I am trying to help a 4.5 year old dcb get ready for Kindergarden. According to our state standards, he needs to be able to write his name.

I hate worksheets, but figure 5-10 minutes of practice per day will help him get ready. I printed some sheets where he could trace the letters of his name. The problem I am having, is that he is unable to even trace. I am trying to think of some fine motor skill activities to help him strengthen his fingers so he will be able to write better.

1. Do you have any good finemotor skill activities you would share that would help?

2. Any other ideas on how I can help him get ready for kinder? Thanks!

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I always request the pre-K evaluation findings. In my school district parents can list my name and address and they forward it all on. Gives me great insight as to what we can work on here.


As far as the tracing goes would you consider making up sandpaper letters as opposed to just printouts?

Lacing cards and beads are great for working fine motor skills, so is building with tiny legos, practicing paper cutting, doing dot to dot worksheets, working with playdoh (ask kiddo to make a bunch of "meatballs" for a plate of dough spaghetti) etc.

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Another fun way to learn to write letters and trace things is to let them use rice or flour or finger paints and let them drag their fingers through it and make shapes, letters and numbers.

I also have big wooden stencil letters that allow the child to run his/her finger around the grooves forming the movements necessary to make the letter.

They also make several things to help a child learn to hold their writing utensils properly. I start out with triangular shaped crayons and big chunky pencils with foam attachments on them.

I also recently discovered these and LOVE them http://www.amazon.com/TWIST-PENAGAIN...f=pd_sbs_op_14

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Using large tweezers to pick up object pompons, cotton balls etc & sorting into icecube trays can help with the pincer grasp. I also get my kids to put their name on all their work - drawings, crafts, even if it's just a squiggles for the littles. It might help to start by having him trace lines, curves and circles first then talk about how the letters in his name are formed. I also have them write in baking soda, salt, rice in a bakin tray with a chopstick or something similar, on dry erase and chalkboards. To encourage him to write try having him write menus, signs, posters and cards - real world writing.

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Just saw all the errors in my above post! Must slow down when typing on my phone.

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I know you don't like worksheets but maybe you can start with worksheets to help him start the tracing. On a peice of paper I draw two inch vertical light lines with a pencil and then on the other side I do the same but make them vertical
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- - - - - - - -

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Once they sort of get the hang of it then I use different media for them to trace with like paint, chalk etc. And I might use different surfaces like the floor, chalkboard, table etc. Then it just gets progressively harder. after the straight lines we would do a simple zigzag /\ /\ /\ /\ < < < < > > > > etc.
Then you make the zigzags longer /\/\ /\/\ etc. Then you do circles and S shapes etc etc. He just has to get the idea of how to be able to trace. Once he can do that then you can have him trace his name and add it to all of his work. I found that starting with worksheets so that they get the concept works for me, then I can switch to a more hands-on aproach.

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Is he right or left handed?

Does he cross the midline well? When he's putting on shoes, does he reach across his body to put each shoe on? Or is it hard for him? Does he tend to use both hands rather than reach across the page with one hand?

http://pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=pre+writing Here are hundreds of ideas that might help him.

I like using water paint on a block wall, or if it's too cold outside, use a chalk board inside.

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try painting on an easel it helps hold the brush correctly and an artists ALWAYS signs their work.

dcb could not or would not try to writ his name BUT he loved dinasours. so he wrote dinasaur names.

work sheets put these kids off trying you have to find something fun to fool them.

my ds liked to write in mud truely I swear.

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When you say sandpaper letters, do you mean cutting out sandpaper in the shapes of letters? do you place them under the paper for texture?

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These are all excellent ideas! I will definitely incorporate them into our day! I'm excited to start creating some fun new activities

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There's already a ton of great ideas here, I'd also suggest using a salt tray. Just a paper plate or tray covered in salt. Then they can practice their letters, shapes, pictures, etc. Even the kids that didn't like to practice letters stayed at this one for 45-minutes.

The other one I'd suggest is doing their names in playdough. I just wrote up little cards (cardstock, not laminated is fine for one time use or can lamenate to extend the life) with one letter on each card, then they could roll the playdough and shape it to place on the card. Some rolled the dough to outline their letters, some broke off pieces to place on their letters. Playdough in general is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills, but this activity was a huge hit with all the kids and helped them with their letters.

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tweezers

you can have the kid

sort items into small cups, jars, dishes and etc.

lacing cards

have them pull off stickers off a sheet and place them onto paper.

I also do not like worksheets, but for my kinder program, they have to. Al of my kids leave here able to write their FULL name, address and numbers 1-10.

All of my kids also leave here knowing full phonics and MOST (not all) can read basic BOB books, easy readers.

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Fine Motor Activities:
- Put dots on a paper. have child cover each dot with a sticker
- Get and empty coffee can. Clip clothespins around the edge
- Fill a large ziploc bag with paint. Trace letters/shapes in the paint
- Draw straight lines on a paper, different lengths. Have child use scissors to cut only on the lines
- Theraputty, playdough, clay or silly putty are great for hand strength
- Draw small boxes on a pience of paper (like an inch or so). Have child draw a line from top to bottom in each box, staying inside of the box. Also try side to side. Eventually add letters to the boxes and have him copy into another box.
- Large tweezers to pick up small objects
- Cut a whole in the top of a coffee can lid. Have child push small plastic rings through the whole into the can
- Get some nail boards (board with lots of nails). Have child place small rings on each nail, or clip paper clips on them, or stretch elastics from one nail to another.

