These skills involve the muscles of the fingers, wrist, and toes. We address only those that involve the fingers and wrist.

Vision also plays an important part because your child needs to have good eye-hand coordination to accomplish many tasks.

Those tasks include not only paper-pencil skills, such as legible handwriting, but the important tasks of personal care…toileting, grooming, bathing, dressing, eating…just to name a few.

But it all begins with a naturally-occurring action…a clenched fist. No he’s not looking for a fight, that’s just a natural reflexive action.

So, take advantage of this…place a rattle in the palm of his hand and watch his fingers automatically curl around it. With just the natural movement of his arms, he eventually makes it rattle.

Next in her development, she swipes at a toy that she sees dimly, and sometimes makes contact with it. Place a brightly colored, lighted, or noisy toy in her line of vision. As soon as her vision locks on the toy, jiggle it or activate the sound. Hold it within arm reach and encourage her to reach for it. Cheer her when she actually touches it.

As his eyesight improves, his vision directs his hand movements to purposefully reach for and grasp a toy. Now, place a toy just out of reach and watch his hands try to grab it… of course, you let him. He might even bring it to midline to play.

Pretty impressive…moving from reflexively grasping to purposefully reaching and grasping in just three months!

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About the Author:
Beth is a retired teacher of the visually impaired, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She has created a web site http://www.child-enriching-gifts.com drawing on her experiences as a teacher and a grandmother. To learn more about sensory motor development and ways to enhance it check out her web site.
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Filed under: Babies

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