As Preschool professionals, we know that the foundation for writing is not in forcing children to hold the pencil and write BUT it’s in the continuous fine motor skills (FMS) development.

I believe that Preschool teachers should place great emphasis on fine motor skills development Activities in preschool. These activities help children to strengthen the muscles of their fingers and helps them develop eye – hand coordination which are essential skills for learning.

Usually, children progress from Palmer grip to quadruple to pincer to tripod hold. So you want to use learning opportunities to help child progress through these phases and get to write when they are developmentally ready and prepared.

FINE MOTOR SKILL ACTIVITIES

This is any activity that makes the child use of the small muscles of the body, including fingers, lips. Here, our focus is on building the muscles of the fingers by

✓ Pegging
✓ Sorting
✓ Posting game
✓ Threading
✓ Lacing
✓ Cup stacking
✓ Coins in piggy bank
✓ Fixing knobbed puzzles
✓ Kneading play dough
✓ Stacking
✓ Block building
✓ Lego

You can create hundreds more. Google it!

Next

SCRIBBLING

With scribbling, you can help children

✓ Pencil hold
✓ Pressure ( Pencil pressure on paper)
✓ Speed ( the pace of writing)

COLOURING is one fantastic and popular way of doing this.

Provide colouring opportunities in every area of learning – Maths, Literacy, Understanding the World, EAD and the likes.

PARENTS PLEASE ALLOW YOUR TODDLERS SCRIBBLE. It’s advantages are numerous.

THE LINES

Tracing over and writing lines and line patterns is also an essential part of writing foundation. Lines like C, I, /, — and the likes should be taught.

TRACING

Tracing can be done by

✓ Tracing in the air
✓ Tracing on the table, palm and water tray
✓ Tracing over dotted numbers or letters with crayon or jumbo pencil
✓ Tracing over big written letters and numbers with a Cotton bud dipped in paint
✓ Tracing on tracing paper overlaid on a big number or letter
✓ Tracing with water
✓ Tracing by fixing grains or paper cuts ( with glue) on big letters and numbers
✓ Tracing fingers
✓ Tracing with paint brushes
✓ Tracing on the sand tray, using powdered foods or clean sand.

WRITING

Now we are getting set to write. Let’s

✓ Do some finger exercise
✓ Try out wrist and arm exercise
✓ Write in the air
✓ Write on sand tray
✓ Write with finger on tables
✓ Write with Crayon and jumbo pencil
✓ Write with paint brushes
✓ Write with pencil

The possibilities are endless!,😎. If we understand that developing a child’s fine motor skills and getting creative with practice is essential for writing, then we will create many ways to get these Children writing.

I know we can! So let’s go.

Oluwaseun Oduola
Early Years Consultant 💕