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5 Fine Motor Skills Necessary for Kindergarten Readiness

Do you have or know a child that is getting ready to start kindergarten? If so, are you wondering if they possess the fine motor skills necessary for kindergarten success?

Below is a list of fine motor and visual motor skills that your child should master upon entering kindergarten so that they are prepared for success! 

1. Pencil Grip

By kindergarten, a child should be able to use a functional grasp (tripod or quadrupod grasp) on writing utensils with little to no physical or verbal prompting. 

2. Pre-writing Strokes and Shapes

Upon entering kindergarten a child should be able to accurately copy a circle, a cross, diagonal lines, a square and triangle. Mastering these is the foundation for being able to write uppercase and lowercase letters. 

3. Printing Their First Name

Children should be able to recognize and write their first name. 

4. Scissors

Children should be able to safely use scissors by correctly placing scissors on their hands (in the thumb up position) and using their nondominant hand to hold and turn their paper. By kindergarten children should be able to cut out simple shapes (circle, square, triangle) and deviate no more than ¼ inch from the lines. 

5. Building with Blocks and Legos

Children should have the appropriate strength and coordination to be able to use both hands together to build with blocks and/or legos. 

Other important skills that children should have or be close to mastering are: 

  • Completing simple 12 piece puzzles. 
  • Manipulating buttons, zippers, snaps, and laces. 
  • Drawing a person with at least 10 parts (head, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, body, arms, fingers, legs, feet).
  • Coloring within small shapes and figures without deviating too much from the lines (demonstrates good pencil/crayon control).

For more information on other skills necessary for kindergarten readiness you can visit the Ohio Department of Education webpage here!

-Marla Griswold, OTR/L

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Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

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My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

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My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

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My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

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I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

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We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

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They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

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We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

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LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!
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