When we think of fine motor skills the
word dexterity often comes to mind. These skills are the
coordination of small muscle movements, such as in the fingers and
hands, (also toes, lips, tongue, etc.) along with the eyes. Often a
child with a fine motor skill deficit may have difficulty with
handwriting, painting, using scissors, and even dressing themselves
or tying shoes. You may even be surprised to know that fine motor
deficits can affect facial expressions and eating.
A Doctor can make a referral to an
Occupational Therapist who can do an evaluation to see if there are
fine motor skill deficits and recommend specific interventions for
your child/student. This may also happen within a school setting as
well. If you already have that information, or just want to
encourage those skills in your child/student, there are lots of
activities that are done everyday that work on those fine motor
skills. For example, just passing an object from one hand to the
other is a wonderful activity that works on fine motor skills.
Picking up those little o-shaped cereal pieces are great for the
pincer grasp. Building towers with blocks and cutting with scissors,
not to mention learning how to tie shoes, all work on fine motor
skills. Plus they are all so much fun!!
Do2Learn has a Fine Motor SkillsActivity Book available that is designed to improve fine motor
skills. It contains activities that provide positive sensory
feedback and enhances hand-eye coordination. These activities also
exercise the muscles needed to manipulate a pencil in a mature tripod
grasp. Work on this grasp is needed to prevent fatigue during
handwriting activities.
For more information on fine motor
skills development and activities be sure to check out this page.
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