Welcome to my "Ask Me Anything" blog post series!
I answer lots of questions on my social media channels, and it makes sense to share this information (anonymously!) in case it is useful for others, too.
"I am curious, how do you teach your learners all about handwriting? Or fine motor skills activities in your classroom? Is this important or not so much?"
Great question.
It is very important, there are different stages of what fine motor skills look like.
Cognitive ability (regardless of age):
0-6 months: reaching, grabbing, letting go, swapping item hands, dropping items to reach for another.
6-12 months: spoon feeding, taking items out of the sensory tray, making marks in materials with fingers.
1-2 years: making marks using larger tools (whiteboard pens, paint brush, chunky chalk), velcro and zips, stickers.
3+ pencils, crayons, puzzles, lacing, threading, zips, overwriting, tracing
5+ laces, buttons, biro, pencil, letter formation.
I hope this helps! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me on my Instagram, Facebook or TikTok, or through my contact form.
I am not a doctor or medical professional, so for some questions, I will suggest you contact your GP, the National Autistic Society, or the NHS.
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