Basic Movement Patterns

Part 1

Basic Movement Patterns are fundamental movements and actions that constitute the first level of motor development. Each of us structures, develops, and consolidates them in childhood; they are strongly dependent on the ability to receive visual information, and to fully understand them we’ll use ample space in this magazine, describing various aspects in three articles published in three issues. We’ll understand what they are, how they’re built, and what they’re for. Later, we’ll understand how to achieve good structuring by means of vicarious senses and appropriate teaching projects for visually-impaired children. Finally, we’ll present a tool able to measure current skills and level of ability, and, therefore, to plan programs for greater awareness and growth.

Basic Movement Patterns are the elementary units of human movement, and are defined as “basic” because they are genetically predetermined paths of neuromotor activation, specific to the human species and essential for its survival. All motility and all subsequent activities – social, independent, sports – are composed of these elements.

Let’s present them by using a scientific classification. We have Locomotor Patterns for moving the body in space: walking, running, jumping, galloping, crawling, rolling, and climbing. Then there are Non-locomotor Patterns, which involve parts of the body without movement in space: bending, stretching, twisting, swaying, balancing, and turning. Lastly, there are Manipulation Patterns for controlling objects with our hands, feet, or other parts of the body: throwing, grasping, pushing, pulling, hitting, kicking, and lifting.

The above lists make it clear that these patterns are created and strengthened over the course of many years. Creeping, the first movement pattern learned, appears at about 8 months, but is soon followed by crawling on all fours. Then come climbing, rolling, and then walking when the infant can stand up.

Basic Movement Patterns represent the overall ability to plan, execute, and control a movement and to learn how to re-utilize them in similar situations.

They involve both the locomotor apparatus (the “motor” of the movement) and especially the ability to plan and control the movement itself (central and peripheral nervous systems).

From the psychomotor viewpoint, effective possession of these elements means having adequately stimulated the central and peripheral nervous systems for effective analysis, synthesis, and elaboration of perceived information, and having fully structured one’s “Body Schema.” The next article will explain how important it is to have a well-structured Body Schema for all aspects of life. It will also describe a number of ways in which visually-impaired children may be helped to correctly learn and develop their Basic Movement Patterns.

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