Psychomotricity: Key Concepts, Body Schema and Relaxation in School Education

Psychomotricity: Psychological and Motor Relationships

Psychomotricity is the relationship between two elements: psychological and motor. Understanding psychomotricity means studying the set of phenomena related to body movement and the capacities that allow an individual to develop their capture and participation in the environment.

Psychomotricity in School

Teachers work with different norms, which depend on the evolution that each child has had during their developmental periods. Current trends attribute an active role to the child's experiences and to the assimilation process of the child.

Psychomotricity in School: What the School Should Know

Starting Point: The Child's Experience

The child's activity is not passive. The child is intervening, acting as the protagonist of their own learning.

• In psychomotricity, all work is based on basic motor behaviors: general coordination of the whole body. Basic behaviors are called behaviors because they are single, simple movements that can be developed and stored to serve more complex behaviors.
• Based on the role of elimination: In the school stage, psychomotor education takes on the role of teacher and creates an authentic relationship between people.
• Take advantage of spontaneous situations: Be open and welcome changes, since children's contributions are necessary. Activities should be engaging, otherwise boredom sets in.
• Prefer to favor always the individual over the group: Work should be based on personalized education that meets the individual needs of each subject.

3. Fundamental Concepts

3.1 Body Schema

The body schema is the mental representation that each subject has of their own body. It is definitive for the development of psychomotricity. The body schema is a representation that develops through a series of manifestations.

The child must mentally perceive their own body as a unit, although they also must imagine each of the segments that form that body.

3.2 Tone

Muscular tone is the tension or degree of distension of the muscles that allows us to take or acquire a determined position. The child, while changing, is gaining greater control over their tone as movements are performed. This is a key factor in the acceptance of knowledge about one's own body.

Two types can be differentiated:

• Basic tonic or muscular tone: Occurs when we try experimenting with a movement alone or when we perform tonic activity. The muscle contracts or relaxes when not performing a specific action. It is necessary to reach an adequate level of excitation that allows us to maintain balance.
• Muscular tone in relation to kinetic activity: When tonic activity is produced together with kinetic activity, it is possible to perform specific actions such as going, returning the head, bending, etc. Some muscles maintain tension or force to stay adjusted to others.

3.3 Relaxation

Relaxation is a state of muscular rest that is reached through specific techniques.

• Direct: No auxiliary means are used. Relaxation is achieved through descriptive guidance.
• Indirect or imaginative: Auxiliary means are always used. The simplest method is the use of voice, music, sounds, or images, which help the subject relax through different tonic associations.

Depending on the Function of Tonic or Kinetic Aspects

• Tonic: When tonic aspects are used.
• Kinetic: When kinetic aspects are used.
• Mixed: When tonic and kinetic aspects are combined, alternating and contrasting according to the subject's needs.

Depending on the Body Parts to Be Relaxed

• Partial: When only one or some parts of the body are relaxed.
• Total: When the whole body is relaxed. Two differences can be distinguished:
  • Total global relaxation: The whole body is relaxed at the same time to form a general unity.
  • Total segmentary relaxation: The body is relaxed part by part, over different times. It is ideal to begin with the legs, although arms can also be started first.

Planning

Planning must take different aspects into account:

• To whom is it directed: Consider the age and characteristics of the subjects who will relax. For children under five, it is advisable to use large body segments, and relaxation should be conducted over a short time to ensure they enjoy the experience and benefit from it.
• The place where relaxation will occur: It can be held in the classroom, gym, a room with air, or a library, using special mats, carpets, or rugs if necessary. The place should be quiet and semi-dark. If the room has a window, it is preferable that subjects are not in direct contact with the light.
• Time to take into account: The ideal time is between 3:30 and 4:30 PM, or after recess when possible.
• Planning the duration: It is important to plan the process, which should develop in stages. Each stage should not last the same amount of time (introduction, core, awakening).
• Elaboration and history: Write down the planned steps, since one cannot improvise and march forward. This aspect is especially important in the first sessions.

Keep the planned steps as close as possible, timing them carefully. Pay attention to the speed of the voice, the intensity of the message, and avoid a monotone voice.