Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills involve the use the fingers, hands, and arms to perform functional tasks. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include writing, opening containers, and manipulating toys. Challenges in this area may manifest as difficulty holding/controlling a pencil or coordinating both hands to work together. The following are broken down into support skills, which are foundational fine motor skills, and classroom skills, which involve the integration of multiple skill areas, including fine-motor skills, visual-motor skills, and sensory processing skills.
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Support Skills
Classroom Skills
(Clark et al., 2019; O'Brien & Kuhaneck, 2019)
Grasping
Definition​
The ability to use the hand and fingers to hold objects.
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Key Milestones
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6 months: Gross palmar grasp
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8-10 months: Radial digital grasp
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10 months: Fine pincer grasp
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In-hand manipulation skills typically develop between ages 2-4, with these skills being refined by age 6-7.
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Strategies to Support This Area
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Art with small beads/pasta/string
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Peel string cheese, pick up small snack pieces
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Use clothespins
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Shape pipe cleaners
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Peel stickers
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Stack blocks
Bilateral Coordination
Definition
​The ability to use both sides of the body (e.g., both hands) simultaneously in a controlled and organized manner in order to complete tasks.
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Key Milestones
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18 months: Stabilize an object in one hand and manipulate with the other
2-3 years: String 3-4 large beads
3 years: Stabilize paper during coloring or writing
5-6 years: Dress self independently (including buttons, fasteners, laces)
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Strategies to Support This Area
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String beads for bracelets
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Arts and craft activities
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Origami/paper crafts
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Play Doh
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Simon Says
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Music and movement
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Sensory play
Crossing Midline
Definition
​The ability to move a body part across the center of the body (i.e. using one's right hand to reach for an item on the left side of a table).
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Key Milestones
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At 3 years old, using vision, a child should be able to cross the midline of the body.
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Strategies to Support This Area
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Play cards
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Pass a ball
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Wall/Smartboard activities
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Twister
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Yoga
Hand Strength
Definition
​A measure of force produced by the muscles of the hand and forearm.
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Key Milestones
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Appropriate strength for participation is fine motor activities is established by age 3.6.
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Strategies to Support This Area
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Pick up small objects with tongs
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Play Doh/stress ball
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Hole punch confetti
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“Feed” a tennis ball
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Squeeze glue/spray bottles
Writing Grasp
Definition
The position in which a student holds a pencil or other writing utensils.
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Key Milestones
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See image to the right.
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By 8 years old, it is difficult to change an established grasp pattern.
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Strategies to Support This Area
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Rock/egg/short crayons
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Tripod pencils/markers
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Short pencils
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Adaptive pencil grips
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Slant board
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Target the above support skills
