Developing Fine Motor Skills

Writing is an important skill, and one that can be encouraged from an early age. As early childhood educators, there are several ways that we work to foster a love of writing in our classrooms while developing fine motor skills. Here are a few suggestions for setting up a fun, inviting and engaging “office” area for your young child at home.

• Have materials such as single hole punches, scissors, staplers and tape available. In addition to being lots of fun, these items help children develop dexterity while strengthening their hand muscles.
• Short markers (such as crayola pip-squeaks) short colored pencils and triangular crayons help foster proper tripod grip.
• Alphabet and number cards are a great reference for children who are ready to begin writing letters and numbers independently.
• Offer children a variety of types and sizes and paper allows them to practice drawing and writing in different scales.

Having these materials available for your children will help to set the stage for a lifetime of writing! If you are looking for extra support at home, contact us, to set up a meeting with one of our preschool or elementary educators who can help you and your family support early learners in your family to develop fine motor skills, literacy skills, and numeracy skills.