Fine Motor Development

Fine Motor Skills:

Learning to write involves holding a pencil/pen.  This is an issue for some of our students who struggle with fine motor skills.  The following blog suggests the use of an iPad for developing the essential fine motor skills for writing.  It is important to note that if a student gets refered by a parent/teacher/school to an Occupational Therapist, they will often recommend an adapted approach for output difficulties such as assistive technology that helps a learner write.  The following apps are suggestions of apps that will help develop fine motor skills - therefore recommended for students in grade 4 or less.  They are fun, engaging and go through a variety of skills.

There are many tasks that a student engages in at school that require the use of well developed fine motor skills.  These skills include:

1. writing

2. gluing,

3. eating,

4. imitating movements

5. task completion

6. problem solving

7. self esteem

8. motivation

9. engagement

10. sorting

11.  typing shoe laces/preparing for outdoors

12.  cutting

In order to achieve the ability to do the above tasks, students need the following basic skills:

1. pinching/grabbing

2. finger isolation / individualzation

3. control

Here are the apps!

Dexteria - 4.99 - therapeutic hand exercises - developed by OT's, can use a digital crayon (iCreate) or other stylus (Amazon), "Handwriting without tears program".  Here's a Demo:

Bugs and Buttons Pinch and Grab (2.99) - iPad - pinch and grab, motivating, sorting, imagination

Bugs and Buttons Roach Racing - 2 finger access, sequentially on 2 targets to control the roach to finish line

June's PianoLearn Songs - bilingual, finger isolation, learn to play the piano at home or at school!

Injini Trace the Shapes - various levels, follows developmental sequence of pre printing skills.  The lite version is free and a great start to see if it is engaging for the student.

Touch and Write Free -  enhances handwriting skills, control, grasp, letter recognition and basic writing

Shape Builder - 99cents - 146 puzzles, touch control, stylus (pencil grip), moving puzzle pieces to complete puzzle, finger to finger individualization.

WritePad for iPad - junior high and high school students - converts handwriting to text, write letter on screen an it instantly converts to text, send directly to email, facebook, and other social media. 

Cars2 AppMates - free - hand wrist and finger movements, virtual play mat, purchase cars separately from Amazon, pressure to move car on the track.  This one is extremely engaging!  Prepares students for holding a pencil and pressing down.

Pirate Scribble Beard's - drawings come to life, engaging, verbal instructions on what to draw, use a stylus, develop creativity

Since learning these apps, I have downloaded most of them and I am using them for my 3 year old to develop the skills necessary for school.  He absolutely loves the Cars2 app and the Injini app (we only have the free one but they offer you the first 3 levels for free which is about the level where my son is at).  Can't wait to show him some more of the apps as his skills increase.  One thing to note is that I showed him the Bugs and Buttons app and he was terrified!  It's important to ensure that the student (or child) you are working with is engaged in the activity and that it is motivating.