Dexterity & Motor Planning

Many students who struggle to learn handwriting have underlying motor planning problems.  Students may have delays in motor coordination and dexterity or have difficulty planning new motor actions. At the dexterity/motor planning station, students participate in fine motor activities that emphasize the letters of the week or seasonal themes. In general, the occupational therapist plans and leads this station. Student skills vary widely in dexterity and motor planning, and the small group format provides opportunities for the occupational therapist to give individualized support to students. The activities are specifically designed to require motor planning, isolated finger movements and precise finger movements (manipulating tiny objects). Many of the activities provide resistance to finger movement, promoting hand strength and endurance. Motor planning is developed in activities that have multiple steps and require bilateral sequenced hand movements. Each of the activity examples for this station elicits hand movements used in handwriting.  The activities link to letters recently learned or reinforce skills important to organizing a writing activity.