What fine motor and visual motor skills can be expected of the Pre-K child?

Art Tools

Fine Motor Skills:

In the area of fine motor skills, most children who are 3 years old can perform the following:

• They can grasp crayons & moved them on paper.

• They can grasp a thick marker using the thumb and pointer and middle finger touching.

• Children can manipulate play doh or putty on the table using fingers.

  
  

Most children who are 4 years old can perform the following using fine motor skills:

• They can feel objects with their hands.

• They can identify qualities of objects in their hands, such as hard and soft.

• They can roll play doh into a ball shape.

• They can grasp a paintbrush within their thumb and fingertips.

• They can fasten and unfasten large buttons.

Child painting on paper

Visual Motor & Pre-Writing Skills:

In the area of visual motor and pre-writing skills, most children who are 3 years old can perform the following:

• They can copy a vertical line and copy a circle.

• They can trace around edges of basic shapes.

• They can use child-size scissors to make snips and continuous cuts on paper.

In the area of visual motor and pre-writing skills, most children who are 4 years old can perform the following:

• They can draw a person with at least 3 different body parts (ie., head, body, arms or legs).

• They can copy a square.

• They can cut out a large circle with scissors.

• They can catch a bean bag or small ball between their hands and chest.

Child smiling with finger paints

It is so important to promote the development of fine motor and visual motor skills for the Pre-K child. The development of these skills plays an essential role in the completion of school activities that are vital to pre-academic and academic success in the future.

References:

Beery, K. E., Buktenica, N.A., & Beery, N. A. (2004). The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration: Administration, Scoring, & Teaching Manual. Minneapolis, MN: NCS Pearson.