Fine Motor Skills

Motor skills refer to any muscular movements or actions, and are divided into gross and fine motor skills. While gross motor skills include more general actions performed by larger muscle groups that center around mobility, fine motor skills include actions performed by smaller muscle groups in the arms, hands, and fingers leading to more skilled hand use. Examples of fine motor skills include reaching, grasping, and manipulating objects and tools such as using a fork or spoon, coloring and drawing using pencils or crayons, and tying shoelaces.

All motor skills begin developing at birth. Concern over potential delays of the development in fine motor skills can occur at any age. The Developmental Milestones Guide was developed to help professionals pinpoint at what age a specific skill is generally acquired, while recognizing that not all children develop at exactly the same rate.

The purpose of the Developmental Milestones Guide is to provide easily accessible references for the development of milestones at certain ages, and to allow anyone who works with children to determine whether there may be cause for concern in a child’s development. In our guide, you’ll find tables listing specific developmental milestones for fine motor including reach, grasp, in hand manipulation and others.

We strive to increase the understanding that these milestones are only a guide, and that because every child is unique, the age at which they reach these milestones may vary. Each page of the guide includes a section listing the age, including years and months, at which children typically achieve a particular milestone.

The Developmental Milestones Guide serves as an essential tool for occupational therapists and pediatric specialists who need to be able to find references quickly and easily during day to day interactions with children and parents. Instead of spending valuable time and effort researching and looking up individual milestones, the Developmental Milestones Guide offers everything you need in one handy place. Whether you purchase it in digital or printed format, the guide is portable and easy to use. Download a digital copy of the guide, or order your printed copy today.