Preschool is a critical time for childhood development. Children learn skills that are necessary for performance, critical thinking, and future development. But developing those skills occurs during specific growth phases, and is not limited to classroom activities. At home, children can do a number of things to help them develop appropriately, including helping them with fine motor skills.
A Child's Space
The Montessori preschool environment is created around the needs of children. This includes furnishing and decorating from the children's perspective, and providing a similar place at home helps children be more engaged and interested. You do not have to child-size the entire home, but making the child's room-- and perhaps a corner in the family room-- makes them feel more like part of the family. Even more to the point, research has shown that children develop more readily when they feel comfortable in their own spaces.Touchscreen Technology
The Digital Age is here to stay, and children need to have exposure to the basics of using electronic devices. Tablet-like toys are inexpensive and offer a digital experience for children that requires them to use their fingers and hands to accomplish tasks. In addition to fine motor skills, this type of device also teaches a very wide variety of concepts. From counting and sorting to digitized versions of popular Montessori activities such as the Pink Tower, children's computers use game-like programs to build vocabulary, teach basic math skills, introduce animals and plants, and much, much more.Big Helpers
Children want to feel like an important part of the family, and including them in household tasks and projects provides the sense of inclusion they crave. There are no limits to what children can assist you with, from yard work to building birdhouses, and from housework to making delicious meals. Lifting, grasping, measuring, and cutting soft things are all excellent activities for developing fine motor skills. In the process, you will be exposing children to practical life skills that will benefit them for life.It is critically important for children to develop good fine motor skills between birth and 6 years of age. By kindergarten, your child should be able to grip a pencil correctly, use a pair of children's scissors, and manipulate small objects. These skills are a big part of the Montessori Method, but children need to be practicing them all the time, and the home environment is where most of that development will take place.
