Hands on, screens off
Handwriting skills can be greatly impacted in the early years when children are not given the opportunities they need to develop same.
Though we are in a digital age, writing is still an important means of communication, which would be nearly impossible to totally eliminate. Where writing may not be important, such as in computer-based exams, students may still need to type out their answers.
Whether writing or typing, children who have the opportunity to develop their fine motor skills have an edge over those who do not.
Both require hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Writing, by its nature, encourages deep analytical thinking.
In addition to potentially being faster and more convenient, typing also allows one to communicate smoothly without having to deal with the stress of handwriting legibility.
In these contemporary times where children (right from birth) are being exposed to long screen hours of so-called learning and entertainment on televisions, mobile phones and tablets with little to no playtime, we risk raising a generation whose set of fine motor skills remains immature.
This is why children’s fine motor development should be supported.
Screens
Screens do not support the development of muscle memory optimally. Scrolling on a tablet for hours on end offers little in terms of motor development.
A Canadian study recently showed that writing on tablets negatively affects pen movements, pressure and muscular efforts compared to writing by hand on paper.
Among selected children aged four, five and seven, a similar study in Toronto showed that motor proficiency is reduced with excessive screen time.
Hand strength and dexterity have been found to be lacking today as compared to what children had about 10 years ago, partly due to exposure to long screen hours.
Children who are two to three years of age should be grabbing crayons and scribbling, and starting to form basic shapes.
Four- to six-year-olds should be helped to hold pencils comfortably, write numbers and simple letters, including their names, and colour within lines.
Children’s drawings reflect their fine motor skills and help to engage their perceptual awareness of the world around them in a way that screens do not do.
Activities that improve fine motor skills include play dough sculpting.
In the past, playing with clay was common.
The pinching, rolling, pressing, moulding and smoothening around corners of sculpted objects help build hand strength and dexterity.
Dipping fingers in paint and spreading it on paper- fingerprinting- also strengthens hand and finger muscles, as simple as it may seem.
Opportunities for older children to thread beads onto strings strengthen finger muscles and improve hand-eye coordination.
This is necessary for letter formation activities in handwriting and efficient and fast typing as well.
Using scissors safely during arts and crafts lessons not only strengthens hand and finger muscles but also supports pencil control. Cutting along lines and shapes aids hand-eye coordination and visual tracking.
Children learn patience and focus as they concentrate on their cuts.
Building with blocks, playing with objects with different textures and lacing loops are all ways by which children fine-tune their motor skills needed for writing and typing in later life.
Playing with different musical instruments, such as shakers, drums and bells in the early years contributes to hand and muscle strengthening.
Creativity, imagination
In addition to developing fine motor skills, these activities have a way of provoking the creativity and imagination of children.
This is important for preparing children for innovations and problem-solving in later life.
It is, therefore, imperative that parents find alternatives to screens.
More than screens, what children need is a stimulating environment that will ultimately help to build a foundation for lifelong learning, self-expression and achievement of their full potential.
The writer is a Child Development Expert/ Fellow at Zero-to-three Academy, USA.
E-mail: nanaesi_19@yahoo.co.uk
