ABSTRACT
Motor development can be defined as the gradual acquisition of control and/or use of the large and small muscle masses of the body. A major function of the human nervous system is the coordinated control of movement. Evidence is clear that the acquisition of coordinated movements is inextricably linked to the development of the brain and that perception and action are intricately interrelated both early and throughout life. Gross motor development may be defined simply as the acquisition of control and use of the large muscle masses of the body. Functional motor skills are skills performed in natural and/or meaningful contexts and make up the primary activities that practitioners perform on a daily basis. These movement skills are manifested in the form of specific sports skills and/or other specialized, complex movement behaviors. The preschool years are a period of rapid and important changes in the development of large muscle or gross motor coordination.
