Fine Motor Development

To many people, fine motor development means the way a child holds and uses pencils, crayons, and scissors. but fine motor development is much more. To understand fine motor development it is important to understand a little about how the human body develops.

Human development progresses from the head down and from the trunk outward. The torso and shoulders develop long before the elbows, the hips long before the knees, and so on. In other words, skilled use of one's hands and fingers is the last in a long process of development.

Fine motor development is enhanced early in life by many opportunities to develoop and refine large motor skills. It is developed by giving young children big pieces of paper and large crayons, allowing them to practice their movements. We also help children's fine motor development through a variety of activities, such as working with playdough, constructing with Legos and Tinkertoys, stringing beads, doing puzzles, and playing with pegboards and other table toys.

Such engrossing activities are better than tasks at which the child may "fail" or those that are very repetitive. Through these fun, natural activities, children improve their fine motor development without frustration or boredom.

Let's Pretend
The Artful Classroom
Let's Go Outside!
Large Motor Development
Sensational Sand
The Listening Center
Learning with Blocks
The Write Stuff
The Reading Area
Science by Discovery
Wonderful, Wet Water
Fine Motor Development