Physical development 2

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Fine Motor Skills: Skill at manipulating a range of malleable materials and small items of equipment depends on the development of small muscles. Fine motor control is needed, for example, to build a tower of blocks, complete a jigsaw puzzle, or tie shoe laces. Physical skills are also linked with perceptual development, visual skills, cognitive skills and understanding of specific vocabulary related to spatial relationships. These are enhanced through a visually stimulating environment and opportunities to explore and talk about a wide range of resources and materials. As children’s small muscles mature, including eye muscles, hand/eye co-ordination will develop. Hand /eye coordination is a pre-requisite of being able to hold a pencil properly to make marks on paper and later produce precise writing patterns, letters and numbers. Children will develop fine manipulative skills and hand/ eye co-ordination by handling a wide range of resources, including: dough, plasticine, clay, painting- first with large brushes and then finer ones,  sand and water play equipment, jigsaw puzzles, peg patterns, a range of equipment for threading and weaving,  small world figures, animals and vehicles. Constructing equipment of different sizes for table top activities, use of clothes for role and imaginative play, use of scissors, cooking equipment, sewing equipment computers and other programmable devices. As children progress, they should be able to: handle increasingly small equipment skillfully, for example  sewing, construction toys, use crayons, pencils, pens and paintbrushes, of varying sizes to support their individual development when  making, writing and making pictures, use hammers, saws and nails to create their own models, make intricate models from clay, plasticine , pour and measure liquids, cut accurately with a knife or scissors, handle items such as sequins, large needle and thread and paper fasteners when decorating or joining items they design and make, handle the computer mouse with increasing control, use ICT to support their work and development across all areas of learning.

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