Fine Motor 4 Years Old
Fine Motor Development - A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
Child development refers to how a child becomes able to do more complex tasks, as they age. Your child’s fine motor development is crucial. He/she needs to learn to use his/her hands well in ways that will be functional, motivating, and enjoyable.
Fine motor is defined as using hands to be able to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and explore their environment. These skills involve the small muscle movements of the hands and fingers in coordination with the eyes.
What to Look For
When a child has a fine motor developmental delay, he/she may not be able to the following:
- Use a spoon or fork
- Tie shoes
- Button clothes
- Write his/her name
- Draw shapes
- Color inside the lines
- Hold a pencil correctly at the age appropriate time
For more information please contact, Martha Fugate, ESS Preschool Coordinator (928) 373-3453.
Developmental Milestones
Four-Five Years Old
Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills that are determined by the average age at which children attain each skill. Pediatricians use milestones to help check how your child is developing.
It is important to keep in mind that there is a range of ages during which a child will meet a particular milestone. Here is a list of fine motor milestones that you might expect in children ages four-five years of age:
- Cuts on line continuously
- Copies square
- Prints some capital letters
- Cuts out simple shapes
- Colors within lines
- Traces first name
- Tries to buckle, button, and lace, even though probably needs help
- Traces diamond
- Pastes and glues appropriately
- Puts together a simple puzzle of 4-12 pieces
- Pour from a small pitcher
Motor Activities
Common motor activities include:
- Practicing supervised cutting encouraging a thumbs-up position for straight / curved lines. Cut clay with blunt scissors.
- Placing a variety of forms (blocks, felt, paper, string, yarn, cereal cotton) on outlines.
- Matching shapes, colors, or pictures to a page and paste them within the outlines.
- Folding clothes and/or paper.
- Tracing patterns in sand, cornmeal, finger paint, etc. The textures give the child kinesthetic feedback.
- Wiping off table, then squeeze water out of washcloth.
- Practicing buttoning, lacing, tying, fastening snaps, zipping, locking / unlocking doors, vacuuming a rug, sweeping the floor, dressing, bathing, opening / closing jars, and winding a clock.
- Having your child spell his/her name in the air (arms outstretched, finger pointed) in front of his/her eyes before trying with a short stubby crayon.
Encouragement
Encourage self-esteem and a positive self-image in your child by using positive reinforcement and frequent praise for the things that he/she has accomplished. Encourage your child to be curious, explore and take on new challenges.
Children learn fine motor skills by observing others and using their hands to manipulate objects. Be patient and understanding as coordination takes repetition. Skills develop with time and practice.
Encourage your child to be curious, explore, and take on new challenges. If your child seems to be regressing or losing skills that he or she was able to do previously, please be sure to discuss these concerns with your child’s pediatrician.