What are Fine Motor Skills?
It refers to skills entailing movements utilizing the small muscle groups found in the hands and wrists. These skills are particularly useful for activities like:
Typewriting and Drawing: Holding pencils, busy crayons, and also paintbrushes.
Zipping and Buttoning: Being able to wear clothes without assistance.
Scissors Use: Accurately cutting papers and other materials.
Block Construction: Putting in a vertical position and arranging various toys to create figures.
The Importance of Fine Motor Skills :
The development of fine motor skills does not only involve the hands, it impacts another dimension which is learning and development. This is the reason why they are considered important:
Schooling: Improving these skills often leads to improvement in handwriting which is one of the most basic skills taught during the onset of education.
Self-reliance: Such skills as changing clothes, eating and even performing toilet tasks makes the child self-reliant.
Addressing Barriers: The practical skills also enable the children to engage in basic problem-solving activities in a creative way.
Stages of Fine Motor Development :
Children’s development of fine motor skills appears to occur at a gradual rate, where each stage extends the previous stage. This outline intends to highlight what one should expect in as children grow:
Infants (0-12 months)
They can hold things in their hands.
They can pick up objects (e.g. a small ball) but only between the thumb and index finger.
Toddlers (1-3 years)
Imitate adult aptitude to pile blocks and take a pleasure in drawing on paper they spoiled.
They reach for and turn the pages of a book.
They attempt to manipulate their first spoons, forks or knives while eating.
Preschoolers (3-5 years)
They are able to take a pencil or a crayon in their hands. They can also draw stick figures.
They learn to operate scissors with an adult nearby.
Children can zip and button up their clothes with little assistance.
School-Aged Children (5+ years)
They can write without any evidential roughness of the fundamental strokes.
They engage in complicated crafts and create structures using appropriate tools.
In all the activities that involve teeth cleaning, depict fluency along other routine works such brushing.
Activities to Enhance Fine Motor Skills :
Making children take part in enjoyable reinforcing activities would most likely lead to improvement in fine motor skills in children. A few activities to look out for include:
Playdough and Clay: All exercises which require pinching, kneading, rolling, and cutting the clay help to exercise the muscles of the hands.
Puzzles: Enhances eye and hand coordination as well as problem solving skills.
Crafts: Engage in activities such as cutting, gluing and coloring.
Finger Painting: Helps to improve coordination and enhances creativity.
Stringing Beads: Enhances the ability to focus.
Encouraging the Development of Fine Motor Skills in Children :
When it comes to encouraging children’s fine motor skill development, the following methods are worth considering:
Provide More Materials: Allow playing with more objects like crayons, blocks, textured toys and so on.
Set up a Routine: Child’s motor skills develop with regular performance of the activity. Include motor skill activities into the daily routines.
Be Supportive: All children grow at their own levels. Reward improvement to motivate more efforts.
Ensure Safety Sphere: Check the area for toys and materials that may cause danger while examining.
Fine Motor Skills and COVID-19
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic can be said to have affected its population in very many ways, including some of the finest motor movements required. Newer findings are starting to reveal that at least in some patients, the ones affected severely by the COVID-19 virus, experience symptoms affecting their nervous system that could hinder movements such as coordination and precision. Even if the most attention has been influenced by pulmonary features such as cough, the virus penetrates the brain and these can therefore impair some fine skills such as writing skills. Therefore, excessive bed rest or prolonged inactivity during the period of recuperation also results in disuse of certain muscles, which impair fine motor skills. Occupational components and rehabilitation perform similar functions in restoring dysfunctional abilities and approaches after trauma and surgery. There is a great deal to be done in exploring these effects as more research is conducted, given that our understanding of COVID-19 risk factors keeps changing.
How to Enhance Fine Motor Skills :
Regular practice of fine motor skills and performing such activities can bring about improvement in such abilities. Here are some suggestions that can work:
Include Manipulative Play: Suggest play with manipulative toys like building blocks, Lego, puzzle among various others. These can be stimulating and help in the development of gross and fine muscle coordination.
Art and Craftwork: Creativity is the life of a child and they will instinctively draw or paint which moves along with the hand to create art. This helps in developing small muscles and muscle control of the hands.
Writing: Activities that promote handwriting include dot-to-dot activities, letter tracing and some other games which include writing to strengthen fine motor skills. These activities also encourage brain growth.
Use of Musical Instruments: Practicing or learning how to play the piano, drum, violin or guitar involves extensive uses of the fingers.
Engage Children in Activities Of Their Mohtives: Encourage children to participate in such activities like putting on clothes, using a spoon and fork while taking their meals, washing their hands. This encourages independence and also hones fine motor abilities.
Occupational Therapy Strategies: If that is not enough, look for an occupational therapist to work with the child. In such cases, there are specific exercises and activities they can do that will build fine motor skills for that child.
Repetitive and regular involvement of children in these activities will help enhance their fine motor skills, which are essential for overall health and independence of an individual.
Developing Fine Motor Skills in Children :
Developing fine motor skills should be a core concern to all stakeholders in a child’s growth process. Fine motor skills are developed through coordination of the small muscles in the movements of hands and fingers together with the eyes. Motor skills are also termed as fine skills which span from writing to tying of lace shoed.
Conclusion :
It is beneficial to dedicate time and effort to the development of fine motor skills in young children. These skills help them not only perform well academically but also be more self-reliant and confident in their abilities. It is possible to encourage the development of these skills by performing different types of activities and creating a supportive atmosphere as both the educators and the parents.
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