To many people, fine motor development is the way children hold and use pencils, crayons, and scissors. But fine motor development is so 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 or 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 develop and refine large motor skills. It is the developed by getting young children big pieces of paper and large crayons and allowing them to practice their movements. We also help children’s fine motor development through other activities, such as working with Playdoh , constructing with Legos and tinker toys, 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 repetitive. Through these activities, children improve their fine motor development without frustration or boredom.
We honor the natural progression of fine motor development at Bright beginnings.