HANDWRITING! LET'S GET READY!

Fine Motor PrincipalsStability before mobility A. body B. furnitureSensory supports Motor Proximal to Distal (large to small)Palm to fingerHands used together Hands used separatelyDevelopmentally ready!

Birth to 3 monthsHand Skills Posture Sensory Play and

cognitionReflex dominate movement

Influenced by: tactile & proprioception; head position

Skills present:Hand grasping midline (3 mths)Visual regard of hand Reflexive grasp of an object

Asymmetric posturing

Neck and shoulder stability developing: prerequisite for control of reach & hand movements in space

Emerging sense of midline.  

Head freed for vision by 3rd month.

Visual, mouthing & tactile reflexes: primary learning sources  Tactile +Propriocept+Visual =contribution to development of grasp and release patterns

Play: sensory experiences

4 through 6 monthsHand Skills Posture Sensory Play

Remarkable strides in development of visual motor system

Learns to reach toward an object, place hands on top and rake object toward self

Palmar grasp: allows grasp but does not allow object to move within hand.

No control of releaseBrings object to mouth, palm up increases by 6 months: allows mouthing while visualizing it

Symmetrical posture: Can hold arms in space while grasping an object

Prone: pushing onto extended arms and shifting weight side to side.

On elbows infant able to lift one arm from surface for reach. Provides proprioceptive input through hands. Helps strengthen arms.

Primary basis for movement: SENSORY

Mouthing, hand to hand fingering, and intense visual

Sensory exp dominate child’s play : visual & auditory Movements motivated by sensation that results.

Actively explores using specific movements to create sounds and visual effects. Toys related to simple movements are favorites: rattles, toys activated by generalized responses preferred: mobile or rattle rather than busy box

10 through 12 monthsHand Skill Posture Sensory Play

Controlled object releaseGrasp of very small objects

2 objects together

Functional use of objects

Uses fingertips for grasping

Thumb oppose index finger

Control of hand opening and can release object easily

Object rotation and transfer

Postural stability increases

Can reach out of reach to body’s contra lateral side.

Can reach overhead and behind when sitting

Weight bearing: provides heavy work for arms.

Uses release to achieve interesting auditory and visual effects of object

Vision as primary guide

More fingering & hand to hand manipulation than mouthing

Understanding of object’s functional use.

Functional play rather than sensory play

Basis for development of additional manipulation skills: imitation

19 through 24 months *

Hand skills Posture Sensory Play/ Cognitive

Huge changes based on: Ability to blend mobility and stability into more complex motor patterns;Ability to integrate sensory info with motor skill.Fingertip grasp for precision and palmar grasp for power

Excellent control by 2

Child focuses on speed, strength, balance, and endurance.

Improved sensory discrim and integr: Ex: stringing beads and simple dressing

Uses utensils in play and self care activities.

Improved perceptual motor and beginning eye hand coordination

TWO YEARS TO TWO & A HALF

6-9 Block towerCatches small ballMoves individual fingersTurns door knobUnscrews lid

Two Year olds do not have perfect controlled release of their fingers.

THREE YEAR OLDCopies a circleImitates a squareThreads large beadsUnbuttons large buttons/unzipsUses glue with supervisionCuts straight lineFeeds selfBuild tower of 10 blocksDoesn’t have hand muscles developed

enough to write name

FOUR YEAR OLDSCuts out 2 to 3 inch shapesCopies square/triangleMakes marks to represent nameStrings small beadsUses static tripod graspUses finger to act out simple songsPuts together simple puzzles

Cathy Loyacano

FIVE YEAR OLDS

Draw a person with facial featuresBuilds steps with blocksUses tools with little supervisionDraws specific objects: may look different Write first name and few lettersMay have letter/number reversals and

letters not in straight lineUses scissors to cut non paper materials

EFFICIENT GRIPS

COMMON HANDWRITING PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH FINE MOTOR

WEAKNESSESChild may have an awkward pencil grip.

Child may have difficulty coloring within lines, tracing, and forming letters.

Hand movements may appear awkward.

Child: Keeps arms very close to chest during hand

activities Keeps shoulders “hiked” near ears Difficulty using two hands together for activities

such as catching a ball rolled to them, rolling out playdough, using scissors, dressing activities

Gets tired easily: endurance is reduced for ageComplains of hand fatigue or pain consistently Is frustrated with writing, cutting, etc.Consistently avoids messiness.Hand dominance set since early months

RED FLAGS

THINGS TO REMEMBERLook for activities that support:

SHAPING THE HANDS

USE OF THE INDEX FINGER

USE OF THE THUMB +2

VERTICAL PLAY WITH THE HANDS: wrist up IN HAND MOVEMENT

SENSORY MAKES IT WORK

Tactile Perception: Touch

Proprioception: Pressure

Vestibular: Movement

Visual: Seeing

VISUAL PHYSICAL & PERCEPTUAL

Physical Visual: Gives us information concerning our

movement and position. Must be integrated with proprioceptive information

for reaching. • Perceptual Visual: Enables us to see details, spatial orientation of objects, visualize, similarities and differences.

DEVELOPMENT OF “SPATIAL TERMS”

2.0-2.6 years In, off

2.6-3.0 years On, under, out of , together, away from

3.0-3.6 years Up, top, apart, toward

3.6-4.0 years Around, in front of, high, in back of, next to

4.0-4.6 years Beside, bottom, backward, forward

4.6-5.0 years Down, low

5.0-5.6 years Behind, ahead of, first, last

COMMON PROBLEMS AND MODIFICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH VISUAL SPATIAL

AWARENESS WEAKNESSESChild may have difficulty : With puzzles/parquetry blocks which may lead to avoidance. Drawing simple pictures: He may not “picture” how they look Visualizing the shape/letter/number formations Placing letters on or between the lines correctly at correct age Spacing between words or letters (age appropriate) Difficulty with reversals of letters and numbers after taught repeatedly

and correctly (age appropriate) Difficulty forming rounded letters: letters may be flat on the bottom if he

is distracted by the printed lines ALWAYS CONSIDER AGE APPROPRIATENESS !!!!

Child who:

Consistently tilts head to one side

Covers one eye with hand or by laying head down on table

Does not follow people or objects with eyes

Avoids visual perceptual items such as puzzles, block patterns

Poor eye contact

Immature drawing abilities

RED FLAGS

THINGS TO REMEMBER

ENCOURAGE TRACKING THROUGH PLAY

EYE EXAM

BODY TO 3D TO 2D

UNCLUTTER AND UNLOAD

VISUALIZE

ART AND MATH

TACTILE SYSTEM *TouchDiscriminatory:

Ability to tell what an object is based on touch aloneProtective:

Ability to automatically withdraw or defend the body from harm.

A balance is needed between the ability to discriminate something by touch and the protective response.

For writing to become automatic, it needs to be felt through the sense of touch and sense of finger movement

PROPRIOCEPTIONThe proprioceptive system receptors are located primarily around and in our joints, and in our muscles and tendons. They tell us about:

Movement of our body against itself Movement of our body in relationship to

itself: body awareness

VESTIBULARInfluences Eye movement control Balance Muscle tone Postural control Bilateral coordination Motor planning

ActivitiesInfants: Gentle swinging, being carried, Johnny Jump Ups

(feet flat on floor)Toddlers: Swinging, climbing, slidingPreschoolers: Playground activity, musical games

WARNING: Vestibular very powerful

Sensory Processing: Red FlagsSensory Avoider

Sensory Under Responder

Sensory Craver

THINGS TO REMEMBER

SENSORY ALERT

BIGGER IS BETTER

EYES CLOSED

MAKE IT AUTOMATIC

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