3 Reasons Why Fine Motor Skills Are So Important?

You've already probably heard something about the importance of fine motor skills (commonly used in activities like using pencils, scissors, construction with Lego or Duplo, doing up buttons and opening lunch boxes). We would like to explain what fine motor skills actually are before we dig deeper into why they are so important.

Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists.

Those are the same skills that children use in their daily activities as well as for performing key tasks in school life.

Besides fine motor skills, there are gross motor skills that allow us to make bigger movements.

1. Children's School Performance And Academic Achievement Are Linked To Fine Motor Skills Development

Good brain-muscle coordination is necessary because fine motor skills are complex.

At an early age, we cannot separate motor and cognitive development. They are closely connected. 

Lack of motor development will affect cognitive development.

Cognitive development means how children think, explore and figure things out. It is the development of knowledge, skills, problem solving and dispositions, which help children to think about and understand the world around them. Brain development is part of cognitive development.

If you don’t encourage your child during this period, some of its functions will not be fully developed.

As a parent, you should recognize the needs of your child and help it in its development. Finding a way to stimulate the part of your child's brain that is in charge of a specific skill is a must. That way you will create preconditions for your child to use it’s capacities more easily for various mental techniques later in life.

2. Encouraging Fine Motor Skills Also Encourages Speech

Zones that are responsible for speech and finger movements in the brain are very close to each other.

 

By encouraging fine motor skills speech is also encouraged because brain centers for speech and finger movements are very close to each other.

 

3.Fine Motor Skills Development Is Good For Your Child's Self Esteem

When your child's motor skills are not developed as expected, toddlers can be easily frustrated. Meaning without these small motor skills, everyday tasks are a struggle.

We'll name a few:

• frustration when manipulating small toys and objects
• frustration and/or avoidance of pencil based tasks
• poor self-care skills such as eating, brushing teeth
• dependence on caregivers for usual activities like dressing

We come to the following conclusion - children need parallel development of cognitive skills, fine motor skills and speech skills in order to be able to start successfully regular schooling. It is the prerequisite for a happy, successful and self-confident child.

We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on the subject. If you wish, please comment below!

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