13.3: Environmental Factors in Supporting Children’s Physical Development
The following recommendations apply to establishing the preschool environment as related to the three Physical Development strands: Fundamental Movement Skills, Perceptual–Motor Skills and Movement Concepts, and Active Physical Play
- Teachers promote optimal physical development when they provide children with positive encouragement and quality instruction (both indirect and direct). Teachers “set the stage” and “create the climate” for movement skill learning.
- The immediate physical environment is a powerful influence on children’s physical development. The physical environment, play materials, and play themes can all be skillfully designed to promote active play. Both indoor and outdoor play environments should encourage fun and enjoyable learning.
- Indoor and outdoor play environments should include a variety of appropriately sized equipment that promotes both gross and fine motor development.
- Learning is most meaningful when the environment and materials reflect and accommodate children’s individual interests, backgrounds, and present abilities. Embrace the richness of diversity by learning about children’s culture, language, customs, music, physical activities, and focus on the unique gifts that each child brings to the learning environment.
- Take time to build safety into both the indoor and outdoor play environments.
- A safe environment reduces the need for adults to say no. It is important to establish clear expectations. Limits should be set rather than rules (rules eliminate reasonable risk) in order to ensure personal safety. Be particularly cognizant when working with children who have disabilities that impact their impulse control and judgment. Also, differences in cultural expectations for girls and those for boys, as well as language differences, may impact the critical need for building safety into children’s regular play environments.
- Playground equipment, such as climbing, hanging, and sliding structures, should be checked regularly for safety hazards.
- Movement experiences should include exploration, discovery, and appreciation of the natural environment. Nature provides rich, diverse sensory experiences—sounds, smells, textures, and sights—that are beneficial for young children’s sensorimotor development.
- Thoughtfully designed movement experiences, guided by adults, support children’s physical development. Most children need more than just free play to acquire movement skills.
- Children benefit from teacher-guided, structured physical activities, particularly when they are learning new movement skills. Structured but flexible play activities that emphasize active participation, exploration, and self-discovery are ideal for practicing new, challenging physical skills.[1]
Additional strategies that will help children’s physical development:
- Provide opportunities that include diverse cultural themes.
- Challenge children’s abilities by asking questions.
- Encourage persistence during challenging tasks.
- Modify activities to increase participation by children with disabilities and special needs.
- Observe and analyze children’s skills to facilitate planning for learning opportunities.
- Learn about children’s prior experiences and personal interests.
- Promote and be aware of the progressive development of skills.
- Plan meaningful, purposeful, and connected activities and games.
- Create culturally diverse scenarios for skills.
- Create meaningful scenarios that provide the opportunity for the integration of skills with other curriculum concepts.
- Use both unstructured and structured strategies, as well as multisensory experiences, in your teaching.
- Create developmental activities that provide a sense of success.
- Provide opportunities for repeated practice in a safe environment.
- Provide plenty of encouragement.
- Create activities that provide automatic feedback and a sense of accomplishment.
- Provide clear, specific feedback to facilitate children’s problem-solving process.
Provide a variety of tools and media to promote participation.[2]
Pause to Reflect
How can family culture, language, and diversity be incorporated into fundamental movement activities? How can ideas and materials from children’s different cultures be included in fine motor activities and games?
Research Highlight: Must Young Children Sit Still in Order to Learn?
Researchers have stated that high activity levels, impulsivity, and short attention span for sedentary activities are characteristics of typically developing preschool-age children. Children naturally need to move in order to learn. Being physically active boosts children’s attention span and capitalizes on multisensory learning so that children are more likely to retain academic concepts such as colors, shapes, and the alpha-bet. The need for movement-based learning experiences may be particularly important for children with special needs. Research has shown that for children who have autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, being seated on a movable surface (e.g., a therapy ball) resulted in increased ability to stay on task and remain seated during classroom learning activities. However, children seated on a static surface such as a bench, chair, or floor were less able to remain on task. Experts have suggested that adults’ efforts to entice young children to sit still, pay attention, and be quiet during learning activities often run contrary to children’s natural needs for physical movement.[3]
Sources:
J. A. Blackman, “Attention-Deficit/Hyper-activity Disorder in Preschoolers. Does It Exist and Should We Treat It?” Pediatric Clinics of North America 46, no. 5 (1999): 1011–25.
T. Hunter, “Some Thoughts About Sitting Still,” Young Children 55, no. 3 (2000): 50.
T. Schilling, and others, “Promoting Language Development Through Movement,” Teaching Elementary Physical Education 17, no. 6 (2006): 39–42.
D. L. Schilling and I. S. Schwartz, “Alternative Seating for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effects on Classroom Behavior,” Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 43, no. 4 (2004): 423–32.
D. L. Schilling and others, “Classroom Seating for Children with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder: Therapy Ball Versus Chairs,” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 57, no. 5 (2003): 534–41. 12. T. Hunter, “Some Thoughts About Sitting Still,” Young Children 55, no. 3 (2000): 50.
- The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 2 by the California Department of Education is used with permission (pg. 136-137) ↵
- The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 2 by the California Department of Education is used with permission ↵
- The California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 2 by the California Department of Education is used with permission (pg. 137) ↵