Category — 3.4 Eight to Ten 6-12: Motor Skills

Motor skills (see full Glossary) are highly developed between ages 8 and 10, and in many ways, resemble the motor skills of adults.

GROSS MOTOR

(see full Glossary)

Children at this age can:

• run smoothly;
• walk on a balance beam (Fig. 1);
• enjoy sports and may be part of a weekend sports team;
• kick and catch balls of different sizes, from different distances;
• perform somersaults (Fig. 2) and cartwheels (Fig. 3).

Figure 1. Balance beam

Figure 2. Somersault

Figure 3. Cartwheel

FINE MOTOR

Children at this age can:

• use real tools (Fig. 4) (for example, Dad’s tools or kitchen items) quite proficiently;
• write legibly;
• type complete paragraphs on the computer keyboard (Fig. 5) (if exposed to computers at home);

Figure 4. Using real tools

Figure 5. Computer keyboard

Did you know?

Children ages 8 to 10 years have a lot of physical energy that needs to be released. When planning their daily schedules, make sure you allow time for physical activity, every day of the week.