Developing Reach, Grasp, and Release Skills to Promote Functional Fine Motor Skill Development
A child’s ability to reach, grasp and release are fundamental fine motor skills that are the foundation for the development of the more complex skills of refined pinch, prehension, and dexterity.
Children love basic play that includes placing objects into containers and then emptying them out! Looks simple enough, but this basic learning activity helps them to develop the foundation for their grasp and release skills, as well as refine their eye-hand coordination skills.
Children typically start with large, gross movement patterns and typically miss the container when trying to drop or move objects into the “hole.” As they play and practice they learn how to hold, move, release, and move on to being able to accomplish handling smaller and smaller items and smaller openings to place objects in to.
Development of the ability to isolate your index or pointer finger is an important early stage in the development of gross grasp and early prehension. Children begin using their hands as a unit, where all their fingers move together at approximately the same time. As your child’s skills develop they begin to use their fingers separately when pointing or when playing.
Being able to use your fingers individually impacts a child’s transition to day-care and school based activities. A child who struggles with fine motor skills will more than likely find that they struggle throughout the day’s tasks and routines.
This book covers:
Developing Reach, Grasp, and Release Skills to Promote Functional Fine Motor Skill Development
Developing Basic Reach, Grasp to Release Activities Reach, Grasp, and Release Activities and Ideas
Coil and Button Bank
Pegboards
Sensory Rice Box
Fine Motor Skill Development Impacts Transition to School
Physical Components Involved in Functional Fine Motor Performance
Daily School-Based Activities Where Fine Motor Skills Are Important
Common Signs Your Child Has Difficulty with Their Fine Motor Development Skills
Fine Motor Development Activities and Ideas Sensory Rice Box Directions, Filler Ideas, Variety of Activities/Ideas
Sensory Paper Mache Recipe, Directions and Activity Ideas
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Judy Benz Duncan has been an Occupational Therapist for over thirty years. She has worked with children from infants to teenagers in numerous settings that included early intervention, pre-school programs, grade school, home health, developmental training centers, and sensory integration clinics.
Judy developed the foundation for designing therapeutic activities and tasks using interactive play and creative imagination to engage the children at a level they could easily relate to while working toward the achievement of their Occupational Therapy program’s functional goals and treatment plan
Judy attended the University of Florida, University of Kansas, and the University of Tennessee. She received New York State approval as a Supplemental Evaluator for OT with early intervention and pre-school students, and has helped develop and start an OT program for families and children in New York. Judy continues to stay up-to-date in the clinical field through mentoring other OT students and new graduates.
She continues to contribute to children, families and professionals everywhere through her professional writing endeavors which include writing books and manuals, managing the therapeutic website, TheraPlay4Kids.com, writing OT blogs and topic-specific articles, working on "interactive story play" book series, writing bi-weekly professional blogs for a pediatric orthopedic surgeon group, a psychiatrist, and an attorney at law. She continues to be an active mentor of new OT graduates, as well as OT students.
