Fine Motor
Small Motor Skills Age Norms
Uses fingers to:
- 2.6 unwrap food: candy wrappers, banana.
- 2.6 point with index finger.
- 2.9 stack plastic rings in correct order by size.
- 3.0 turn pages of picture storybook, one by one.
- 3.0 screw and unscrew a 3" lid, wind up toys, turn knobs.
Copies large, simple shapes:
- 2.6 vertical line.
- 3.0 horizontal line.
- 3.9 cross (+); circle.
- 4.6 square with distinct corners.
- 5.0 X.
- 5.0 rectangle, triangle.
- 5.3 diamond.
Colors:
- 2.6 uses large crayons to scribble
- 2.9 holds crayon with thumb and fingers (not fist)
- 4.6 within lines.
Stacks blocks into tower:
- 3.9 6-8 blocks
- 3.0 9-10 blocks
- 4.0 11 blocks or more
Builds structures given a model:
- 2.9 3 block train, 3 block bridge
- 3.0 pen for animals
- 4.6 5 block bridge
- 6.0 6 block pyramid, house, and complex structures
Cuts paper with scissors:
- 3.0 makes small cuts in paper
- 3.6 cuts across small paper, cutting in two pieces
- 4.0 follows thick straight line
- 4.6 follows thick curved line
- 6.0 picture (people, animals) from magazines
Puts puzzles together without help:
- 3.0 3-4 pieces
- 3.9 5-7 pieces
- 4.6 8-11 pieces
Manipulates play dough:
- 3.0 into ball or flat, round pancakes
- 4.0 rolls into rope
Strings:
- 3.0 large 1-inch beads or 1-inch dry pasta using shoelace
Traces over letters:
- 3.0 with crayons.
- 4.6 with pencil: simple capital letters H. T, L, V
Folds paper after watching model:
- 3.6 in half, horizontally.
- 4.0 in half, diagonally.
Touches:
- 3.6 each finger of one hand to thumb of same hand
Draws:
- 4.0 and names own pictures (not recognizable).
- 4.6 and names own pictures (recognizable).
- 4.9 connects two objects with line on same page.
Pastes:
- 4.6 2 pieces of paper together.
Prints:
- 4.6 copies first name give a model.
- 5.9 first and last name or 2 words, but not very clearly.
- 6.0 all 26 letters of the alphabet with or without model.
Ties:
- 5.6 small knots in shoelaces.
