Have you ever heard about praxias and their vital importance in child development? In summary we can tell you that praxias are essential motor skills for carrying out coordinated and purposeful movements. In children, the adequate development of these skills is crucial for their autonomy and success in daily activities. Throughout the next post we will tell you everything about praxias, what they are, what types there are, why they are so important, what benefits they provide, how to work on them and we will give you some very useful advice.

What are praxias in children?

Praxias in children are learned motor skills that allow them to make coordinated movements with a specific purpose. These skills basically develop gradually as the child matures and learns to interact with the world around him.

Importance of practices in children

Praxias are vital in the lives of children, since they are those that are involved in each of the child's interactions with their space and environment. Among other things, the importance of praxias in children lies in:

Basis for motor development

Praxias lay the foundation for mastery of fine motor skills (precise movements of hands and fingers) and gross motor skills (broad movements involving arms, legs, and trunk). These skills are crucial for activities for children at home such as writing, drawing, fastening buttons, throwing a ball, kicking a ball, or climbing a tree.

Language skills

Orofacial praxias are essential for the development of speech, since they allow precise control of the mouth, tongue, lips and jaw, achieving the movements that are made to correctly articulate sounds and words.

Learning and autonomy

Ideomotor and ideatory praxias make it possible for the child to be able to manipulate objects, explore their environment, carry out manual activities and progress in their autonomy. Thanks to these skills, they can perform independently in everyday tasks such as dressing, eating or bathing.

Types of practices

As you may have read in the previous section, there are different types of praxis. We explain each of them below:

Oculocephalic

Oculocephalic praxias are those necessary to coordinate the movements of the eyes with the head. These abilities allow you to follow objects with your eyes, focus on both near and far objects, and make rapid eye movements. They are essential for activities such as reading, writing and visual exploration of the environment, allowing visual information to be processed efficiently and effectively.

Orofacial

Orofacial praxias control the movements of the mouth, tongue, lips, and jaw. As we already explained, they are crucial for talking, eating, drinking and making facial expressions. Adequate development of these motor skills is vital to prevent difficulties such as dyslalias, which are errors in the pronunciation of words. In addition, orofacial praxis are essential for verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as for proper nutrition.

Ideomotor

Ideomotor praxias form the basis for the development of more complex motor skills, facilitating social interaction and gestural communication, because they allow the performance of simple gestures with the hands and arms. These include actions such as imitating movements, pointing at objects or greeting. They are important so that individuals can express intentions and emotions through simple and understandable movements.

Ideatorial

Ideatory praxias involve the planning and execution of more complex movement sequences, being strictly necessary for activities such as dressing, using utensils, or doing crafts. Of course, they are essential for autonomy and independence in daily activities, such as making food, organizing a space or making the bed.

Visoconstructive

Visual-constructive practices allow us to copy drawings, model objects, put together puzzles and follow visual instructions, since they involve visual-motor coordination and spatial perception. They are essential for learning and problem solving, as they allow visual information to be interpreted and reproduced accurately.

Other practices

In addition, there are other important practices, such as auditory-motor practices, which coordinate hearing with movements. The tactile-motor coordinates touch with movements, allowing effective interaction with objects and the environment through the sense of touch.

Praxias exercises for children

Working daily on the different practices of our little ones is necessary and essential if we want them to have good development, therefore, we leave you a list of exercises that achieve this:

Oculocephalic

• Following objects with their eyes: Moving an object from one side to another while the child follows it with their eyes.
• Focus on objects: Slowly zoom in and out on an object while the child looks at it.
• Rapid eye movements: Asking the child to follow an object that is moving rapidly from one side to the other with their gaze.

Orofacial

• Stick your tongue in and out: Stick your tongue out as far as possible and then stick it in.
• Moving the tongue from one side to the other: Moving the tongue from one side of the mouth to the other.
• Make a trunk: Form a trunk with your lips.
• Smile and frown: Ask the child to smile and then frown.

Ideomotor

• Imitate gestures: Make a series of gestures for the child to imitate.
• Pointing to objects: Ask the child to point with his or her finger to specific objects.
• Greet: Teach the child different ways to greet (for example, with a hand, with a kiss).

