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Mrs. Cronin’s Classroom Edit display name

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The most important mechanical tools that students bring to the classroom are their hands. Hand skills are critical for early childhood learning because they are needed to master handwriting; a major occupation of school-aged children. They also provide the basis for all manipulative activities and hand tool use. However, more and more we are seeing typically developing children with delayed fine motor skills and decreased hand strength because they are not using their hands in ways that would strengthen their muscles (playing on touch screens, not having access to scissors at home, velcro vs tie shoes, squeezable foods, etc). As a result, we are seeing a variety of inefficient grasp patterns which affect handwriting and general fine motor skills. Why is developing fine motor skills in children important? Children with poor hand strength and fine motor skills may have difficulty: -picking up small items (beads, coins, etc.) using the pads and tips of the index finger and thumb. -holding a pencil, crayons, and markers with an appropriate grasp -holding and using eating utensils effectively -fastening closures (zippers, snaps, buttons) on garments easily and independently -using scissors -imitating various finger positions (e.g., touching each finger to the thumb). -manipulating small items within the hand (e.g., transferring coins within the palm out to the fingertips) Students will work on “Finger Gym” activities during morning work, independent learning centers, and/or indoor recess. These new materials will allow students to strengthen their hand muscles and use their hands in ways that will help increase fine motor skills (such as pincer grasp.)

About my class

The most important mechanical tools that students bring to the classroom are their hands. Hand skills are critical for early childhood learning because they are needed to master handwriting; a major occupation of school-aged children. They also provide the basis for all manipulative activities and hand tool use. However, more and more we are seeing typically developing children with delayed fine motor skills and decreased hand strength because they are not using their hands in ways that would strengthen their muscles (playing on touch screens, not having access to scissors at home, velcro vs tie shoes, squeezable foods, etc). As a result, we are seeing a variety of inefficient grasp patterns which affect handwriting and general fine motor skills. Why is developing fine motor skills in children important? Children with poor hand strength and fine motor skills may have difficulty: -picking up small items (beads, coins, etc.) using the pads and tips of the index finger and thumb. -holding a pencil, crayons, and markers with an appropriate grasp -holding and using eating utensils effectively -fastening closures (zippers, snaps, buttons) on garments easily and independently -using scissors -imitating various finger positions (e.g., touching each finger to the thumb). -manipulating small items within the hand (e.g., transferring coins within the palm out to the fingertips) Students will work on “Finger Gym” activities during morning work, independent learning centers, and/or indoor recess. These new materials will allow students to strengthen their hand muscles and use their hands in ways that will help increase fine motor skills (such as pincer grasp.)

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About my class

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