Learning to descend stairs requires motor and cognitive capacities on the part of infants and opportunities for practice and assurance of safety offered by caregivers. The American Academy of Pediatrics prescribes the age strategy to teach toddlers to safely descend stairs but without much consideration for individual differences in infants'…

The objective of this study was to evaluate gross motor competence and growth spurt in Canadian youth. Eighty-two children (38 boys, 44 girls) were assessed over a time period of five years. Growth rate was measured quarterly; motor competence was evaluated once per year using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. Peak height velocity…

Alberta Education's position on the physical growth of students is presented in this paper, which focuses on children's physical growth in the areas of perceptual, structural, and motor development. Each area is first discussed in terms of three age groups: the child from infancy to preschool, the elementary child, and the adolescent. Concluding…

Recognizing the role of physical activity in helping young children to attain desired objectives, educators should continually be investigating avenues for involving children in daily physical activity. This paper presents the Active Living approach, a uniquely Canadian experience that encourages young children to be physically active every day.…