AndersenElementary School

You're on Your Way to First Grade

These are some of the skills we are looking for:

• Enthusiasm towards learning
• Solid oral language skills
• Ability to use scissors correctly (thumb on top)
• Ability to listen
• Ability to sit for about 10 minutes
• Strong fine motor skills
• Basic number recognition through 20 (in and out of order)
• Ability to count to 100
• Letter sound recognition 
• Ability to tie shoes (please practice this at home)
• Ability to be a risk-taker
• Ability to follow multi-step directions
• Ability to persevere and problem solve
• Ability to HAVE FUN!

Fine Motor Practice: (Look on internet for more fine motor activities)

1. Have your child crumple up sheets of paper or tin foil into balls
2. Use playdough
3. Cut playdough with scissors
4. Use a hole punch
5. Do puzzles
6. Rip paper with wrist movement only (not full arm)
7. Use scissors to practice cutting (thumb on top)
8. Practice cutting straight lines, zigzag, curvy
9. "Sewing"/Lacing buttons through holes
10. Practice buttons on clothes, especially pants/shorts
11. Painting with different objects (different brush sizes, a q-tip)
12. Picking up objects with tweezers (the dollar store sells big plastic ones)
13. Practice drawing/writing with different tools (pencils, crayons, pens, thin or fat markers, chalk)
14. Build creations with blocks, Legos, lids

Fine Motor Skills and Math Development

Essentail Components of Handwriting