Monday 19 June 2023
The importance of fine motor development was the focus of training recently undertaken by preschool and nursery practitioners, delivered by the States Early Years Team in partnership with the Health Improvement Commission.
Fine motor development is now a focus for early childhood development across the Bailiwick. Fine motor development is crucial in the Early Years as one component to ensure children have a readiness to write.
36 practitioners from 15 Early Years providers attended the training, which will be repeated at St Anne's School in Alderney for practitioners there.
The training focused on developing fine motor skills through cookery, mud kitchen play, sand and water play and indoor resources such as block play, mark making, malleable materials, puppets, and instruments.
Paediatric Occupational Therapists supported the teams to plan for the session by offering guidance around two hand grip, pincer grip and finger isolation. Leaflets covering the areas of learning were also developed and shared with practitioners to support the training.
Settings who attended were then able to apply for resources through the Health Improvement Commission to complement their current offer and support child development in this area.
