logo
BabySparks
logo
  • What is BabySparks?
  • The Science
  • Online Classes
  • Learning Center
  • My BabySparks
  • Login
  • Join Us

    • Contact Us

    • Logout
  • My Profile
    • Contact Us
    • Logout
  • es
  • Prev
    Understanding separation anxiety 0
    Las lágrimas y los temores son normales: ¿qué hay detrás de la ansiedad por la separación?
    26 May 2016
    Next
    Why you want to teach a second language early 0
    Bilingual Baby: Why You Want to Start Now
    24 June 2016
    Fine Motor
    Fine Motor Skills & Your Baby’s First Year of Life
    15 June, 2016 by BabySparks in Fine Motor

    Fine motor skills are often thought of as the movements of the fingers and hands, but they also include movements of the toes, mouth, and eyes.

    Many important tasks related to fine motor skills, like tying shoes, writing, or eating independently develop after the first or second year of life. For this reason, it is common for many parents to de-emphasize this area with their infants and young toddlers. But during their first two years of life, children develop the key foundational elements upon which fine motor skills rely for appropriate development.

    Highlights: 

    • Fine motor skills are movements of the fingers and hands, as well as the toes, mouth, and eyes. Examples are writing, tying shoes, and eating independently.
    • During the first two years of life, children develop foundational elements that are necessary to foster fine motor skills. These elements include: 
      • perceive texture, shape, and details of an object
      • manipulate objects in hands
      • coordinate movements with both hands and arms
      • obtain gross motor stability 
    • The BabySparks program contains tons of activities that boost fine motor skills, improve bilateral coordination, and build sensory and gross motor development. 

    For example, in order for a child to learn to fasten buttons, among other skills, he first needs to have a good pincer grasp to handle the button, as well as a good hand-eye and bimanual coordination. All of these are skills that a baby begins to develop during his first year. A similar analysis could be done for other complex fine motor tasks like fastening their pants for independent dressing, scooping food and bringing it to their mouth, or grasping a pencil for writing and coloring

    In general, for a child to be able to perform these types of tasks and continue to develop other sophisticated fine motor skills, he will first need to be able to:

    Perceive the texture, shape and details of an object in his hand

    Try to perform any of the fine motor activities above with gloves. Fastening a button, tying a shoe or any other similar task can be significantly more challenging. The thicker the gloves, the more difficult it will be. Similarly, if a child has any type of sensory issue that results in poor tactile perception, he will struggle with these type of tasks. There are plenty of fun activities to support your baby’s sensory development. You can start as early as his first month of life and babies usually love them.

    Adequately manipulate the object with his hand

    Even if your child has a good tactile perception, he also needs to be able to manipulate the object accurately with his hand. In the example of fastening a button, he needs to be able move the button towards the buttonhole and then line the two up properly. It also requires some strength to be able to push the button through to the other side. Strengthening his hand muscles and learning how to use his fingers with accuracy are crucial to this process.

    Coordinate the movements of both hands and arms

    Often fine motor tasks require some form of bilateral coordination. Take, for example, cutting paper with scissors. Even if you are very skilled managing scissors, try cutting a simple shape with just one hand. Activities that involve clapping, changing objects from one hand to another or banging two objects in front of their chest can help support the development of your baby’s bilateral coordination. Many of these activities are appropriate when your baby is as young as 6 months old.

    Provide the required gross motor stability to comfortably perform the task

    Performing most fine motor tasks is very challenging without the development and stabilization of gross motor skills first. Finger movements will be challenging before proper wrist, elbow, and shoulder stabilization and strength is gained. Similarly, wrist, arm, and shoulder coordination will suffer without the strength and stabilization of trunk and core muscles. Supporting your baby’s gross motor development can start in his first month of life with simple activities like tummy time while he is awake. These activities become more interesting as he is able to roll over, sit and crawl.

    Without the development of fine motor skills, children will not gain independence with self-care tasks like dressing, bathing, and feeding themselves. Fine motor skills are also important for success in school activities such as cutting with scissors, writing with a pencil, and typing on a keyboard. Because the development of fine motor skills is so essential for your child to be happy and successful, it is important that you facilitate activities that contribute to the development of them.

