About the child's motor development

When discussing children's motor development, we refer to such activities as:

Gross motor skills: involving large muscle movements, such as jumping, running, balancing, coordination, posture adjustment, etc.

Fine motor skills: involving coordinated movements of the eyes and hands, crucial for activities like eating, drawing, writing, playing games, and other daily activities.

Typically, the development of gross motor skills precedes the refinement of fine motor skills. Therefore, children tend to master gross motor movements with greater amplitude before mastering movements that require finer precision.

In terms of age milestones, we can observe the progress of children's fine motor skills development along with their age. For example:

• Around 8 weeks of age, infants begin to grasp objects with their hands.

• By 5 months, they start to explore objects and can manipulate them with their entire hand.

• While by 10-12 months, they start to exhibit more controlled manipulation.

Between 1-2 years of age, children can transition from flipping through books to giving and receiving objects.

Between 3-4 years old, they exhibit improved control in tasks like cutting with scissors, buttoning clothes, using crayons, and basic writing.

Assessing a child's progress in fine motor development involves recognizing various indicators such as:

• Academic skills: Correct grip and manipulation of writing tools, drawing, coloring, etc.

• Play: Solving puzzles, building with blocks, threading beads, using computer/tablet devices, drawing and painting digitally, playing with toys involving buttons and gears, etc.

• Self-care: Dressing up (buttoning, tying shoelaces), using utensils and tools (spoons, scissors), etc.

Hygiene practices include teeth brushing, washing hands, hair brushing, etc.

Nutrition involves opening/closing containers, making sounds with utensils/glasses, etc.

To ensure proper development in children's motor skills, it's essential to prioritize the advancement of fine motor skills alongside gross motor skills.

For example, if a child aged 5-6 cannot grasp objects or has difficulty with eating, drawing, playing, or dressing independently, it's necessary to involve specialists such as occupational therapists to evaluate the child's skills and assess their environment. Moreover, providing appropriate opportunities and guidance for improvement is essential.