Early Years Motor Screening Programme

Diagnostic Criteria

Balance on one leg

Bouncing and catching a ball

Catching a ball with one hand

Directions

Encourage children to fix their eyes on a spot and use their arms to help balance. Aim for 5 seconds (1 elephant, 2 elephant, 3 elephant etc helps them count to the correct timing.)

Here we are looking for control and coordination, and bouncing the ball to chest height

We want to see if children can catch with a tennis ball ideally, but you can also try using a scarf and a squashy ball to help with access to this. Don’t tick off this skill until children can complete the task with a tennis ball.

Call out the directions – forwards, backwards, sideways, low, tall etc, clockwise, anticlockwise etc.

Hopping on one leg

Jumping over an object

Kicking a ball

Know body parts

Here we are looking for controlled movements, not wobbling from side to side. Ensure children have enough space to not bump into one another or to the wall.

Begin with a simple beanbag to see if children can confidently jump with a two footed take off and a two footed landing, looking for use of arm swing and bent knees on landing.

Here we are looking for a controlled stop and kick the ball to begin with, progressing to kicking the ball without a stop. We are looking for being able to send the ball in the correct direction and with control.

Practice calling out different body parts and also the children to touch them to check they understand every body part and its name.

Posture 1

Responding to a rhythm

Responding to rhythm with feet

Rolling the ball

We are looking for the ability for the child to sit upright without a curved back. Can the hold this position for 30 seconds?

Clap a rhythm and ask children to clap it back to you in question and answer.

Use feet to respond to the rhythm in question and answer.

Ask children to begin with two hands and then progress to using one hand only to send and receive the ball. This needs to be with control and coordination.

Sending and receiving

Striking an object

Throwing objects in a box

This needs to be a two hand throw received and sent with control and coordination.

Ensure children have enough space for this to not bump into each other. We are looking for good hand eye coordination to send the ball in the correct direction.

Try a variety of objects, bean bags, spiky balls or tennis balls. We are looking for an underarm throw, sending with accuracy to the box.

	Edit This Favorite
Name:
Category:
Share:	Yes No, Keep Private

Edit This Favorite