    The BabySparks app offers hundreds of activities to support your baby early on in all aspects of this process, including fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, sensory and gross motor development.

    0 Comments
    • grasping
    • milestones
    1 Like!
    Share
    BabySparks

    Recent comments

      Tags

      baby child cognitive feeding fine motor gross motor health language language skills milestones parenting sensory social-emotional speech toddler
      ABOUT US
      THE TEAM
      CHILDCARE PROVIDERS
      TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY
      support@babysparks.com
      Copyright © 2021 BabySparks LLC. All rights reserved
      logo
      X
      GET BABYSPARKS
      Step 2 of 2
      ACTIVITY PACKAGE:
      (All Prices in USD)

      Form of Payment

      Monthly: $1.25 per month/per child
      Annually: $12.00 per year/per child (20% discount)

      Form of Payment

      Monthly: $2.25 per month/per child
      Annually: $21.50 per year/per child (20% discount)

      Form of Payment

      Monthly: $5.00 per month/per child
      Annually: $45.00 per year/per child (25% discount)

      Number of children:

      x per child

      Total Amount

      SELECT YOUR METHOD OF PAYMENT
      * Required field
      Buy now BS

      BabySparks Premium Gives You…

      Access to 1,300+ development activities & milestones

      An expert-created program to support the development of children under your care

      Tools to increase family engagement, invite each family to use the program at home

      Ability to track each child's progress in real-time (and share it with his/her family)

      Add unlimited children, caregivers and locations to your account

      Manage and track progress across your organization through our desktop dashboard

      Cancel your subscription at any time

      By clicking on the button below, you agree to our Terms of Service & privacy policy.
      X
      EDIT YOUR ACCOUNT
      Your account
      Change your password
      X
      EDIT YOUR METHOD OF PAYMENT
      Update payment method
      * Required field
      Buy now BS
      By clicking on the button below, you agree to our Terms of Service & privacy policy.
      X
      UPDATE YOUR PACKAGE
      Your Activity Package
      (All Prices in USD)

      1 Month

      $ 3 99

      per month

      1 Year

      $ 23 99

      per year

      Update your package at any time
      (All Prices in USD)
      Pay as you go

      1 Month

      $ 3 99

      per month

      50% Discount

      1 Year

      $ 23 99

      per year

      60% Discount

      Lifetime

      $ 39 99

      one time

      How does it work?

      You can change your activity package at any time.

      The change will take place at the end of your current subscription period.

      You will only be charged the new rate once the change takes place.

      Cancel Activity Package
      shapeCheck

      shapeCheck

      X
      LOGIN BABYSPARKS

      Forgot your password?

      X
      PASSWORD RESET
      X
      RESET PASSWORD
      X
      GET BABYSPARKS
      Step 1 of 2
      Create Your Account

      Already Have an Account? Login

      X
      GET BABYSPARKS
      Step 1 of 2
      Create Your Account

      Already Have an Account? Login

      X
      GET BABYSPARKS
      Step 2 of 2
      Logged in as: (Not me)
      Select Your Activity Package
      (All Prices in USD)
      Pay as you go

      1 Month

      $ 3 99

      per month

      YOUR OFFER

      $ 2 99

      50% Discount

      1 Year

      $ 1 99

      per month

      Paid Annually: $23.99
      YOUR OFFER

      $ 2 99

      60% Discount

      Lifetime

      $ 39 99

      one time

      YOUR OFFER

      $ 2 99

      BabySparks Premium Gives You…

      Access to 1,300+ development activities & milestones

      An expert-created program to support your child’s development

      Weekly development reports summarize progress

      Browse activities for any situation

      Expert-written articles about development

      Sync up to 5 devices (add family and caregivers)

      Add up to 5 babies to your account

      Cancel your susbcription at any time

      * Required field
      Buy now BS
      By clicking on the button below, you agree to our Terms of Service & privacy policy.