Activity: Teaching strategies for Physical Development in ECCE

 Proper physical development at ECCE level leads the way to a positive attitude towards a healthy,
active way of life. ECCE teachers should give special attention on the physical development of the
students.
 To keep a complete record of the increase in body and weight of the students, there should be
arrangements (by the teacher or by the school) to measure their weight and height on regular
intervals, say on monthly basis. If a child doesn’t show the desired increase in body and height,
the situation must be reported to the parents.
 Outdoor time can be utilized for activities of physical development.
 Till the age of 3 years, children tend to develop many gross motor skills like walking, running,
throwing, etc. but they are not as accurate due to lack of mature larger muscles. With the passage
of time, these muscles mature, and gross motor skills improve.
 If at this stage, the students are properly looked after and engaged, optimum physical
development in the coming years can be ensured.
 The teacher may ask the students to walk with some kind of load in his / her hands or at back.
 Walking backwards is also a very good technique.
 For balance and posture, spoon-egg race (both in hand or in mouth) is a widely used activity.
 The students should be provided opportunities to throw a ball at a certain distance, climb on a
ladder and stairs, and jump over small objects with balance and control.
 If the school has some outdoor gross motor equipment e.g. climbing frames, swings, jumping
pads, etc., the teacher should provide support and facilitation in activities.
 Playing local and traditional games at school is also a welcomed idea.
 Furthermore, he or she must ensure his / her presence during these activities. The most important
consideration is to give a risk-free environment for children.
 All the equipment and tools should not have any sharp edges.
 All other physical activities should also be designed and executed in such a way that there must
be no chance of injury.
Developing fine motor skills is largely based on developing hand-eye coordination. Joining dots and
coloring a specific area are good techniques for developing fine motor skills. The activities of creative arts
can also be merged to this purpose e.g. use of scissors, water and sand play, etc.