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My kids LOVE the ones where you have to draw a line to connect. I can draw /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ from a capital to lower case letter, animal, etc and I ALWAYS print this style of sheet when I find them. I have a ton laminated and use dry erase markers.

I also want to suggest peg boards, nuts & bolts, that sort of thing. It really helped my dcb who is very into tools with grasping & strength (and he is now predominantly lefty)

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Practice the strokes in this order: horizontal line ----, vertical line |, circle o, cross +, diagonal lines /,\ , and then shapes: square, rectangle, and triangle.

A lot of great fine motor activities were suggested here. Those really need to be worked on and refined before writing.

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I have not read all of the posts, so apologize ahead of this is all repeat of what everyone has already mentioned.

Writing in sand (or flour or cornmeal - whatever you have)
Cutting! It's great for fine motor and kids love to do it.
Pre-writing worksheets abound online. Curves, points, shapes, etc. I'll try to post a link. They really need these, IMO, before they can write legibly, including their name.
Drawing, pasting, painting - all good.
Marker coloring in coloring book - most of my kids don't like to color, but let them use a marker and they LOVE it!

Prewriting worksheets: HERE, HERE and tons more if you just search "prewriting worksheets". Most are free.

Cutting sheets: HERE, HERE and tons more. Google "cutting practice worksheets"

Lacing cards, lacing beads, puzzles, games like "Don't spill the beans" which require some hand/eye coordination.

gluing and pasting, especially filling in something - like we made a cotton ball sheep.

Mazes - all of my kids love mazes.

I know there are hundreds more. Hope these ideas help a little!

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I just bought supper sorting pie from amazon..

its good for sorting counting and color recon and developing fine motor skills
the kids love it

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http://livingmontessorinow.com/2011/...paper-letters/


There is a link towards to bottom where it talks about DIY with cardstock and "glitter" cardstock - those are the ones I made and they were sooooo easy.

You'd use them primarily to trace with fingers (hence the texture of the sandpaper/glitter cardstock), but I let the kids trace them with q-tips also. It's a novelty once tracing with fingers gets old and teaches them to control an implement while building memory of the strokes needed to write the letters.

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Thanks! I like the idea of it also being a sensory building activity.

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First, I would offer crayons for writing/drawing. It requires him to use the muscles in his hands more, as he will have to press harder to make a mark.

I would make name cards for all of the children, with their photos on them. Leave these in basket next to a stack of paper and basket of crayons. I would have these accessible at all times.

Make blank books.....folded construction paper and printer paper, stapled and encourage the children to write/draw their. I would also dictate their stories for them, as they tell you the story write the words in the book. This way they make the connection that printed letters make words.

Set up a sign-in station just for the children. Each day at arrival, have them sign in. This is a good place to keep the name/photo cards, so that those that are interested can really write their names. Some of the children will just make scribble marks, but this is one of my kids FAVORITE things to do and they really learn much more quickly how to write thier names, because they are doing a "grown up" thing, like their parents. It's cool to keep each days pages too, because you can see the emergent handwriting over the course of weeks/months.

Place clipboards with paper and a pen or pencil that is TIED on, in various areas. Encourage the children to write/draw about their experiences: block area...drwa their building after it is complete OR draw a "blueprint" before they build. Dramatic PLay - use for taking orders, making lists, writing "prescriptions" at the doctors, etc.

As for more fine motor activites:

wire and beads to make bead sculptures-this requires the bending/twisting of the wire

CLAY....not playdough. Clay is much firmer and requires much more pressing/pushing/etc. AND given a little water, they can actually WRITE in it

legos....LITTLE legos

unifix cubes

eye droppers or medicine droppers - one of our favorite activities with these (just did it yesterday, again!) is using a LARGE clear bowl or container, filled 2/3 with water and then putting a very thick layer of shaving cream on top. Put out a few bowls of liquid water colors or food coloring and allow the children to use the medicine/eye droppers to drip the coloring onto the shaving cream....as it drops through the shaving cream and into the water, they can watch the colors blend to make new colors

fill glue bottles 2/3 with glue and add liquid water colors or food dye.Mix well to create colored glue. Provide HEAVY carboard and let them use the glue as much as they want. They don't need anything else but the glue. It makes awesome abstract art and they have to use their hands extensively to get the glue out. This can also be done as on wax paper instead of carboard, add a little glitter after they put the glue on the wax paper. When it dries, it can be peeled off and makes GREAT Christmas ornaments!

Collage.....again, lots of glue and lots of little pieces of stuff to glue on to heavy paper or cardboard.

Scissors.....they cut newspaper, coupons, yarn, fabric, etc.

Have them help sharpen pencils

I will try to come up with some more ideas for you!

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Set up a sign-in station just for the children. Each day at arrival, have them sign in.


crystal this is a great one.......


ever since I have done this, the kids have really gotten GREAT at name writing. I have the parents help them with this in the morning after they take off their shoes.

Since we don't throw them out, you can see the progress in the folder over the months. AMAZING..parents love it, the kids feel important and I love looking at it too.....

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