Fine motor skills are what allow us to move our fingers in small motions. We use them to tie our shoelaces, zip our jeans, style our hair, and do just about anything. As with any skill, your child can only develop their motor skills in practice. A great place for your child to do so is in a dynamic, ever changing environment, such as that offered by your local Montessori preschool in Chatsworth.
The Montessori method provides children with a prepared environment full of age-appropriate furniture and learning tools that stimulate their minds while building their motor skills. At home, you can help your child develop their skills by focusing on different grips.
In your child’s first 3 years, focus on developing their pincer grip
The pincer grip should be developed by 10 months of age. It involves using the fingers and thumb in a pinching motion. A simple way to help your child develop their pincer grip is by laying out different shapes in front of them, such as balls, blocks, and cylinders, and encouraging them to explore with their hands. Another way is to give them a ball of putty to pull, squeeze, and roll, giving them a full range of pincer motions.
At about 3 years, your child can be introduced to handwriting
Once your child hits their preschool years, they’re ready to learn how to write. First have them play with easy-to-hold writing tools like chalk and markers. Once they’re familiar with using the pincer grip to write, they can move on to learning how to hold writing tools. You can begin by giving your child a small marble to hide under their pinky and ring finger while they write. This forces them to use only the fingers necessary to properly hold a pencil. The writing position can be viewed as a modification of the pincer grip.
Build fine motor skills at a Montessori preschool
Your local Montessori preschool blends the development of fine motor skills with early childhood education. Once your child is of eligible age (3 years) sign them up to get a head start on children who forgo preschool and wait for kindergarten. To make sure your preschool provides authentic Montessori education, make sure their curriculum is varied with an emphasis on child-driven and hands-on learning.
At Montessori preschool, teachers guide children through determining how to study each topic. If it seems that teachers are taking the lead and lecturing students on what they should do, it’s not authentic Montessori education.
