Supporting Infant Motor Development in a Community-Based Child Care Setting

Abstract

As the first year of life is a critical period for motor development, infants require support from caregivers to maximize their development to promote occupational engagement. In community-based child care centers, a lack of knowledge and confidence can inhibit teachers from following best practices guidelines for supporting infant motor development in the classroom. This capstone project aimed to increase teacher knowledge of infant motor development and confidence in building motor skills in the classroom through education and modeling of activities. Results from quantitative and qualitative data analysis revealed that education and modeling increased teacher knowledge and confidence in supporting infant motor development. This project adds to the growing body of research that supports teacher education as an effective method for supporting infant motor development in child care settings.