QUESTION
Discuss the physical characteristics of a learner.
Course: Human Development & Learning
Course code 8610
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
Course code 8610
Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment
ANSWER
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LEARNERS
It is important to consider the
physical characteristics of learners since their physical needs influence the
nature of instruction and the learning environment. Although children who form an
educational group at a school usually share similar physical attributes due to the same age and rather similar socio-economic backgrounds, growth patterns, and
physical characteristics may vary with regard to gender and prior experiences.
This section highlights the physical characteristics of pre and elementary
school children.
Children need to move
Children at the pre and elementary school levels have an inherent need to move their bodies. It is,
thus, difficult for them to remain static with little or no body movement while
working on sedentary activities.
Improved eye-hand coordination
Eye-hand coordination also
referred to as visual motor integration skills, begins to develop during
infancy. It controls the hand movement of a child guided by his/her vision.
Although this coordination is not sophisticated during infancy, it reaches the point of near independence during the preschool years and continues to
improve through middle childhood.
Improved body coordination
Balance and coordination are critical physical
attributes that help the child to maintain a controlled body position while
performing a task. While the pre and elementary school children show increased
body coordination in high-energy activities such as running, climbing, etc, they
can still fall easily. It is, thus, important to remain vigilant and ensure
safety and injury prevention measures
Improved perceptual abilities
Although the five basic senses
are well-developed at birth, the child continues to develop perceptual
abilities during pre and elementary school years. These improved abilities help
the child to interact with the physical and social world in an effective way.
Improved
gross and fine motor skills
Motor skill development follows the
'general to specific' growth pattern among children. Children tend to develop
gross motor well in advance before they start to develop fine motor skills.
Pre and elementary school children develop better upper body mobility and
coordination. They continue to develop improved gross motor skills through age
7 and beyond. This results in refined fine motor skills for children which help
them to manipulate sharp objects etc with greater precision. The development of
fine motor skills is crucial for other activities which require increased
physical controls and skills such as writing, painting, etc.
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