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 given 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