GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS

GROSS AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS THAT CHLDREN DEVELOP DURING EARLY AND MIDDLE CHILDHOOD.

During childhood, the progression of physical development can be an astounding thing to observe. One of the best ways parents can ensure that their kids achieve key physical developmental is to create an environment that encourages kids to explore the world.

Also, during childhood, children develop considerably their gross and fine motor skills:

Gross motor skills:

Children make an effort to stay upright and move around, they move their legs with more confidence and carry themselves more purposely, moving around in the environment become more automatic.

From 1 to 2 Years

Children become increasingly independent and this age and tasks requiring balance and hand-eye coordination begin to emerge. During this stage of development, most children are able to:

Pick things up while standing up

Walk backwards

Walk up and down stair without assistance

Move and sway to music

Throw ball underhand (4 feet)

Pedal tricycle 10 feet

Catch large ball

Jump to floor from 12 inches  

From 2 to 3 Years

Building on earlier skills, children become increasingly adept at activities that require coordination and speed. From one to three years of age, most kids begin to:

Run in a forward direction

Jump in one place

Kick a ball

Stand on one foot

   

From 3 to 4 Years

Physical abilities become more advanced as children develop better movement and balance skills. From age three to four, most kids begin to:

Ride a tricycle

Go down a slide without help

Throw and catch a ball

Pull and steer toys

Walk in a straight line

From 4 to 5 Years

During this period of development, children become increasingly confident in their abilities. Most children begin to:

    Jump on one foot

    Walk backwards

    Do somersaults

   

From 7 on… children continue mastering all these abilities

Fine motor skills:

These are children’s abilities to place and handle things such as: pick up objects, writing, among other activities that involve the coordination of the small muscles with the body.

From 1 to 2 Years

Paste using pointed finger

Color or paint by moving the entire arm

Scribble with markers or crayons

Turn knobs and handles

From 2 to 3 Years, children begin to:

Cut paper

Turn pages of a book

Draw a circle

Hold a crayon between the thumb and fingers

From 3 to 4 Years, most kids begin to:

Print first name

Cut following a line

Pour from various containers

Pull and steer toys

Build tall towers with toy blocks

Manipulate clay into shapes

From 4 to 5 Years, most children begin to:

Cut paper with safety scissors

Print some letters

Copy shapes including squares and crosses

Write some words

Reproduce letters

Cut interior pieces from paper

Draw rectangles, circles, squares, and triangles

From 7 on, children continue mastering their fine motor skills

It is important that parents, caregivers, and all people who is around children’s environment help and facilitate the development of children’s gross and fine motor skills. In this way, many problems of delay development can be avoided. Also, all people who is in the child’s environment have to contribute to her/his development by teaching to the child all the abilities that the child should master according to her/his age, and observing if the child presents serious problems in her/his development in order to look for professional help and the child could be threated on time.

References:

Papalia, D., et al. A child's world. pp. 239-290. Mc Graw Hill. USA, 2006

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