Download Gross and Fine Motor Skills and more Schemes and Mind Maps Painting in PDF only on Docsity!
There are always questions when raising
children, and since every child is different
we want to help them develop to their fullest
potential.
Some key questions in this article relate to
what fine and gross motor skills are, and
how we can support our children to develop
them. If you are unable to find the answers
you are looking for there are always com-
munity supports available to assist you.
How to help your children develop their gross and fine motor
skills.
What Are Fine Motor Skills?
Fine motor skills
are achieved
when children
learn to use their
smaller muscles,
like muscles in
the hands, fin-
gers, and wrists.
Children use their
fine motor skills
when writing,
holding small
items, buttoning
clothing, turning
pages, eating, cut-
ting with scissors,
and using computer
keyboards. Mastery
of fine motor skills
requires precision
and coordination.
Fine motor skills
develop after
gross motor
skills , which con-
trol actions like
throwing and
kicking balls, as
well as walking
and jumping.
Gross motor
skills utilize larg-
er muscle groups
and require less
precision.
Gross and Fine Motor Skills
Special points of interest: · What are fine motor skills? · What are gross motor skills? · How do we help our children develop gross and fine motor skills? · Fine motor and gross motor from birth to age five.
PAGE 2 How Do We Help Children Develop Fine Motor Skills? Practice, practice, practice. In most cases of fine motor skill development, practice does, in fact, make perfect. Some ways to develop these skills are having children do the fol- lowing activities: · Pop bubbles on bubble wrap with just the index finger and thumb. · Use an eyedropper to add colour to water · Finger painting · Puzzles · Video games · Trace shapes or letters · Legos or building blocks · Beading /Weaving · Ripping paper · Using tweezers GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS Fine Motor Skills From Birth to Age Five 1 ½ to 2 years Billy can string large beads and imitate the drawing of circles and lines. 2 - 3 years · Fold paper in half · Draw straight lines and circles · Imitate you drawing a cross · Turn single pages in a book · Snip the edges of paper with scissors (by 30 months) · Hold crayons using the thumb and fingers · Use one hand more often than the other for most activities · Build a tower of up to 9 large blocks · Put together large linking blocks, such as Megablocks · String ½ inch sized beads · Use a fork to eat · Manage large buttons 4 - 5 years · Snip paper with scissors · Undo buttons and zippers · Hold crayon or pencil correctly · Draw lines, shapes and a few letters 0 to 3 months Grasping : The baby, Billy, can hold objects for a few sec- onds. An example is babies holding their parents' fingers. This is close to a fist grip. 3 to 6 months Palmar grasp : This is also known as the fist gr ip. Billy can hold an object for up to a minute, using the palm and fingers (the whole fist). 6 to 9 months Inferior pincer grasp : Billy can pick up a small object, like a Cheerio, by putting the forearm on the table and using the side of the thumb and the first fingers. 9 to 12 months Isolated index finger : Billy can point to an object using only the index finger. Self-feeding : Billy can use finger s to eat a small piece of food. 12 - 15 months Superior pincer grasp : Billy can pick up and r elease a small object, like a Cheerio, by using the index finger and the thumb without support of the forearm. At this point, he can also turn the pages of a book, although sometimes turning many at once. 15 months to 1 ½ years Billy can hold a spoon or a crayon using the thumb, fingers, and the palm. These activities focus on smaller muscle groups. Using the same muscles can help children develop muscle memory , which is when repetition of one action allows that action to be performed almost automatical- ly without much effort. For example, pressing the correct buttons on video game controllers can be difficult the first few tries. But after playing the game a few times, we tend to master the buttons on the controller. Whether or not we can master the video game itself is a different story, but it does become second nature to press certain buttons to run or jump in the game.
· Stand alone for three to five seconds · Crawl or “bum” shuffle · Pull up to stand at furniture 24 months · Walk backwards or sideways pulling a toy · Place self into a small chair · Play in squat position · Try to run 3 years · Jump off the floor with both feet · Kick a ball forward · Stand on one foot for a few sec- onds · Walk up stairs using handrail · Walk on the tip of their toes for a few seconds without falling 4 years · Stand on one foot for at least five 0 - 4 months · Lift their heads for a short time when they are placed on their tummies · Look at objects and the faces of others Kick legs while lying on their back 4 - 6 months · Roll over from back to tum- my and tummy to back · Place their foot in their mouth while lying on their back · Use hands to reach, grasp, bang, and splash · Support their own heads Reach for toys 12 months · Walk holding onto your hands or furniture seconds · Hop on one foot one to three times · Dress or undress with help · Gallop five feet · Catch a large ball with out- stretched arms 5 years · Gallop ten feet · Stop, start, and change direc- tion smoothly when running. · Do a somersault · Catch a tennis ball from five feet away using only their hands · Run while pumping their arms · Walk down the stairs inde- pendently · Climb playground equipment without difficulty Gross Motor Skills Development Resources used: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-fine-motor-skills-in-children-development-definition-examples.html#transcriptHeader http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-gross-motor-skills-in-children-development-definition-examples.html, http://www.kamloopschildrenstherapy.org/fine-motor-skills-toddler-milestones , ndds.ca ,, Pinterest.com , http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/favorite-fine-motor- ideas-book-tools-science-activities/
