Motor skills are the different ways in which the body uses muscles to perform specific tasks. There are two types of motor skills: fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

Fine Motor Skills Fine motor skills use smaller muscles, specifically those in the hand and wrist. These include grasping skills as well as eye-hand coordination. Examples of fine motor skills include buttoning up a shirt, holding a pencil, and picking up food. Fine motor skills are important for children to learn how to look after themselves and eventually learn to write. Evidence suggests that there is a link between fine motor skills development and language, literacy, and brain development.

Gross Motor Skills Gross motor skills use larger muscles and muscle groups. These include skills such as sitting, standing, walking, running, jumping, lifting, and kicking. Gross motor skills are important for balance, coordination, hand-eye coordination, and strengthening the neural pathways in the brain.

It is important to note that milestones occur at every age, and each child develops at their own pace. If you are concerned about developmental delay, bring these concerns to your pediatrician.

Here are some examples of fine and gross motor milestones for children:

• At three months, children are able to lift their head further while on their tummies, and push up higher on forearms. For fine motor skills, children are able to grasp a string and pull it, hold on to a block, and reach their arms up toward a toy while lying on their backs.
• At four months, children’s gross motor skills include rolling from their tummy to their back, and from their back to their tummy. For fine motor skills, children can hold a rattle and shake it.
• At six months, children’s gross motor skills include sitting up with support, and for fine motor skills, they can transfer objects from one hand to the other.
• At nine months, children’s gross motor skills include crawling, and for fine motor skills, they can pick up small objects using their thumb and index finger.
• At twelve months, children’s gross motor skills include standing alone, and for fine motor skills, they can use a spoon to feed themselves.
• At ...