Why are fine motor and handwriting skills important?

Printing and handwriting are important components of early learning and communication. It is estimated that children spend between 31-60% of their school day performing handwriting and other fine motor tasks. Therefore the development of proper handwriting skills is an important factor in academic success, as well as building a child’s self-confidence.

Printing is a complex task with many component skills that must be taken into consideration, including physical skills (e.g. postural control, shoulder stability), fine motor skills (e.g. pencil grasp and pressure, in-hand manipulation, bilateral integration, motor planning), visual-motor integration, visual perception, and more!

Due to the complexity of printing skills and its importance in early learning and communication, KEYsteps has developed the KEYsteps for KINDER: Small Group OT Sessions to focus on fine motor and pre-printing skills.

KEYsteps for KINDER: Small Group OT Sessions

General Program Information & Goals

KEYsteps for KINDER small group OT sessions focus on preparing a child for Kindergarten, specifically in regards to fine motor skills, pre-printing and printing skills (including pencil grip).  While the primary focus of the small group sessions will be fine motor skills,  time is also be dedicated to the following skills:

• Gross motor skills
• Social skills and awareness
• Self-regulation
• Activities of daily living (for example: independence with outerwear, lunch containers)
• Letter and number recognition (capital letters, numbers 1-10)
• Recognize and print their own name

Our group activities and exercises are planned with intention and focus on addressing skills that will assist with a smooth transition into the Kindergarten environment.  These group sessions provide the opportunity for your child to grow and develop socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively, while having fun with their peers.  In order to keep the children interested and motivated, play-based activities are be included in our sessions, in addition to desk/table-based exercises.

A minimum of four participants is required for a group session to be offered.  Maximum number of participants in a session will be five.

In order to participate in the small group sessions, the following criteria must be met:

• Child must be of the age that they can register for Kindergarten the following year.  Our registration packages will contain specific age/date requirements.
• Child must be completely independent with toileting routines.

Group Session Options
The KEYsteps for KINDER programs are offered in either 12-16 week blocks (registration package will include specific dates) with the option to register for once or twice per week sessions.  Each session will be 2 hours in length, see below:

Contact Key Steps directly for information regarding registration and session fees.   Onsite tours of our facility can also be arranged upon request.

Please know that the safety and health of your children and the KEYsteps OT is our top priority.  Our program policies and Code of Conduct are available upon request.  Also know that we have developed special COVID-19 policies and procedures.

The Occupational Therapist will conduct a thorough assessment of the individual’s ability to safely and productively function within their work environment. The therapist takes into consideration the relationship between the person (ie. physical, social, cognitive status), their environment (ie. work), and their occupations (ie. work duties/tasks), in order to improve their function at work. Recommendations from the assessment may include education, body mechanics, adaptive equipment/assistive technology and/or job site modifications.

Universal Design refers to the principle of creating buildings and environments that are accessible to individuals of all ages and abilities. Key Steps can work in consultation with home builders, architects, and designers to ensure that the principles of Universal Design are incorporated into their buildings and environments.

The Occupational Therapist conducts a thorough assessment of the individual’s ability to function within their home environment. The therapist takes into consideration the interplay between the person, their occupations/roles (ie. self-care, productivity and leisure), and their environment (ie. home). An evaluation of the individual’s ability to complete self-care and home management tasks is conducted, as well as an assessment of any barriers that may be affecting the individual’s ability to return to their activities of daily living. When appropriate, recommendations including education, adaptive equipment and/or environment modifications, are made in order to improve/increase one’s functional status and level of independence.

Impairment Assessments are conducted by the Occupational Therapist to provide objective data regarding a specific physical impairment following an injury or illness. Measurements and information regarding range of motion, limb length, muscle bulk, sensation, scarring and disfigurement can be provided.