1ST “CHAPTER” – ASSESSMENT OF FINE MOTOR SKILLS

1. Copying a square, a triangle and a diamond 

Equipment required: paper with geometric shapes, pencil. The child should copy three shapes using a pencil on a paper. Precision, quality of task implementation and pencil grasping is observed. The result can be compared to what is expected at a given age.    

2. Folding paper strips 

Equipment required: 2 paper strips (width 1.5 cm, length 20 cm) glued together at the end at right angles to each other. The child sits at the table, the glued strips of paper are in front of the child on the table. The examiner demonstrates the task by folding the paper strips over each other again and again as tight as possible, and verbally explains what he/she is doing. Then the child should fold the strips of paper over each other again and again until he/she reaches the end of the strips. Maximum time: 3 min – age 5; 2 min – age 6-8. Time is measured. 

Quality of performance is assessed. Possible scoring: the score is the number of correctly completed folds (i.e. the folded part covers the underlying part). The folds of both paper strips are counted, incomplete folds are not counted. 

3. Cutting paper with scissors  

Equipment required: colouring picture, scissors. The child sits at the paper with the colouring picture and the scissors in front of him/her. In this picture, a string is attached to the balloon. The child should start cutting at the end of the string, and cut the string until he/her reaches the balloon. Not allowed to cut outside the black area of the string. Maximum time: 3,5 min – age 5; 3 min – age 6-7; 2 min – age 8. Time is measured. 

Quality of performance is assessed. Possible scoring: the score is the number of times the child crossed the lines (irrespective of the size of the error; also, a dot outside the lines is considered an error).