Did you know that learning to write happens way before you put a pencil in your child's hand? Yes, it is true. And development of the fine motor skills is a huge reason for that.
When my girls were younger (1-2 years old), I studied Montessori and primarily followed the child-led learning approach. From this, I quickly saw their desire to be independent. I would do things like start peeling their mandarin oranges and allowing them to finish it. I did not realize the huge impact it would make on their handwriting skills. But, I saw tremendous improvement.
Those small muscles in the hand and fingers needs to be strengthened over time. Hand and finger strength also plays a major role in their day to day activities.
Here are 10 activities that you can do with your child at home to get them ready for writing:
1. Erasing with Q-tips
2. Cutting Playdough
3. Using Clothespins with Clipcard Activities
4. Peeling/Using Stickers
5. Tearing Paper
6. Shaping and Playing with Playdough
7. Q-tip Painting
8. Threading Beads
9. Sorting Small Objects by Hand or Tweezers
10. Squeezing Water from Sponges
You can see what all of these look like in this video.
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