What are gross motor skills?

• A. The ability to perform precise finger movements for writing.
• B. The coordination of small hand muscles for delicate tasks.
• C. Goal-directed movements that involve larger muscle groups, such as walking and ROM.
• D. The use of cognitive processes to decide movement.

Answer: (C)

Gross motor skills involve movements that use large muscle groups to produce whole-body actions. They require balance, strength, and coordination of the arms, legs, and trunk. Walking, running, jumping, and climbing are classic examples. The option describing goal-directed movements that use larger muscle groups, such as walking and performing range-of-motion with large joints, best fits this idea. Fine motor skills, in contrast, involve small muscles of the hands and fingers for precise tasks (like writing), and simply deciding how to move is more about motor planning than the size of the muscle groups used.