From birth, children use their senses and their growing mobility, agility and dexterity to learn. As babies and young children practise and refine the actions of leg-kicking, arm-waving, rolling and reaching, crawling and grasping, walking and manipulating, they are not only gaining control of their bodies, they are also affirming their sense of self, furthering their understanding of the world and experiencing great enjoyment.
Emmi Pikler believed that children’s motor development unfolded naturally and autonomously. She said, ‘The process of motor development does not entail going from helplessness to independence… During each phase of their development [children] are capable of initiating and mastering new postures and movements without the immediate help of an adult.’
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