g. thread
blue then
orange,
thread a big
bead then a
little bead,
thread a
round bead
then a square
bead.

Line up toy
cars and
trucks on a
road in the
sequence
given, e.g.
car,
ambulance,
then motor
bike OR red
car, the blue
car, then
green car.

Pick a
familiar
activity (e.g.
eating a
banana,
borrowing a
book from
the library,
having a
bath), and
discuss the
steps
involved.
Draw

hiss.

pictures for
each step,
take turns to
line up
pictures in
order.

Retell a
favourite
story,
making sure
to keep the
right order of
events. You
could use the
book to help,
or draw
pictures of
some of the
main events.

Using family
photos make a
sequence of
the child's or
someone
else's life
from baby to
child.

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Arkwright, N., 1998 An Introduction to Sensory Integration Therapy

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Bird, Vanesa, 2000 Pers. Comm. Community Health Paediatric Team,

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Bushnell, E. & Boudreau, J., 1993, 'Motor Development and the Mind:
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Alcoholic Fathers and Controls: The Early Childhood Years',
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Australian Modern Cursive (R-7 Language Arts)

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Experiencing Difficulties with Learning: Teacher Resource.

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