Answer to Question 1
ANSWER: You can help to build an infant's fine motor skills with simple activities that help to increase typical hand and finger movements of this stage, such as using a pincer grasp to take objects out and put them in a container or to poke an object. Toddlers can build a tower with up to six blocks, press together maniuplative pieces such as pop beads, and string big beads on a thick shoelace. Thick board books allow for practicing lifting and turning pages. Toddlers enjoy using crayons to color and draw with as well as painting with brushes. Introduce low easels to provide a vertical surface for making marks.
Preschool-aged children benefit from experiences that support the development of fine motor skills in the hands and fingers. The use of manipulatives, implements and tools found in various learning centers help to build the hand and wrist strength and dexterity necessary to hold a pencil appropriately.
Even when children are already in school, tasks requiring fine motor skills can often present difficulties. While many children don't have trouble with gross motor skills such as running or jumpingfine motor skills require more control and more precise movements of smaller muscles. As fine motor control is a very important skill to master for writing, it's important to make sure children are continually improving those skills.
Answer to Question 2
ANSWER: Encourage children to attempt buttons, zippers and snaps, giving them only as much assistance as needed.
Many children are easily distracted, so block distractions by placing the manipulative table facing a shelf or make partitions out of laminated file folders or 3 section display boards cut in half to make them shorter.
Define play spaces by putting materials on individual trays, cookie sheets or small throw rugs on the floor.
Create a non-slip workspace by putting down rubbery shelf liner material. Provide a small container to put manipulative pieces in next to the puzzle or game while working to decrease clutter.
Use manipulatives on the floor and well as the table.
Tape the base of a manipulative toy to the table to stabilize it. Use the easel to create a vertical work space for manipulatives.
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