As educators, we are constantly thinking of how we can better facilitate the development of fine motor skills in our classrooms. But before we dive into the treasure trove of resources we have for you, let’s first consolidate a fundamental understanding of what these skills are.
Take a minute to look at the pictures below:
Photos sourced from https://www.pexels.com/
- Can you sense the movement of the small muscles in the fingers, thumbs, hands, and wrists as children engage and play?
- Can you identify the children’s ability to manipulate objects with increasing precision and control?
These are the fine motor muscles at work!
Fine Motor Developmental Milestones
Henninger (2009) explains that movement is at the centre of a child’s life and lives in all aspects of child development. Fine motor skills are the small coordinated movements and actions of the fingers, hands, arms, feet, toes, and facial muscles which are essential for the performance of everyday tasks. Children need to master the control of their fine motor muscles to help them achieve the simplest of tasks, such as tying shoelaces, drinking water, using scissors, colouring, drawing, writing, and more!
During their Early Years, children develop fine motor skills in a predictable progression. But what does that look like at every age? How does each milestone lay a foundation for the next? Can these developmental patterns give us an insight into the physical, social, and emotional growth of our little ones?
The fine motor developmental milestone continuum provides an outline of children’s fine motor skills learning journey and shows you how they are connected across age groups! Use them to plan engagements and identify where children are in their developmental journey.
Fine Motor Developmental Milestones for the EarlyYears
