Physical Growth & Motor Skills

Visual motor integration development in children

Visual motor integration development in children

What visual motor integration means Visual motor integration, often abbreviated VMI, is the coordinated use of visual information and motor output. It is not simply eyesight, and it is not only hand strength. A child must notice relevant visual details, interpret spatial relationships, plan a movement, adjust posture, coordinate the eyes and hands, and monitor […]

Fine motor skill progression from toddler to teen

Fine motor skill progression from toddler to teen

What fine motor progression really means Fine motor progression is more than a checklist of whether a child can stack blocks, copy shapes, or tie shoes. It describes the gradual integration of multiple systems: cortical motor planning, cerebellar timing, proprioceptive feedback from muscles and joints, tactile discrimination from the skin, visual tracking, postural control, attention, […]

Balance development and postural control by age

Balance development and postural control by age

What postural control means in childhood Postural control is the ability to keep the body oriented and stable while still, moving, or preparing to move. In children, it is built through continuous interaction between the central nervous system, musculoskeletal growth, sensory feedback, and the environment. A baby lifting the head during tummy time, a toddler […]

Physical growth 6 to 9 years

Physical growth 6 to 9 years

Steady growth in middle childhood From 6 to 9 years, most children are in the middle-childhood phase of growth. Compared with the rapid changes of the toddler years and the later acceleration of puberty, this period is usually characterized by slow, steady physical growth. Many children gain approximately 2 to 2.5 inches, or about 5 […]

Coordination development children

Coordination development children

What coordination means in childhood Coordination is the brain’s ability to organize movement so that the body can act smoothly, efficiently, and with the right amount of force. In practice, that means a child can sit upright without collapsing, reach for a toy accurately, use both hands together, adjust when they lose balance, and learn […]