The importance of fine motor skills

What is Fine motor skills ?

this skill involves small muscles of the body that enable such functions such as writing, eating, grasping small objects, and fastening clothing.

They involve strength, fine motor control and dexterity

Fine motor skills Development Milestones

Age 0 - 3 months

• Hands most often remain closed
• Can retain an object if placed in palm
• Can play with hands
• Can plays with some baby toys that produce sound

Age 3 - 4 months

• Can reach for objects on purpose but inaccurately
• Clasps hands together often

Age 4 - 8 months

• Can hold small objects in hand
• Can pass objects from one hand to the other
• Can pick up medium sized object easily
• Sometimes places objects in mouth
• Can use pads of fingertips to grasp small objects
• Can pull objects out of container

Age 8 - 10 months

• Develops accurate forward and side reach
• Can use fingers, palm, whole hand to scoop up cereals, raisins etc.
• Can drop or release objects intentionally
• Can place objects in containers
• Can pull a string to activate a toy

Age 10 - 12 months

• Can pick up small objects using fingers
• Can point with index finger
• Can place one peg into a hole repeatedly

Age 12 - 18 months

Can hold a crayon with whole hand

Age 2 years

• Can hold a crayon with thumb and fingers
• Can put on shorts, socks, and shoes
• Can takes off shoes and socks
• Can use a spoon
• Can draw and copy a vertical line
• Can stacks large objects

Age 2.5 - 3 years

• Can string large beads
• Can cut paper with scissors
• Can roll clay into “snake”
• Can draw and copy a horizontal line
• Can throw a ball

Age 3 - 3.5years

• Can complete simple puzzles
• Can build a tower of nine small blocks or more
• Can get himself or herself dressed and
• undressed independently; only needs help with buttons and zippers; sometimes still confuses front or back for clothes, and right or left for shoes
• Can feed himself or herself with little or no spilling, drinks from a cup with one hand

Age 3.5 - 4 years

• Can string small beads
• Can pour drink from a pitcher if not too heavy
• Can hold a pencil with 3 fingers, but moves forearm and wrist to write, draw and color

Age 4 - 4.5 years

• Can use scissors to cut both straight and curved lines
• Can manage snaps, buttons, and zippers
• Can draw and copy a cross with one vertical and one horizontal intersecting line

Age 4.5 - 5 years

• Can hold fork using fingers
• Can feed soup with little or no spilling by himself or herself
• Can fold paper in half, making sure the edges meet
• Can put a key in a lock and open it

Age 5 - 6 years

• Can get dressed completely by himself or herself
• Can tie shoelaces
• Can use a dull knife to cut soft foods
• Can draw and copy a diagonal line
• Can cut square, triangle, circle, and other simple pictures with scissors
• Since small muscles of hand have developed, can use a “tripod grasp” with thumb & tips of 1st two fingers and uses fingers only to write, draw and color
• Can copies simple shapes
• Can cut out complex pictures accurately following the outline
• Can copy a sequence of letters and numbers correctly
• Can complete complex puzzles

By 6 years old, children’s fine motor skills have developed sufficiently enough to complete feeding, dressing and writing tasks properly and efficiently. They have developed adequate skillfulness in the use of the hands and body, their bilateral coordination and eye-hand coordination are developed well to complete cutting and writing tasks. Children will continue to develop and refine these skills; however the foundation is laid down within the first six years. This is why parents should assure that your child’s fine motor skills developed are in the normal range during your child’s early childhood.

Parents can do a lot of things to help your child’s fine motor skills develop, to provide your child sufficient crayons, papers, toys, games, and activities and let him or her practice and enhance these skills during his or her early childhood are crucial for your child’s future success in both personal life and professional life.