Description

This book gives us insight into the changes in the processes that have occurred due to Life Span motor Development. Few of us go very long in life without watching people change. Our younger siblings or infant sons, daughters, nieces, or nephews grow into toddlers and then preschoolers, acquiring countless new skills, great knowledge, and communication tools. Middle schoolers, before we know it, are in high school, begin driving a car, and may be becoming accomplished musicians or talented athletes. We also see parents or grandparents changing, perhaps becoming less able to do the things they once enjoyed, perhaps adapting so they can continue to do things they enjoy. So you are a develop mentalist. This text focuses on the study of motor development, observing changes in movement across the life span and attempting to sort out why and how these changes occur. You have a head start. Whether you have thought about it or not, you have watched individuals across the life span change in how they perform motor skills. Now, as you become a professional in your chosen field, or even a parent, you have the opportunity to learn more and reflect on these life span changes. In this text we focus on an interactive model of constraints to serve as a guide for better understanding these changes in movement. The model of constraints uses the individual (or mover), the environment in which the mover acts, and the task the mover is performing. Moreover, it stresses the interaction of the three that gives rise to movement. We know that individuals are on a continual path of physical change growing and maturing and then aging. The value of the model of constraints for a motor develop mentalist is that it guides our observations of the movement outcome as the individual changes and, therefore, the interaction of the individual, environment, and task changes. The model allows us to anticipate how we might change movements by altering the environment, the task, or both (something that future physical educators, physical and occupational therapists, and other practitioners will find quite useful). Using the model of constraints will help you gain a more complete view of motor development across the life span and a means for solving motor development problems long after you finish your course. In fact, understanding life span motor development will assist your progress in all movement-related fields. You will learn what motor development is as well as the theoretical and historical roots of the field. You will also observe many factors related to development of movement skills, such as growth, aging, and perception. In addition, you will discover how constraints and other factors can encourage or discourage various movements perhaps in ways you hadn�??t thought about yet! Who can benefit from reading this text? Many people interested in movement can benefit. Educators at all levels from early childhood educators to gerontologists can enhance their teaching by becoming aware of various systems of the body and how they change over time. Those in the health sciences, such as physical and occupational therapists, will find tools that assist them in observing patterns of movement. Readers in exercise science will receive guidance from the descriptions and explanations of developmental physical fitness and of processes underlying change. However, you don�??t need extensive experience in movement studies to profit from this text. Because all people go through these developmental changes during their lives, all people can benefit from understanding more about motor development. In fact, parents and future parents will gain understanding of the motor development of their children and how to foster healthful motor development. Hope this book gives you the necessary insights required, and add the value to the knowledge of the reader.