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Getting Hands-On With Fine-Motor Skills

By Allison Sampish

A month ago, Eric entered my kindergarten classroom unable to hold a pencil without using the "death grip" on it. He also held scissors with multiple fingers in each finger hole and found it difficult to roll play-dough into a long snake. Eric comes from a family that struggles to ensure that there is dinner on the table, much less a snack in his backpack. His lack of exposure to fine-motor activities is already affecting him in all academic areas. He has trouble writing down his thoughts, using crayons to color in shapes, or even completing a craft because it is frustrating or painful.

Research has long shown links between students' fine-motor skills and their future academic achievement. Studies also indicate that low-income students in particular tend to enter school with low fine-motor skills. So how can we help students like Eric?

I'm always on the lookout for fun ways to improve students' fine-motor skills. Keep in mind that these activities don't have to be expensive or complicated—ordinary objects can be...