Topic 1 Reporter:

BPED 2A - EURIKA BALATAYO

BPED 2B – MA. LUISA MARAMBA

CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION TO MOTOR SKILLS, MOTOR CONTROL,
& MOTOR LEARNING

MOTOR SKILLS
Motor skills refer to the abilities required to perform movements and
tasks that involve the use of muscles.

These skills are categorized into two main types:

1. Fine Motor Skills: Involve small muscle movements, typically in the
hands, fingers, and wrists, allowing for precise and delicate tasks.

2. Gross Motor Skills: Involve larger muscle groups and are responsible
for broader movements, such as walking, jumping, and balancing.

Examples of Motor Skills:

Gross Motor Skills:
 Running: Coordinating the legs, arms, and core muscles to move the
body forward quickly.
 Jumping: Using leg muscles to propel the body off the ground, requiring
strength, balance, and coordination.

Fine Motor Skills:

 Writing: Holding a pencil and forming letters or drawing shapes
involves fine motor control and coordination of the small muscles in
the fingers and hand.
 Buttoning a Shirt: Using fingers to manipulate buttons and holes
requires precision and dexterity.

Motor skills are developed and refined through practice and repetition,
starting from infancy and continuing through adulthood. They are essential
for performing everyday tasks and participating in various activities, from
playing sports to typing on a keyboard.

The goal of motor skill is to optimize the ability to perform the skill
at the rate of success, precision, and to reduce the energy consumption
required for performance.
 Performance is an act of executing a motor skill or task. Continuous
practice of a specific motor skill will result in a greatly improved
performance, which leads to motor learning.

Which is more important to acquire first, gross motor

skills or fine motor skills?
Acquiring gross motor skills is generally more important and
foundational in early development than fine motor skills.

Here's why:
1. Developmental Sequence:
 Gross Motor Skills: These involve the large muscles of the body and are
crucial for basic movements like sitting, crawling, standing, and
walking. These movements provide the foundation for balance,
coordination, and strength. As children develop gross motor skills, they
gain the physical stability and body control needed for more refined
tasks.
 Fine Motor Skills: These require the small muscles of the hands and
fingers and are dependent on the stability provided by gross motor
development. Tasks like writing or buttoning a shirt require a level of
coordination and control that typically comes after the development of
gross motor skills.
2. Functional Foundation:
 Gross motor skills support the body’s overall mobility and ability to
interact with the environment. For example, a child needs to be able to
sit up and maintain balance before they can focus on activities like
reaching for objects or using their hands for specific tasks.
 Fine motor skills build on this foundation, allowing for more precise and
intricate actions once the basic gross motor functions are established.
3. Impact on Learning and Independence:
 Gross motor skills are essential for daily activities like walking,
climbing stairs, or playing with peers, which are important for social
and physical development.
 Fine motor skills become more critical as a child begins to engage in
activities that require precision, such as drawing, writing, or using
utensils, but these typically come after the child has developed the
necessary gross motor control.

Important:
Gross motor skills are acquired first and provide the physical
foundation necessary for fine motor skills to develop. Without strong gross
motor skills, a child may struggle with the physical stability and coordination
needed to master fine motor tasks. Therefore, early childhood development
programs often focus on activities that enhance gross motor skills before
progressing to fine motor activities.

Topic 2 Reporter:
BPED 2A – JOHANNE MALAGA
BPED 2B – MARY ROSE MIRANDA

MOTOR CONTROL

Motor control refers to the process by which the nervous system

coordinates the muscles and limbs to perform a particular action or
movement. It involves the brain, spinal cord, and muscles working together
to plan, initiate, and execute movements with precision. Motor control is
essential for everything from simple, everyday actions like walking or picking
up objects to complex tasks like playing a musical instrument or performing
athletic activities.

Example of Motor Control:

Reaching for a Glass of Water:
 Planning: The brain calculates the trajectory and the force required to
reach the glass.
 Initiation: The brain sends signals through the spinal cord to the
muscles in the arm and hand.
 Execution: The muscles in the arm and hand contract in a coordinated
manner to move the arm towards the glass.
 Feedback: Sensory feedback (like vision and touch) helps adjust the
movement if the glass is slightly out of place or if the grip needs to be
adjusted.
 Completion: The hand successfully grasps the glass, and the arm lifts
it to the mouth.

This process involves various types of motor control, including fine motor
control (precise movements, like grasping the glass) and gross motor control
(larger movements, like lifting the arm).

MOTOR LEARNING

Motor learning is the process by which individuals acquire or improve

motor skills through practice, experience, and feedback. It involves the
brain's ability to develop, refine, and automate movements, allowing them to
be performed with increased accuracy and efficiency over time. Motor
learning is a key aspect of skill acquisition in activities ranging from sports to
daily tasks.

Example of Motor Learning:

Learning to Ride a Bicycle:
 Initial Stage (Cognitive Stage): At first, the individual is focused on
understanding how to balance, pedal, and steer. Mistakes are common,
and the movements are uncoordinated.
 Practice (Associative Stage): With repeated practice, the rider
starts to gain more control and coordination. They learn to adjust their
balance, anticipate turns, and maintain a steady speed.
 Automatic Performance (Autonomous Stage): After sufficient
practice, riding a bicycle becomes second nature. The rider no longer
needs to consciously think about balancing or steering, and can focus
on other aspects, like navigating traffic or enjoying the ride.

