EDEC5008: Health, Safety and
Physical Education in Early
Childhood - Study Period 4, 2025
Dr Geraldine Lane UC
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Copyright Regulation 1969
WARNING
This material has been copied and communicated to you by or on
behalf of Curtin University of Technology pursuant to Part VB of
the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act)
The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under
theAct. Any further copying or communication of this material by you
may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act.
Do not remove this notice
Acknowledgement of Country
Curtin University acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future traditional custodians and
elders of the Nation’s First Peoples and continuation of their cultural, spiritual and educational practices. We
pay particular respect to the traditional owners of the land on which our Bentley campus is located, the Wadjuk
people of the Noongar nation.
Remember that all
children will develop at
their own pace, and it
is our job to help them
to develop the
necessary skills as they
grow
Gabbard p245
Reflexes
Refer to Gabbard pp 238 – 278 for a thorough
exploration of reflexes and early development
Reflexes are involuntary movement reactions
elicited by sensory stimuli such as sound, light,
touch, body position etc
They are controlled primarily by the subcortical
areas which are also responsible for numerous
involuntary, life sustaining processes such as
breathing and heart rate
The body’s initial movement responses are
controlled in the subcortical areas due to the
maturational state of the central nervous system
 For the first 6 months to one year, the
human organism is essentially a reflex
machine that undergoes a continuous
process of neuromuscular functional
maturation
 As the nervous system matures, reflexes
come under the command of the brain
stem and midbrain
 Eventually, voluntary motor behaviour
takes over
 However, some reflexes such as coughing,
blinking and sneezing persist throughout life

Terms used in PE
 Cephalocaudal Law – {pronounced SEFFA-LOW-COR-DAL}– development from
head to feet {think development of baby}
 Proximodistal Law –{pronounced prox-I - mo - dis – till } development from centre
of body to extremities
 Gross Motor Development: development and coordination of large muscles of
arms, legs, chest, back and abdominals. Gross Motor Skills are also fundamental
movement skills.
 Fine Motor Development: development and coordination of fingers, toes, hands,
eyes(muscles) and face.
Motor Development in Early Childhood (Birth–8 Years)
What is motor development?
Why it matters in early childhood
Birth to 8 years: a critical window
Types of
Motor
Development
Gross motor skills
Fine motor skills
Perceptual–motor
integration
Motor Development from Birth to 2 Years
•Reflexive movements
•Postural control
•Early locomotion and object manipulation
Physical Development –
Gross Motor Fine Motor
Motor Development from 2 to 5 Years
RAPID IMPROVEMENT IN
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
INCREASING FINE
MOTOR CONTROL
EXPLORATION THROUGH
PLAY

Motor Development from 5 to 8 Years
 Between five and eight years, children consolidate and refine fundamental
movement skills, including locomotor skills (running, hopping), object-control skills
(throwing, catching), and stability skills (balancing, twisting). These skills form the
foundation for participation in games, sports, and physical activity across the
lifespan. Fine motor skills become more precise, supporting writing, drawing, and
classroom tasks. Competence in motor skills is strongly linked to confidence, peer
interaction, and engagement in school learning.
Expected Gross Motor Dev
7 – 8 YEARS
 Safely performing a forward roll
 Running smoothly with arms, opposing legs and a narrow base of support (feet not too far apart)
 Running around obstacles while maintaining balance
 Stepping forward with leg on opposite side as throwing arm when throwing a ball
 Kicking a soccer ball with reasonable accuracy
 Kicking a football with reasonable accuracy and consistency
 Jumping over an object and landing on both feet together
 Catching a small ball using hands only
 Developing a mature pattern of throwing, kicking and striking
 Know left and right
 Standing and maintaining balance on one foot
 Using a skipping rope
 Hopping on one foot
 Riding a bike
9 - 12 YEARS
 Increased stamina, body strength and hand dexterity
 Enjoy team games
 Able to swim
 Show increased body awareness and self-perception
 Show increased awareness of own physical skills
 Improved reaction time (think crossing roads)
 Females are up to two years ahead of males in physical maturity
Physical Skill
Acquisition
Begins with Spatial Awareness
 Spatial awareness allows us to be conscious of the things in
our environment as well as our position relative to them.
 Having spatial awareness can inform you of how people
and objects move through the environment. This can help
you navigate your surroundings.
 Children in the first year of schooling have limited spatial
awareness so they need to experience different situations
and activities to develop the awareness.
Physical Skill Acquisition
Then moves to Body Awareness
o Body awareness is a person’s understanding of
their own body parts and their capability of
movement
o Teachers can play lots of different body
games to get an insight into a student’s body
awareness
Physical Skill
Acquisition
And then there is Motor Memory…
 The ability to visually and aurally copy single
movements, movement patterns and rhythmic
patterns

