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Child Development: Two Year Olds Learning Fine Motor Skills
Your two-year-old has just started enthusiastically running, jumping and -- yes -- saying "No!" Running and jumping are good for their development. It is important to recognize the the need for fine motor skill development -- especially young boys who tend to have difficulty sitting still to color. Fine motor skills include precise thumb, finger, hand, and wrist movements that are practiced through tracing, scribbling, painting, cutting and pasting.<
"Often parents overlook the need to help their children develop their fine motor skills," says Dr. Andrea Pastorok, educational psychologist with Kumon Math & Reading Centers.
"At this stage, parents should be enjoying reading to their toddlers and playing ball at the park. These activities help develop their child's vocabulary, hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills; but it is also important to take some time to do crafts together to help develop their fine motor skills."
Hanna Otero, editorial director for Flash Kids Publishing says, "My daughter has shown real improvement in her drawing and coloring skills after using Let's Color!
"She feels a sense of accomplishment being able to hold her crayon, draw and color the shapes and images she creates."
Let's Color! is one of four titles in Kumon Publishing's First Steps Series. This new workbook series is designed specifically to help children develop fine motor skills. By breaking more complicated skills into simple and enjoyable art projects, these books help children learn how to master pencil and crayon control without becoming frustrated.
The small size and simplicity of the First Step workbooks make them very child-friendly. "Gradually building your child's confidence is important," says Dr. Pastorok. "These books do not push children, they prepare them -- so that down the road, they will be able to use a pencil with ease."
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