Gross Motor Skills

Gross and fine motor skills tend to develop alongside one another as a child ages and gains greater control over his or her muscles.  While fine motor skills refer to more delicate movements such as holding a pencil, picking up and manipulating objects, gross motor skills consist of movement and coordination of the arms, legs, and body as a whole. Actions linked to gross motor skills include crawling, sitting up, standing, and walking, and later running, swimming, etc. These are actions which require whole-body movements and core-stabilizing muscles. Hand-eye coordination skills such as sports-related activities (catching, throwing, and kicking a ball, for example) are also considered gross motor skills.

Gross motor skills begin to develop at birth and become more refined and improve throughout early childhood and into adolescence and adulthood. Gross motor skills develop in a “head to toe” order, beginning with stability and control of head and neck movements, followed by core stability, and then standing and walking.

Early detection of delayed development of gross motor skills allows for actions to be taken that aid a child in developing these critical skills, as well as the ability to identify and begin to treat any possible developmental issues. The purpose of the Developmental Milestones Guide is to provide easily accessible references for the development of milestones at certain ages, and to allow therapists and pediatric specialists to determine whether there may be cause for concern in a child’s development. In our guide, you’ll find tables listing specific developmental milestones for each category, including fine and gross motor skills, self-care, cognitive abilities, and language development, as well as others.

We strive to increase the understanding that these milestones are only a guide, and that because every child is unique, the age at which they reach these milestones will vary. Each page of the guide includes a section listing the age, including years and months, at which children typically achieve a particular milestone.

ORDER NOW

The Developmental Milestones Guide is essential for childhood specialists who need to be able to find references quickly and easily during day to day interactions with children and parents. Instead of spending valuable time and effort researching and looking up individual milestones, the Developmental Milestones Guide offers everything you need in one handy place. Whether you purchase it in digital or printed format, the guide is portable and easy to use. Download a digital copy of the guide, or order your printed copy today.