Fine Motor Skills
o Involve the use of the smaller muscles of the
hands, commonly in activities like using pencils,
scissors, construction, doing up buttons and
opening lunch boxes
o Fine motor skill efficiency significantly influences
the quality of the task outcome as well as the
speed of task performance
o Efficient fine motor skills require a number of
independent skills to work together to
appropriately manipulate the object or perform
the task.
Factors
Influencing
Motor
Development
Biological
and
neurological
maturation
Importance of Motor Development in Early Childhood Education
EYLF OUTCOME 3:
WELLBEING
COGNITIVE, SOCIAL,
AND EMOTIONAL LINKS
LIFELONG PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
Supporting
Motor
Development:
Educator
Practice
Intentional movement
experiences
Play-based and
inclusive strategies
Observation and
support

What should I
generally be able
to observe/expect
from an ‘average’
5 year old
student?
Ideally, children should participate in 60 minutes of
continuous activity. However, for both older
children and toddlers the daily amount of activity
can be split up throughout the day.
For example, two 30-minute segments or four 15-
minute segments for children is still beneficial.
Setting up effective activities and experiences both indoors and outdoors…
Classroom practices: Intentional Planning of
Movement Opportunities
 Effective motor development does not occur by chance. Early childhood teachers
intentionally plan daily opportunities for movement across routines, play, and learning
experiences.
 Key practices include:
 Embedding movement across the day, not just during “outdoor play”
 Planning both structured (guided activities) and unstructured (free play) movement
 Ensuring progression from simple to more complex motor skills
 Repeating experiences to support mastery and confidence
Creating Rich
Indoor and
Outdoor
Environments
The physical environment plays a critical role
in supporting motor development.
Effective classroom environments:
Provide open-ended equipment (balls, hoops,
scarves, blocks, balance equipment)
Offer varied surfaces (grass, mats, ramps, soft
play, uneven ground)
Include spaces for large movements indoors
as well as outdoors
Allow children to move freely, safely, and
independently
Promoting
Gross Motor
Development
Through Play
Teachers support gross motor development by designing play
experiences that encourage whole-body movement.
Examples include:
Obstacle courses for climbing, crawling, balancing, and
jumping
Music and movement activities (dance, action songs, rhythm
games)
Ball play to develop throwing, catching, kicking, and striking
Outdoor play that includes running, riding, climbing, and
chasing games
Supporting
Fine Motor
Development
in Everyday
Learning
Fine motor development is embedded in daily
classroom activities, not limited to writing tasks.
Effective practices include:
Providing tools such as tweezers, peg boards,
threading beads, playdough
Encouraging drawing, painting, cutting, and
collage activities
Supporting self-help skills (zips, buttons, utensils)
Offering varied writing and mark-making tools
before formal handwriting
Using Play-
Based and
Child-Led
Approaches
Play-based learning is central to motor
development in early childhood.
Teachers:
Follow children’s interests to extend
movement opportunities
Allow children to repeat movements and
experiments at their own pace
Encourage problem-solving through physical
challenges
Avoid over-directing or correcting movement
excessively
Inclusive and
Differentiated
Practice
Inclusive practice ensures that all children can
participate meaningfully in movement experiences.
Teachers promote inclusion by:
Adapting equipment size, weight, or height
Modifying rules or expectations
Providing alternative ways to engage in movement
tasks
Using strengths-based language and encouragement
Collaborating with families and allied health
professionals when needed
Observation,
Assessment,
and
Responsive
Teaching
Teachers continuously observe children’s motor
development to inform practice.
Effective strategies include:
Observing movement during natural play rather than
formal testing
Noting confidence, coordination, balance, and
engagement
Identifying emerging skills and areas requiring support
Adjusting environments and experiences based on
observations
Assessment is formative and supports planning rather
than labelling.
Embedding
Motor
Development
Across the
Curriculum
Motor development supports learning across all
domains.
Teachers integrate movement by:
Using movement to support literacy (action stories, letter
formation through movement)
Incorporating maths through spatial awareness and
body movement
Supporting social skills through cooperative physical
play
Linking movement to wellbeing, self-regulation, and
emotional development
This holistic approach reflects the interconnected
nature of learning in early childhood.
Summary
 Early childhood teachers promote
motor development through
intentional planning, play-based
learning, inclusive environments, and
responsive teaching. By embedding
movement across the daily program
and valuing diverse developmental
pathways, educators support
children’s physical competence,
confidence, wellbeing, and lifelong
engagement in physical activity.
ANY QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING

学霸联盟