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Developing Fine Motor Skills

on Thursday, 28 March 2013. Posted in Toddler Tips, Baby Basics

Fine motor skills are those skills manipulated by small muscle movements: those that occur in the finger, in coordination with the eyes

Developing Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are those skills manipulated by small muscle movements: those that occur in the finger, in coordination with the eyes.  As a child develops there is a natural progression of fine motor skills. A child learns to control his/her body from the inside out or by naturally starting at their shoulder and moving their way down to their fingertips. Obviously, when a child picks up a crayon for the first time, he/she does not hold it with a perfect, mature-like grasp. In general, three year-olds do not know how to use a scissors (which is a good thing most times).

However, these are the things that parents can work on at home to help their child develop these skills; these skills can be taught before preschool or kindergarten as fine motor skills are important in most school activities as well as in life in general. 

Weaknesses in fine motor skills can affect a child’s ability to eat, write, turn pages in a book, colour pictures, and perform personal tasks such as dressing or combing one's hair.  If you suspect your child has fine motor weaknesses that may ultimately affect his/her education, seek a professional evaluation from your physician or an occupational therapist. Such professionals can determine how significant the problem is and provide important information to improve your child’s motor skills.  Improving your child’s motor skills requires patience and time. A child experiencing movement difficulties needs constant feedback and will physically need to be taken through movements.  Some of these difficulties will disappear with maturity; some sadly will not. The longer inefficient physical movement is allowed, such as incorrect pencil grip, the harder it becomes to correct because the child practices poor movements which become bad habits. These habits can be very hard to change and may ultimately lead do further education problems.
 

TIPS FOR PARENTS

  • Try to make your child as independent as possible. This of course means, that you need to refrain from completing tasks for your child, including such common daily requirements as tying shoelaces, brushing teeth and dressing. Instead, be there to assist your child.

 

  • Be patient with your child because it does take longer for children to learn skills. Praise your child’s efforts as well.

 

  • To help develop your child’s writing grasp, have your child color with broken crayons. Any small item forces a child to use his finger pads on the utensil instead of grasping it in a fisted manner.

 

  • Scissor skills are for older toddlers; however, it is never too early to develop the same skills with other activities (without using a scissor). Simple activities, such as assisting your toddler water the plants in the house with a squirt bottle. Also, have your toddler use tongs to pick up various items in the house, such as cotton balls, toys, food, etc. These activities will help develop the muscles used for cutting as well as familiarise them with the motion.


Overall, it is vitally important for children to be exposed to a variety of activities, sounds, sights, smells, and movement to develop a rich, full sensory system. 
 

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