FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFANT PROGRESSES

Definition
"Fine motor" refers to the movements we make with the small muscles of the
hands. Children start to use their hands right at birth to explore their own bodies
and the world around them. Their fine motor skills develop as their whole body
starts to move and become more stable. They also learn to do more things with
their hands as their cognitive and social/emotional skills improve.

Importance
Developing fine motor skills helps children do things like eating, writing,
manipulating objects and getting dressed.

Fine motor development

- Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and
wrists. We rely on these skills to do key tasks in school, at work, and in everyday life.
- These small movements come so naturally to most people that we usually don’t think about
them. But fine motor skills are complex.
- Fine motor skill is the coordination of small muscles in movement with the eyes, hands and
fingers.
- Fine motor skills aid in the growth of intelligence and develop continuously throughout the
stages of human development.

Age in Month and Fine motor development

0-1 month old

- Eyes can follow (track) an object towards the middle (midine) or starting at midine to
either side.
- Tightly grasp objects placed child’s hands.
- Hands are in fists most of the time

2 months old

- Eyes can follow (track) an object to right and left sides, past the midline.
- Can briefly hold small toys placed in child’s hands
- May begin to notice their own hands.
 - Reaches toward dangling objects and people's faces

3 Months old

- Eyes can follow objects in a circular motion

- Hands are more relaxed.Infant is able to look at an object and will attempt to reach for
that object. (Referred to as “visually directed reaching.”)

4 Months old

- Touches fingers together

- Begins reaching with both hands at the same time.
- Able to reach and grasp a small toy using both hands.
- Touches or bangs an object on a table or hard surface.

5 Months old

- They have better hand –eye coordination and can more easily grab hold of and handle
objects they lay eyes on .
- They like to grab or shake things with either hand.
- They let things fall and then pick them up.
- They tend to touch their chest and their bottle.

6 Months old

- Reaches for an object with right or left hand.

- Shakes a rattle
- Uses a raking grasp (all fingers at the same time) to pick up small objects

7 Months old

- Transfers a small object from one hand to the other.

- Pass an object from one hand to the other
- Able to clap their hands together.

8 months old

- Able to pull an item that is placed vertically in Play- doh.

- Able to hold an object with the pad of the thumb facing the pad of the index finger.
- Can poke objects with index finger.

9 months old
 - Uses thumb and index finger (pincer grasp) to pick up small objects like Cheerios
- Bangs two objects together (ie. Two blocks) Claps hands.
- They can pick up, hold, and manipulate objects with each hand and knock two objects
together.
- Your baby can pass medium-sized objects (e.g., wooden blocks) from one hand to the
other.
- They grip objects more skillfully.

10 months old

- Pull out three items that are placed vertically in Play-doh

- Releases an object into an adult’s hand upon request.

11 months old

- Places small objects into a medium or large container.

- Turns pages of a book a few pages at a time
- Begins to put objects into a container
- Points to objects
12 months old

- Bringing a spoon to mouth.

- Holding and drinking from cup independently.
- Picking up small objects with thumb and one finger.
- Putting shapes into a shape sorter without assistance.

What I learned about fine motor skills

Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements
in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. Developing fine motor skills helps children do
things like eating, writing, manipulating objects and getting dressed.

Fine motor skills are the movements and coordination of the small muscles of the body, typically thought
of as the movements that involve the fingers and the hands. Fine motor skills are important for
supporting independence with dressing, feeding, eating and performance in school.