Let’s start by defining motor skills as the ability of the human being to generate movements by himself. This occurs when there is proper coordination between the nervous system, the sense organs, and the musculoskeletal system.
Motor skills are divided into gross and fine
Gross motor skills is the first to appear and consists of the different skills that the child acquires to hold the head, move the arms, raise the trunk, crawl, walk and later have more and more strength, agility, speed and control over the movements.
Fine motor skills begin to develop a little after gross motor skills as it requires precision and coordination. With it, the little one will be able to grab objects and use them as they see fit, getting to experiment with their environment and stimulating the development of their intelligence.
Next we will see how fine motor skills develop according to the age of the child:
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0-6 months
At first the baby only uses touch, around two months his sight appears and multiplies the sensations he perceives from the environment. The grasp reflex exists for up to 5 months or so. Thanks to this reflex, he holds tightly to everything that comes close to his hand, be it our finger or a toy, and while this reaction lasts, the baby has almost no control over his hands.
After two months he begins to try to pick up the objects by looking at his hands, relating the two parties involved, but it will not be until 4 or 5 months when he gets what he wants without having to observe where his hands are. It is a very important step in its development and it has cost many mistakes to get here.
6-12 months
He can hold objects for a few seconds although he is still unsure in his movements. He tries to catch everything he sees but also begins to observe things first. The stage where everything ends in your mouth also begins. Be careful and very cautious , avoid leaving parts with which you can drown. He will also try to hit everything with the objects that fall in his power. He is experimenting with the reactions he provokes around him.
1-3 years
Get another key achievement: make the clamp with your fingers. This will give you more control over the object you are holding as you can separate or insert pieces into others. This phase coincides with the beginning of the crawl and its first steps.
Little by little you will be able to turn the pages of a book, make small towers, fold a sheet of paper, start drawing with small squiggles that will turn into circles or squares and remove the wrapping from things.
The laterality of the right or left hand appears, so that while he names the objects, he meticulously recognizes them.
3-4 years
At this stage we talk about tying laces, fastening and unbuttoning large buttons, cutting figures with scissors, writing their names in capital letters and drawing people very simply with rustic lines.
They start preschool and it must be emphasized that they do not yet fully control their nervous system. Everything involves a great effort and they are not characterized by being patient. So we must have it: nothing comes the first time, whenever possible you have to let them do things even if they take longer. They may not finish or be wrong but it is the only way to learn. Let’s never scold them, on the contrary, let’s always encourage them and celebrate their small achievements. For them they are huge.
5 years and older
At this stage they already draw differentiating limbs, colors and even small details. Cut and paste autonomously. They will begin primary school where they will learn to read and write, a giant step in the development of their lives. Enjoy it all, don’t be in a hurry if it’s slower in some way. Each child is different and maybe he makes towering towers but it takes a little while to use the scissors. Be patient and help him with a smile, he will grow faster than you imagine, so live every moment with him.
I love the explanation, very clear, thank you very much.