RICHIE MCFARLAND CHILDREN’S CENTER

11 Sandy Point Road

Stratham, NH  03885

(603) 778-8193

www.richiemcfarland.org          

Eye – Hand Coordination

 

Button a shirt.  Tie a shoelace. Write with a pencil.  These are a few of the daily tasks that depend on the dexterous skill of our hands.  They are part of what enables us to lead productive, self-sufficient lives.  

 

Although they may seem like simple gestures to adults who perform them almost as second nature, the development of hand skills and eye-hand coordination from birth is a complex process.  Overall human development progresses from the head down and from the trunk outward.  In other words, skilled use of one's hands and fingers is the last in a long process of development. 

 

Many factors influence the development of hand skills including cognition, vision, touch and movement (also known as somatosensory systems).  All of these variables affect the development of hand skills and a young child’s ability to play, care for themselves and achieve in school.   

 

The part of the brain that controls hand movement is separate from the part that controls posture and mobility.  This biological setup requires conscious attention in order to control hand movements.  Although hand movements are influenced by our senses of touch and sight, they must be “learned” and therefore have a strong relationship to the child’s cognitive development. 

 

At birth, babies’ hands are crude, fisted instruments.  Most of infants’ hand movements such as grasping are spontaneous reactions to touch.  They are unable to see objects farther than about eight inches from their faces until they are eight weeks old. By the age of two to two-and-a-half months, babies will "look" for a lost or dropped object by feeling rather than locating it visually.  

 

One part of hand skill development that is often neglected is the importance of lying an infant on their tummy to play.  (It is still recommended to put most babies on their backs to sleep to avoid Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS.) The tummy position enables the baby to extended their arms, push their torso upward and bear weight on open palms. This position gives muscles in the hands sensations and experiences that will help to develop their accuracy and dexterity. The infant can also shift its weight from side-to-side, developing its sense of balance.   

 

It is not until the third or fourth month that most infants will open their fists and connect their eye-hand activities. They will grab and hold objects in front of their bodies so they can look at them and put them in their mouths. They will intentionally watch their hands when they play with them.  They will begin reaching towards and swiping at interesting objects.  At this age, hand movements will typically mirror each other, a reflex known as  "associated reactions."

 

By the age of six months, infants can locate an object visually, reach for it, and then manipulate or play with it in their hands. By twelve months, babies are able to hold objects in both hands and adeptly transfer it between their hands, a precursor for more complex, two-handed tasks.

 

Between the ages of 12 and 15 months the eye-hand coordination skills increase dramatically.  A toddler is able to grasp objects between the thumb and forefinger. With this newfound skill known as the "pincer grasp", children can begin stacking, emptying, gathering and nesting objects, or placing one inside another. The ability to hold writing instruments and draw lines and scribbles also begins to develop. By this stage, children's hands will no longer mirror each other, but will act bi-laterally and cooperatively. One hand will stabilize an object while the other hand manipulates it. 

 

Activities that require more complex hand skills are also developing such as pushing, pulling, twisting, pounding and stringing beads. Most toddlers are able to turn the pages of a book, put a key in a lock, use snaps and play with clay. Improvement in self-care skills, especially feeding skills, is considerable.  Toddlers are learning how to use cups, spoons and bowls, although the actions are not quite completely stable.  

 

Children are usually not able to adequately perform more complex, coordinated movements such as buttoning or cutting with scissors, until about four years old, when their cognitive development enables it. 

 

Studies have shown that children’s hand skills typically improve when they are given verbal cues and demonstrations from their parents or caregivers.  As with most skills, improvement continues with repetition of the activity.  All children develop at their own pace—faster in some areas, slower in others.   The key to encouraging your child’s development is a loving, nurturing attitude. 

 

For more information on the development of eye-hand coordination, contact VORT at 650-322-8282 or go to www.vort.com and click on the heading for parents, then click on the age of your child.  Another helpful resource is Family Resource Connection at www.state.nh.us/nhsl/frc.

- Published by Seacoast Newspapers, 2001