• What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the body. The coordination of these small muscles are required for small movements like cutting, writing, opening water bottles, tying shoes, etc. Young children benefit from daily practice to help develop fine motor skills in their hands and fingers.

• Why it’s important

Fine motor skills are a staple of a child’s development and are essential to function. Young children learning to draw and write benefit from experiences that support the development of fine motor skills in the hands and fingers. Children should have strength and dexterity in their hands and fingers before being asked to manipulate a pencil on paper. Strengthening these skills are important because they directly impact how well a child can write as well as increase their stamina for writing.

• What deficits might look like

  • Has difficulties reopening the scissors when cutting, turning the paper in “helper hand” when cutting

  • Difficulty/fumbling with zippers and buttons

  • Awkward grasps on pencils, crayons and school tools

  • When printing his/her name, it is often illegible or very difficult to read

  • Pencil/crayon strokes are light

  • Uses whole arm movements (vs. smaller finger/wrist movements)

  • Switches between left and right hand when picking up tools for drawing, cutting and printing