Importance of Motor Learning:

1. Skill Acquisition:
o Motor learning is essential for acquiring new skills. Whether
learning to play a musical instrument, type on a keyboard, or
perform a sport, motor learning allows for the gradual
improvement of these skills through practice.
2. Adaptability:
o Motor learning enables individuals to adapt to new situations or
changes in the environment. For example, a soccer player can
adjust their kicking technique based on the condition of the field
or the position of opponents.
3. Efficiency and Automation:
o Through motor learning, movements become more efficient and
require less cognitive effort. This automation frees up mental
resources for other tasks, like strategic thinking or multitasking.
4. Rehabilitation:
o Motor learning plays a crucial role in rehabilitation, helping
individuals recover lost skills or adapt to new physical conditions
following injury or illness. For example, stroke patients often
engage in motor learning exercises to regain the ability to
perform everyday tasks.

5. Lifelong Development:
o Motor learning is not limited to childhood; it continues
throughout life as individuals learn new skills or refine existing
ones. This continuous learning is vital for personal growth,
independence, and the ability to engage in a wide range of
activities.
Important:
Motor learning is the process through which individuals develop and
refine motor skills through practice and experience. It is crucial for acquiring
new skills, adapting to different environments, and improving the efficiency
of movements. Whether in sports, daily activities, or rehabilitation, motor
learning is a fundamental aspect of human development and function.

Topic 3 Reporter:
BPED 2A – ALYSA TRILLES
BPED 2B – BIANCA NAAG

THEORIES OF MOTOR DEVELOPMENT, MOTOR CONTROL

AND MOTOR SKILLS

The theories of motor development, motor control, and motor skills

provide different perspectives on how movements are acquired, coordinated,
and refined throughout a person's life. Though related, they focus on distinct
aspects of movement and learning.

1. Theories of Motor Development:

Motor development theories focus on the progression of movement abilities
over time, particularly from infancy through childhood. These theories
address how motor abilities emerge, change, and mature as a person grows.

 Maturational Theory: Suggests that motor development is primarily

driven by genetic factors and the maturation of the central nervous
system. According to this theory, motor skills develop in a fixed
sequence as the nervous system matures, with little influence from the
environment.
 Dynamic Systems Theory: Proposes that motor development is a
complex process influenced by the interaction of multiple systems,
including the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, and
environment. This theory emphasizes that development is not linear
and that movement patterns emerge from the interaction of these
systems.
 Ecological Theory: Focuses on the relationship between the
individual and their environment. This theory suggests that motor
development is shaped by the opportunities for action provided by the
environment (affordances) and the individual’s perception of these
opportunities.
2. Theories of Motor Control:
Motor control theories explore how the nervous system organizes
and regulates movement, focusing on the processes that allow for
coordination, precision, and adaptability in movement.

 Hierarchical Theory: Proposes that the control of movement is

organized in a top-down manner, with higher brain centers (like the
cerebral cortex) directing and controlling lower centers (such as the
spinal cord). This theory suggests that movement control is based on a
rigid hierarchy.
 Motor Program Theory: Suggests that movement is controlled by
pre-programmed sets of instructions (motor programs) stored in the
brain. These programs are activated to produce specific movements,
and feedback is used to make adjustments.
 Dynamic Systems Theory (in Motor Control): Also applies to
motor control, emphasizing that movement is a result of the
interaction between various systems within the body and the
environment. Control emerges from the interaction of these systems
rather than being dictated by a single command center.

3. Theories of Motor Skills:

Motor skills theories focus on the acquisition, refinement, and
performance of specific skills. These theories address how practice,
feedback, and experience contribute to the development of skilled
movement.

 Fitts and Posner’s Three-Stage Model: Describes motor skill

acquisition in three stages:
o Cognitive Stage: The learner understands the task and tries to
develop strategies to perform it. Movements are typically
awkward and require conscious effort.
o Associative Stage: The learner begins to refine the movement,
with less conscious effort and more fluidity.
o Autonomous Stage: The skill becomes automatic, requiring
little conscious thought, allowing the individual to focus on other
aspects of performance.

 Schmidt’s Schema Theory: Suggests that motor skills are acquired

by developing generalized motor programs (schemas) that can be
adapted to different situations. The theory emphasizes the importance
of variable practice to create flexible and adaptable motor skills.

 Gentile’s Two-Stage Model: Proposes that motor skill acquisition

occurs in two stages:
 o Getting the Idea of the Movement: The learner understands
the basic pattern of the movement and how to coordinate the
different components.
o Fixation/Diversification: The learner refines the movement to
make it more consistent (fixation) and adaptable to different
situations (diversification).

Distinction Between the Theories:

 Motor Development Theories: Focus on the progression and
sequence of motor abilities over time, considering how movements
emerge and change from infancy to adulthood.
 Motor Control Theories: Concentrate on the mechanisms and
processes that allow the nervous system to regulate and produce
coordinated movements, often examining how movements are planned
and executed in real-time.
 Motor Skills Theories: Deal with the acquisition and refinement
of specific movements, addressing how individuals learn to perform
complex tasks efficiently and automatically through practice and
experience.

Summary:
 Motor Development is about how movement abilities evolve over
time.
 Motor Control is about how the brain and body manage and execute
movements.
 Motor Skills focus on how specific movements are learned, refined,
and perfected.

Each area offers a unique perspective on movement, from how it

develops to how it is controlled and perfected.