Qualitative age-related changes in fine motor skill performance among 3- to 6-year-old typically developing children

This study described intra-task fine motor skill components of the Manual Dexterity tasks (Posting Coins; PC, Threading Beads; TB, Drawing Trail; DT) of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 Test for typically developing children and investigated age- and sex-related differences. Three- to six-year-old Dutch children (n = 182, Mage 4.5 ± 1.1 years, 51.1% boys) were observed with regard to intra-task fine motor skill components, and changes in intra-task components of the Manual Dexterity tasks were analyzed across age using of the Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Mann-Whitney U tests, and differences between sexes using the Mann-Whitney U test. The following intra-task components were observed: grip type, manipulation, non-dominant or non-writing hand, grip position, posture, head, coin placement, placement of the bead on the lace tip and joint movement. Results showed that the younger children (3-year-olds) more frequently used a grasp with the full hand (PC, TB), more often put the coin on the container and sliding it in (PC), more often supported the side or top of the container (PC), used more bi-manual manipulation (transferring from hand-to-hand or hand, body or surface assist) (TB, DT), more frequently used primitive, too high grips, predominantly used their proximal joints, and did not support the paper (DT). This in comparison with more frequent use of three-point pinch, direct coin placement, grabbing the front or back of the container, in-hand-manipulati...
Source: Human Movement Science - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research