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Abstract
This article describes motor development in infancy and early childhood, especially highlighting the major motor skills in the
rst year of a childs life. The continuing development of motor skills in children means the acquisition of independence and
the ability to adapt to the physical and social environment. Motor skills in posture horizontal, vertical, and locomotor skills
allow the child greater body control and improvement of social skills and interaction. The motor behavior is the basis for the
development of other skills throughout childhood.
Introduction
Child development is a complex interaction process of biological aspects with various environmental inuences and
experiences. Theories have been developed to explain how
changes occur in the body of infants and in their ability to
interact with the environment.
The continuing development of motor skills in children
means the acquisition of independence and the ability
to adapt to the physical and social environment. Motor
skills and cognitive processes inuence each other and are
manifested mostly through behavioral motor modalities
(Flehmig, 1992).
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edition, Volume 15
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.23071-7
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5.7 months for prone to supine. Age of rolling over from supine
to prone was not inuenced by usual sleep position, infants
sex, mothers intention to breast-feed infant, number of
siblings, marital status, main daytime caregiver, or feeding
method over 9 months.
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See also: Child Care and Development across Cultures; ChildDirected Speech: Inuence on Language Development;
Cognitive Development During Infancy and Early Childhood
across Cultures; Cross-Cultural Research Methods in
Psychology; Infancy and Human Development; Longitudinal
Analyses of Sexual Development through Early Adulthood;
Pretend Play and Cognitive Development; Self in Culture: Early
Development; Self-Development in Childhood and
Adolescence; Social and Emotional Development in the Context
of the Family.
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