Guest Author - Diane Claus

Guest author Jeanette Norman

Developing fine motor skills (these are skills involving the hands and fingers) is essential for writing skills. When a child is small, providing them with age appropriate materials is important. Examples of activities that help develop fine motor skills are:

- Playing with blocks
- Making things with play dough
- Any hands on get messy art and craft projects like those mentioned in my Fun Recipes for Art Projects article.
- Using a plant sprayer to spray plants or even the side walk during outdoor play
- My preschool children loved using large eyedroppers and transferring liquid from one container to another.
- Sorting buttons, beads, beans, etc.

For early writing learning, it is best to start with having the child to make basic shapes. Tracing the shapes with their fingers is the easiest for them to start with then moving on to using a crayon or marker. Don’t forget to include making straight lines! Make a worksheet of nothing but dots and have the children play connect the dots.

Another loved activity for preschoolers is sewing. No not like us moms do! Take some yarn about 2 feet long and put masking or scotch tape on one end to make a point and tie a big knot in the other end. Make shapes out of durable cardboard or poster board. Construction paper will tear with multiple uses. Then about 1 inch from the edges, use a hole puncher to make holes for the child to lace their threads through. This activity teaches a few skills like concentration, making a straight line, and eye/hand coordination.

One thing I would like to stress is which hand the child dominantly used. Back in the day, if a child tried to use his left hand for anything he was scolded. There is nothing wrong with having a left-handed child. Yes, she may have a little harder time doing things like finding left-handed scissors. Forcing him to use the right hand, for example, when he is really a lefty may confuse him and lead to problems with hand-eye coordination and dexterity.