For children who are learning to write, there’s lots happening at once. Their eyes are looking at where their hand needs to go, the big muscles of their arm help to guide the hand across the page, and the small muscles of the hand work hard to change directions to form letters and shapes. Just like learning to drive a car involves more than just turning the steering wheel, fine motor skills require the development and integration of a range of development skills.

This EYLF-aligned resource has easy-to-read breakdowns of the range of skills needed when a child is learning to write:

1. Hand & Finger Strength
2. Bilateral integration
3. Crossing the midline
4. Hand-eye coordination
5. Hand dominance
6. Hand division
7. Object manipulation
8. Body awareness

It outlines what these skills are, how they look in the early years, why they’re important, things to watch for in a classroom setting, as well as 28+ ideas for how teachers and can support children’s learning in play-based, hands-on ways. It also lists helpful classroom resources you most likely have that help develop each skill.

How to use this resource:

1. Target specific skills with engaging, hands-on and play-based ideas.
2. Use as a reference guide in parent meetings or reporting to illustrate the important fine motor skills that are developed through play in the early years.
3. Scan through to see easy ways to incorporate skills in your classroom using resources you already have.
4. Use relevant pages as a poster for display or include with beginning of year information.
5. Use to help with planning and reporting.

Perfect for early years classrooms and centres, this resource highlights essential skills that need to be developed through various hands-on and play-based ideas.

If you’d like to create displays showcasing how EYLF concepts are at play in your centre or classroom and make student learning visible, use this resource with our:

1. Fine Motor Display resource
2. What Can You Build? resource