Everyday Play by Christy Isbell

experience with pre-scissor activities. Provide your child with pre-scissor activities, such as picking up objects with tongs, squeezing water through turkey basters, or using a hole-punch on paper. Be sure to model the proper way to hold scissors and you may give “thumb on top” verbal reminders. With enough practice, your preschooler will develop the next stage of scissor use—holding the scissors appropriately and snipping paper.
     
     
    When is it appropriate to begin teaching my child how to write the letters of the alphabet?
    Children should be able to copy simple lines, shapes, and their first names before practicing the proper formation of uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. Most children are not developmentally ready to begin handwriting
instruction until the second half of kindergarten. Your child should not use handwriting workbook pages. Instead, provide your child with a variety of materials that include the alphabet and words, so that she has something to copy, if she so desires. You may begin by selecting a simple word or words that are interesting for your child such as “dog” or “love.”
     
     
    What type of paper is appropriate for my preschooler to use when writing?
    Preschoolers should write on plain paper with no lines. Most four- and five-year-olds do not have the visual perceptual skills or the fine motor control necessary to write letters accurately on a line or between two lines. Elementary paper that includes the dotted line in the middle of two solid lines is even more visually confusing than wide-ruled paper, and so it is best not to use it at all during the preschool years.
     
     
    What if my child is using fine motor skills that I feel are well below age-appropriate level?
    If you are concerned about your child’s participation in fine motor activities, you should discuss your concerns with your child’s pediatrician. You may contact your local school system’s Child Find Program or Special Education Program to request an evaluation. Your child should receive an occupational therapy evaluation to assess thoroughly his fine motor abilities. An occupational therapist (OT) who specializes in fine motor development can make recommendations for you to use at home and can also provide fine motor intervention for your preschooler.

Glossary
    Bilateral Hand Skills : The ability to use both hands together to accomplish a task.
    Child Find Program : A publicly-funded program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) intended to identify, locate, and evaluate/assess infants and toddlers with potential developmental delays or disabilities.
    Cognitive Development :The process of thinking, learning, perception, and reasoning.
    Developmentally Appropriate : Activities and educational experiences that match the child’s age and stage of development.
    Digital Pronate Grasp : Object is held with all fingers, wrist straight, and forearm moves with hand. Typical grasp for 2- to 3-year-olds.
    Dynamic Tripod Grasp : Object is held with fingertips of thumb, index, and middle fingers; ring and little fingers bent; hand moves separately from forearm. Typical grasp for 4½- to 6-year-olds. Mature grasp pattern.
    Eye-Hand Coordination :The ability to use fine motor skills to accomplish a task that the eyes and brain want to complete.
    Fine Motor : Movement of the small muscles in the fingers, hands, and forearms (for example, writing, cutting with scissors, stringing beads, or drawing). Another term for “small motor.”
    Finger Isolation : Using one finger (for example, pointing).
    Grasp : Hold with fingers.
    Gross Motor Skills : Movement of the large muscles in the arms, legs, and back (for example, walking, running, or kicking). Another term for “large motor.”
    Hand Dominance/Handedness :The hand that develops strength, skill, and precision to perform fine motor tasks. A preference for using one hand over the other.
    In-Hand Manipulation : Adjustment of object in the