Fine Motor Development Chapter 11 Copyright 2016 by

Fine Movements and Motor Skills �Integral general § to motor development in Sports, games, exercise, fitness �Integral to other areas of human development Academics § Social development § �Some aspects decline in the latter part of life Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Development of Prehension �Manipulation: Hand use (reaching and grasping) �Prehension: The act of grasping, specifically Approaching, grasping, and releasing an object § Critical to the development of many hand movements throughout the lifespan § Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Halverson’s Stages of Grasping Development (1931) �Viewed the development of prehension as an ordered, relatively fixed sequence of grip patterns predictably evolving with increasing age and maturity. �Methods: Sweeping the hand arm in a backhand manner toward the object § Scooping the hand arm from different angles § Direct reach § Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Sequence of Grasping Behavior �Primitive squeeze �Squeeze grasp �Hand grasp �Palm grasp �Superior palm grasp �Inferior forefinger grasp �Forefinger grasp �Superior forefinger grasp Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Alternate View of the Development of Prehension (1989) � Task constraints (e. g. , object size) play a major role in grip patterns. � Children and adults use similar patterns for objects of similar size relative to their hand size. � Developmental progressions may be more flexible than those Halverson described. The five most common grip patterns encountered by Newell, Scully, Tenenbaum, and Hardiman (1989). Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Adjustment to Task Constraints in Grasping �Infants seem to differentiate the size and shape of objects as early as 4 months of age. § Employ various grip configurations for different objects �A child’s developmental sequence depends on the exact nature of the task at hand. Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Anticipation and Object Control �Children must develop an ability to adjust for varying sizes, shapes, and weights of objects. �Prior to 9 months of age, a child’s application of force in the reach and grasp is unrelated to the weight of the object. �By the time they are 18 months old, children exhibit anticipation and can differentiate reaching and grasping responses. Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Haptic Perception �Active use of hands to hold and explore an object in order to gain information �Properties that can be haptically perceived: § Temperature, size, texture, hardness, weight, and shape �Exploratory procedures �Unsupported holding �Haptic ability may not be fully developed until middle childhood or early adolescence Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Phases in Object Manipulation � From birth to 3 months: Simply clutch objects in one’s fist � From 4 to 9 months: More hand movements Poke, scratch, rub, wave, and bang objects § Move objects from hand to hand § Haptic sensitivity emerges § � By 9 or 10 months: Ability to sit makes two-handed manipulation easier § Contour following Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Fine Movement and Touch Perception in Adults �Age-related declines in touch and haptic ability begin around the age of 45 years. �More severe declines occur later in life. �But: No age-related differences in performance on haptic tasks that were more dependent on a cognitive element to determine object properties. Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Handwriting and Drawing �Complicated motor skills involving: Intellectual thought processes § Visual and perceptual processing § Movement control § �Despite computers, knowing how to write is still necessary for many daily tasks. �Children who lag in handwriting development may lag behind in other areas. Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Handwriting and Drawing Development �Simple scribbles evolve into ability to create shapes, which then evolve into letters. �Gender plays a role. �Quality of writing develops rapidly in first grade and then plateaus. �Handwriting becomes more automatic in third grade. Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Critical External Factors in Handwriting Performance Sitting position Chair and desk configuration Type of writing implement Environmental factors (e. g. , lighting, noise) Type of instruction Amount of practice Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Development of Grasping Positions for Writing �Supinate grasp �Pronate grasp �Dynamic tripod

Handwriting Characteristics Percentages of children aged 5. 5 to 6. 5 who exhibit certain

Phases in Drawing Development �Scribbling stage �Combine stage �Aggregate stage �Pictorial stage Copyright ©

Handwriting Development �Age 4: Can write letters, but not organized purposefully �Ages 5– 6: Can write one’s name, but in large, irregularly shaped letters �Age 7: Can master upper and lower-case letters; single-stroke letters are easier to form �Age 9: Can space letters correctly Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Handwriting and Drawing in Adulthood �Older adults (over age 40) do not write as legibly as younger adults �Women write more quickly than men § Speed begins to decrease in mid-20 s �Mixed handwriting style—both cursive and printed letters �Drawing: Notable decline in performance after age 75 Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Keyboarding �Emails and texting �Some schools are eliminating lessons in cursive writing. �In studies of handwriting vs. keyboarding, speed and quality were higher with handwriting. § Younger participants had higher rates of keyboard performance. Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Reflecting on Handwriting Development � Do you know anyone who is left handed (or are you left handed)? � How was the process of learning to write? � How did he/she (or you) adjust in order to writing legibly? � Does he/she (or do you) still have problems with holding a pen or positioning the paper correctly? Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers

Video—Handwriting Development �This video shows different stages in handwriting development, including Pronate grasp (0: 00 – 0: 21) § Supinate grasp (0: 34 – 0: 48) § Dynamic tripod grasp (1: 05 – 1: 28) § Copyright © 2016 by Holcomb Hathaway Publishers