Development of Movement:

Ages Birth to Three

Montessori environments prepared for infants and toddlers emphasise the development and refinement of voluntary movement.

Activities are designed to help infants and toddlers bring their movement under the control of the mind, at the same time as they increase their independence in the environment. These activities include exercises for building whole body coordination, control of the hand and hand-eye coordination. 

Montessori infant-toddler settings include activities designed to support psycho-sensory-motor development. The term psycho-sensory-motor development refers to the changes in the infant’s brain brought about by sensory-motor experiences. As infants build motor skills, and use their senses to explore the environment, there are corresponding changes in the developing brain. Repetition of movement and the use of the senses help to strengthen neural pathways, thus, enhancing the infant’s potential in all areas of development..

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0.MV.010 Development of equilibrium: in supine position

0.MV.020 Development of equilibrium: in prone position

0.MV.030 Control and coordination of body movement

0.MV.040 Development of the hand grasp

0.MV.050 Tactile Stimulation

0.MV.060 Eye-hand coordination

Development of equlibrium: in supine position 0.MV.010

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • movement mat

  • mobiles

  • interlocking circles

  • interlocking rings

  • mirror

  • grasping mobiles.

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will:

01. Move head and eyes to look at an object

02. Transfer objects from hand to hand

03. Bring knees then feet up to mouth

04. Roll onto front using left/right side

05. Cross the midline

Development of equilibrium: in prone position 0.MV.020

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will:

01. Lie with arms and legs tucked under body

02. Put weight on elbows

03. Lift head

04. Put weight on one elbow and play with other hand

05. Roll onto back using left/right side

06. Commando crawl using diagonal cross pattern

07. Get up on all fours

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • movement mat

  • rattles

  • mirror

  • floor space

Control and coordination of body movement 0.MV.030

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will learn to control and coordinate movement of body: 

01. Put self into sitting position 

02. Pull to stand 

03. Crawl 

04. Cruise 

05. Stand  

06. Walk 

07. Sit on a chair 

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • punch ball

  • cylinder with ball

  • ottoman

  • bar and mirror

  • low heavy table

  • kiosk with bars

  • push cart

  • pull cart

  • stairs

  • weaning chair

  • low slatted chair.

Typically, children will develop and consolidate skills including: 

08. Running 

09. Jumping  

10. Climbing 

11. Swinging from arm to arm (brachiation) 

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • ramps

  • climbing frames

  • ropes

  • swings

  • ladders

  • beams

  • balls

  • wagons

  • wheelbarrows

  • brachiation bars

  • pulley lifters and weighted bags

  • Implements for sweeping, mopping, raking and gardening

Development of the hand grasp 0.MV.040

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

01. Typically, children will develop control of the hand

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • soft balls

  • wooden balls

  • wooden figures

  • bell or ring on a ribbon

02. Typically, children will explore and develop the capacities of the hand leading to development of the hand grasp and fine motor control

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • ball and tray or drawer

  • rings on a spindle

  • box with bins

  • cube in box

  • containers to open and close

  • peg box

  • balls

  • preparing food

  • sand play

  • cutting with scissors.

03. Typically, children will hold and shake rattles successfully

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • Handmade rattles small enough for a baby’s hand to grasp, hold and shake.

Tactile Stimulation 0.MV.050

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

01. Typically, children will discriminate objects by sense of touch.

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • interlocking discs

  • beads on a strap

  • interlocking rings

  • wooden articles in a variety of shapes

  • objects from the home

Eye-hand coordination 0.MV.060

Knowledge, Skills and Understanding

Typically, children will:

01. Develop control of the hand (from batting to a mature pincer grip) 

02. Coordinate eye and hand movements 

03. Cross the midline while working 

04. Use two hands together 

05. Transfer objects from hand to hand 

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • punch ball

  • box with knitted ball

  • box with other balls

  • ring on rocking base

  • ring on stable base

  • rings on a peg

  • rings on a spindle

  • graded rings

  • nuts and bolts

  • furniture with drawers, locks and keys

  • peg box

  • cubes and discs on vertical and horizontal dowels

  • egg in a cup

  • cube in a box

  • beads for stringing

  • box with different shapes for mailing

  • slotted box and chips

  • puzzles

  • range of fastenings

  • objects for opening and closing

  • sewing materials and implements for cutting and gluing.

06. Typically, children will develop the concept of object permanence

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • box with ball and tray

  • box with ball and drawer.

07. Typically, children will sort objects

＋ Materials and Activity

Resources include:

  • Collections of three-dimensional objects for sorting.

 

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