As your child moves closer to kindergarten, her skills will begin to become more refined as her hands and fingers become more advanced and experienced. Let’s check out what to expect for your fabulous four-year old!
Fabulous at 4!
Scissor Skills: Your child is moving along, now she should be able to cut along a thicker curved line with good accuracy, moving now towards cutting out simple shapes (with straight lines, such as a square and triangle, within ½” of the line by about 4.5 years of age). Placing stickers along the lines is a great way to encourage accuracy and make it more fun!
Pre-Writing/Pencil Skills: Now your child’s pre-writing skills are really taking off! He should be able to accurately draw a square and triangle. Your child should be able to color within the lines and fold along a line with good precision. Give your child a fun boundary to color within by outlining a picture with glue (allowing to dry completely) to provide a raised edge!
Eye-Hand Coordination: At this age, your child should be able to draw a person with approximately 4-5 recognizable parts, copy a cross, trace large letters/numbers, and catch a playground ball. Using both hands together continues to improve, getting ready for more advanced skills coming up! Play ‘Simon Says’ type games with your child to see if he can imitate motor actions both with a demonstration and without!
Daily Living Skills: You should notice your child gaining independence with front snaps and medium/small buttons on front-opening clothing. He should be taking interest in making snacks such as a simple sandwich and slicing a banana on his own. The more he does on his own, the more he will want to do!
Written by: Rachel Merrick
Lead Occupational Therapist
Tri-County Therapy
