As we already know, children interact with their environment by moving and touching objects within it. Using fine motor skills to manipulate objects gives the child perceptual information necessary for the child to efficiently make sense of their environment. Fine motor skills involve the use of small muscles of the body that enable movement and functions such as handwriting, grasping small objects (IE putting a coin in a piggy bank), and fastening clothing.

Weakness in fine motor skills can affect the child’s ability to eat, write legibly, use a computer, turn pages in a book, and participate in self-care activities such as buttoning a shirt or zippering pants.

Fine motor skills not only involves manipulation of small muscles, particularly of the hand, but also coordinating the action of the eyes and hand together known as eye-hand coordination.

An upright work surface promotes fine motor skills; therefore, having your child draw on a chalkboard, easel, or even have your child engage in games such as light bright will be beneficial.

Fine motor skills become increasingly important when it is time for your child to learn handwriting. A child must have good physical stability and posture, have a good grasp, have correct hand placement with the writing instrument, and have good paper placement.

Your child’s muscles grow from proximal to distal meaning that your child gains stability in areas like their shoulder and shoulder blade before they gain stability of smaller muscles such as those in the hand. If muscles are not gained in your child’s shoulder, then you may see difficulties with fine motor activities.

Generally stability comes from your trunk, to your shoulder, then to your elbow, wrist and finally the hand. Hand skills are developed from gross motor to fine motor. You can see this occurring when your child is able to palm a toy (gross motor), but not separate there fingers as if they are picking up a cheerio (fine motor). Generally this development goes in the order of reach, grasp, carry, in hand, and then release.

Tummy time is very important in the development of your child. Tummy time helps your child to develop head control, spinal musculature, arm strength, and sensory development. Tummy time enables your child to build shoulder and arm strength, which is the foundation for crawling and fine motor manipulation, such as handwriting that comes at a later age.

Activities to Promote Shoulder, Arm, and Hand Strength

Activities to Develop Wrist and Hand Control
Please keep in mind that children should be supervised at all times when manipulating small objects.

TAKEN FROM ARTICLE Tummy Time and Handwriting by Melissa Silvestro, OTR/L)

• Cognition
• Physical Factors
• Experience
• Behavior
• Grasp
• Hand / Finger dexterity
• Eye hand coordination
• Bilateral hand skills

0 - 3 MONTHS

• Hands most often remain closed
• Has grasp reflex (grasps objects involuntarily if placed in palm)

2 - 4 MONTHS
• Reaches for ("swipes at") objects inaccurately

3 - 3 1/2 MONTHS
• Clasps hands together often

3 1/2 - 4 MONTHS
• Begins purposeful, visually directed reaching

3 - 7 MONTHS
• Can hold small objects in hand

4 - 8 MONTHS
• Can transfer objects from one hand to the other
• Can pick up cube/medium sized objects easily

4 - 10 MONTHS
• Develops accurate forward and side reach

5 - 9 MONTHS
• "Rakes" or "scoops" small objects to pick them up (i.e. using fingers/palm/whole hand to scoop up Cheerios, raisins etc.

7 - 9 MONTHS
• Intentionally able to drop/release objects (get ready for the "watch-me-drop-this-watch-mommy/daddy-pick-it-up-AGAIN" game!)

7 - 12 MONTHS
• Able to pick up small objects using thumb and finger/fingers

10 MONTHS
• Pokes and/or points with index finger

12 - 18 MONTHS
• Holds crayon with whole hand, thumb up

2 YEARS
• Holds crayon with thumb and all fingers, forearm turned so thumb is pointing down
• Puts on shoes, socks, and shorts; takes off shoes and socks
• Can use a spoon by himself, keeping it upright
• Can draw and copy a vertical line

2 1/2 - 3 YEARS
• Strings large beads
• Snips paper with scissors
• Rolls clay/Play Doh into "snake"
• Can draw and copy a horizontal line

3 - 3 1/2 YEARS
• Able to complete simple puzzles
• Can build a tower of nine small blocks or more
• Can get himself dressed/undressed independently; only needs help with buttons; still confuses front/back for clothes, and right/left for shoes
• Can feed himself with little or no spilling, drinks from a cup/glass with one hand

3 1/2 - 4 YEARS
• Can pour his own drink from a pitcher if not too heavy
• Can place small pegs into small holes
• Able to string small beads
• Can hold a pencil with a "tripod grasp" (3 fingers), but moves forearm and wrist to write/draw/color

4 - 4 1/2 YEARS
• Can use scissors to follow and cut both straight and curved lines
• Can manage buttons, zippers, and snaps completely
• Can draw and copy a cross (one vertical and one horizontal intersecting lines)

4 1/2 - 5 YEARS
• Can hold fork using his fingers
• Can feed himself/herself soup with little or no spilling
• Folds paper in half, making sure the edges meet
• Puts a key in a lock and opens it

5 YEARS
• Can get dressed completely by himself, and usually tie shoelaces
• Cuts square, triangle, circle, and simple pictures with scissors
• Uses a knife to spread food items (jelly, peanut butter, mayo etc.), uses a dull knife to cut soft foods
• Able to draw and copy a diagonal line
• Uses a "tripod grasp" on writing utensils (thumb & tips of 1st two fingers) and uses fingers only (because small muscles of hand have developed) to write/draw/color

5 1/2 - 6 YEARS
• Can build a five block "bridge"
• Sufficient bilateral hand coordination to cut out complex pictures, accurately following the outline
• Able to copy a sequence of letters or numbers correctly

6 YEARS
• Able to complete complex puzzles

CHART ABOVE TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM SENSORY-PROCESSING-DISORDER.COM

Social Consequences. You cannot hide the way you move. Simple tasks such as tying laces or handling any utensils or objects can cause frustration and embarrassment. The child who has poor coordination begins to wonder why something that is natural and taken for granted is so difficult to perform.

Vocational Consequences. Because a number of vocations, including dentistry, secretarial work, cabinet making, and many others, have a large fine-motor component, the choices for the individual with fine-motor difficulties begin to diminish.

Academic Consequences. Quick and precise handling of concrete objects in mathematics and science becomes difficult. Precision and speed in handwriting and drawing tasks are minimized, affecting the amount of work being completed. When actions are not automatic, the available working memory and attentional space in the brain is taken up with concentrating on the movement rather than the concept being learned and practiced.

Psychological (Emotional) Consequences. Children with poor coordination often have unsuccessful experiences in physical activities. As a consequence, they can develop frustration, a fear of failure, and rejection which in turn can lead to the development of a negative self-concept and avoidance behaviors. This can dramatically affect classroom performance not only in the fine motor area but in other areas as well. Research tells us that a child's attitude toward learning in a particular area is at least as important as a child's ability in that area.

INFORMATION ABOVE TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM http://school.familyeducation.com/growth-and-development/body-parts/38717.html?detoured=1