This tends to develop later in boys than in girls and boys usually continue developing their gross motor skills: using their whole bodies and larger muscle groups. Let kids develop their fine motor skills in their own time as forcing a child to try and write letters when they are not ready can be demoralising for them. We can gently help our childrens' fine motor skills develop by engaging them in other fun activities which they like to do and that in turn will help them later when they start to write.
Here are some activities I have done with my children to help develop fine motor skills:
- Threading, using a shoelace, getting them to thread it through some big buttons or beads or cotton reels. This set is from the Early Learning Centre for example:
- Doing up large buttons and zips
- Sticking stickers: Use larger ones at first and then smaller ones to stick in specific places. For example if you have flower stickers, draw some stems and ask your child to stick a flower in the right place, at the top of the stem...or alternatively: Making a mosaic picture with stickers of different shapes....here's one I found in the Early Learning Centre:
Let them use pencils on paper from a young age.
- Let them press, knead, roll and cut Playdough or just home-made dough.
- Let them play with the computer with some age-appropriate software....when they really want to play something they will start using that mouse and be clicking away in no time!
- Get one of those Magnadoodle type drawing boards (the ones with the magnetic pen), young kids find them easy to use.
- Finger painting, sticking with glue, using chalks on a board. All sorts of arts and craft.
- Get them to put together puzzles and get puzzles with smaller pieces as they get older.
- Using a wooden tool set or a large nut and bolt and getting them to turn the nut so that it goes up and down the bolt.
2 comments:
As salaam alaikum wa rahmatullah
MashaAllah you might enjoy reading about Montressori - link below. I have found her materials and discriptions of how to present materials very good.
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/montessori/method/method.html
was salaam alaikum wa rahmatullah
ummsafwan
Assalamualykum did you know that playing with water and sand also helps to develop the muscles that later are needed for writing, also helps with maths skills too. sit your child down on a mat or outside and give them a jug and bowl or in the bath tub, so they can try to pour into a jug or pot/ bottle. playdough is also fun and excellent for learning. make your own;
1 cup flour 1/2 cup salt 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp cream of tartar, 1 to 1 and half cups water and a few drops of food colouring. ( i usually make smaller quantities and diff coulours) cook on low heat on stove till it is soft and putty like, mix it while cooking it. don't burn it as i dunno if u'll ever get your pan clean! i've made it many times and it lasts for ages an ages an ages masha'Allaah.
keep in air tight container or plastic bag.
takecare
wasalam
umm mar'yam
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