Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are the ability to coordinate movements between hands, fingers, and eyes. They are needed for things such as coloring, writing, cutting, tying shoelaces, buttoning shirts, zipping coats, and many daily tasks.

• Starts holding a pencil using a 3 fingered grasp
• Using fingers to make movements while coloring/writing
• Colors within the lines with minimal mistakes
• Cuts out simple shapes- scissor skills improve
• Pastes and glues appropriately
• Can draw basic pictures

Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills are the ability to coordinate movements using the whole body. The large muscles of the body, including core muscles are used in these skills. Things like jumping, running, kicking, and throwing a ball are examples.

• Kicking a ball well
• More consistency when throwing a ball
• Skipping forward (some may need to see an example first)
• Running around obstacles well
• Hopping on one foot multiple times
• Jumping over something and landing on both feet
• Catching a small ball or object with only their hands
• Beginning to do things like jumping jacks and crab walks (though improvement is needed)
• Riding a bike (some without training wheels)

Social Skills

Social skills are skills that we use every day as we interact with others and includes communicating. Even non-verbal communication like body language and facial expressions fall into the category of social skills. Knowing how to act in social situations can be tricky for young children. As they grow and have more experiences with people of all ages, these skills will mature and make it easier for them to have positive interactions with others.

• Getting better at sharing and avoiding conflict
• Play gets better organized
• Pretend play expands and includes things they haven’t experienced but have seen or heard (exploring space, playing characters from movies or books, etc.)
• Manners (saying please, thank you, excuse me) begin to be used more
• Self-control is strengthened (though still needs developing)
• Being patient and waiting turns starts to get better

Your Homework

What’s a homeschool blog without a little homework?

• Identify any area where your 5-6 year old child needs help in development
• Pick one area
• Write out your plan to help them achieve this developmental step (this could be anything from daily practice to talking with their pediatrician)