Ideatorial

• Dressing and undressing: Guide our little one in the correct sequence for dressing and undressing.
• Use utensils: Teach you how to use cutlery, glass and other utensils correctly.
• Do crafts: Do simple crafts such as drawing, cutting or gluing.

Visoconstructive

• Copy drawings: Ask the child to copy a simple drawing.
• Assembling puzzles: Start with simple puzzles and gradually increase the difficulty.
• Follow visual instructions: Buy him simple LEGO figures to assemble alone or with little assistance.

Benefits of practices in children

Praxias offer numerous benefits for the comprehensive development of children, for example:

Improved fine motor skills

Praxias allow the child to make precise movements with the hands and fingers, essential for writing, drawing, fastening buttons, using cutlery, and performing other daily activities.

Strengthening gross motor skills

They also contribute to the development of gross motor skills, allowing coordinated movements with arms, legs and trunk. This is essential for activities such as running, jumping, climbing and playing.

Correct articulation of sounds

All movements related to correct orofacial praxia are essential to correctly articulate speech sounds and prevent difficulties such as dyslalia. Also allowing, among other things, verbal fluency and for the child to express himself fluently and safely.

They facilitate learning

As these allow the child to manipulate objects, explore their environment, carry out manual activities and progress in their autonomy, they facilitate all adaptation, communication and learning processes.

Greater independence

In general, praxias are transversal skills that impact various aspects of children's daily lives. They allow them to make coordinated movements to play, interact with their peers, participate in sports activities, express their emotions and navigate their surroundings with confidence.

Increased self-esteem

An adequate development of practices contributes to improving the child's self-esteem, since it makes them feel capable of carrying out various tasks and activities autonomously.

Reducing the risk of dyspraxia

Early stimulation of praxias helps prevent or minimize the symptoms of dyspraxia, a motor development disorder that affects coordination and planning of movements.

Improved quality of life

In general, the proper development of practices contributes to improving the quality of life of children, allowing them to participate fully in the activities of their environment and reach their maximum potential.

Tips for working on practices in children

Finally, we leave you some tips that will surely help you when working on the practices of the little ones in your care:

• Create a suitable environment: Find a quiet place, free of distractions and with enough space for the child to move comfortably.
• Choose the right time: Make sure the child is rested, motivated and receptive to the activity.
• Establish a routine: Perform the praxia exercises regularly, at the same time each day, it will help the child create a habit and become familiar with the activities.
• Clear communication: Use simple and understandable language stimulation in children, giving clear and precise instructions.
• Be positive: Maintain a positive reinforcement and motivating attitude, reinforcing their achievements with praise and words of encouragement.
• Variety and progression: Offers a variety of exercises to work on different types of praxias, gradually increasing the difficulty as the child progresses.
• Adaptation to needs: Select exercises appropriate to the child's age, level of development and specific abilities.
• Use playful materials: Use toys, everyday objects or creative resources to make the exercises more fun and attractive for the child.
• Turn it into a game: Transform the exercises into word games or activities that the child enjoys, such as songs, dances, imitations or dramatizations.
• Active participation: Involve the child in choosing the exercises and creating the work routine.
• Consult with a professional: If you have doubts about the development of your child's praxias, it is important to consult with a professional such as a pediatrician, psychologist or occupational therapist.
• Patience and perseverance: The development of praxis requires patience and perseverance. That is why it is important to do the exercises regularly and not get discouraged at the first obstacles.
• Enjoy the process: The most important thing is that the child enjoys the learning process and has fun while doing the exercises.

Since 2003 at Kiddus we understand the importance of adapting the media and ways we use to teach to the abilities and needs of children, which is why we are a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing high-quality fashion accessories for children. Founded by a father with the vision of creating stylish and functional products, Kiddus offers you a wide range of sunglasses for children and educational watches for children of all ages. We believe in the power of play and creativity, and our mission is to help children explore the world with confidence and style.

Conclusion

In summary, the development of praxias in children not only improves their motor coordination, but also strengthens their independence and self-esteem. It is more than necessary to incorporate different activities and strategies into children's daily routines to effectively support their development and help them reach their maximum potential.