Literacy Partnerships: the Very Early Years

Activities to Improve Posture, Gross and Fine Motor skills

(Acknowledgments to Occupational Therapy Departments Gippsland Southern Health Service)

  1. Sit upright: back straight, hips, knees and ankles at right angle, feet touch floor.
  2. Have chairs and tables with appropriate height: child should sit upright with shoulders relaxed, elbows at right angle and level with table surface.
  3. Encourage use of dominant hand - identify Left/Right - encourage dominant hand crossing midline such as catching/throwing a ball with preferred hand, copying movements.
  4. Balance activities: be a seagull standing on one leg and hold for as long as possible (can move arms or hold arms across chest) /Carry a bean bag on head and walk forward, backward, sideways /Walking on balance beam or low fence / Walk with fare feet on uneven surfaces: grass, sand.
  5. Activities that encourage movement of thumb to tips of other fingers e.g. counting, finger dancing, finger puppet, picking up marbles/coins with thumb, index and middle fingers.
  6. Squeeze the trigger of a spray bottle with index and middle fingers while holding the bottle's neck with thumb, ring and little fingers.  Use water pistols, water balloons to create more fun.
  7. Seal zip lock bags with both hands using thumbs and index fingers only - opening jars/ pulling up bottles, caps etc. are good activities for finger strength and control.
    8.

  1. Coordination activities:
  • Walk forwards and with every step bend a knee and pick up an imaginary object (or real object) on the floor with the hand opposite the forward foot.
  • Walk on hands and feet like a bear.  Keep arms and legs straight, move L foot and arm together, R foot and arm together.  Now bend knees and elbows.  Now keep one foot off the floor,  galloping like a  horse
  • Clapping games to music, create all sorts of patterns to encourage crossing the midline movement.
  1. Use of playground equipment: swing, slide, monkey bar, flying fox etc.
  2. Running race, hopping race
  3. Motor planning: teach directional concepts with demonstration and movement - time and rhythm type activities - encourage child to organise own belongings.

Young children especially 3 and 4 year olds, should spend more time with fine motor manipulatives, than with writing utensils.

Children should be developing their hands for a variety of positions before they are expected to write or draw with a proper grasp.