SpecialNeedsGifts.com Skill Building Holiday Gift Guide Nov. 2013 | Page 5

Skill Builder Categories Defined
child to use their arms
and legs like balance
games, racing games,
or outdoor sports
equipment are perfect
for promoting gross
motor skills.

Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills
allow your child to
perform
precise
movements such as
picking up a tiny
object with their thumb and index
finger or drawing a picture. These
skills rely on the child's ability to
concisely control their muscles,
bones, and nerves in order to make
small movements. Fine motor skills
develop slowly over time, and they
can be fostered by the right toys
including blocks, art supplies, and
anything else that encourages the
child to practice coordinating their
mind with their small muscles. Fine
motors skills allow us to eat, dress
ourselves, write, draw, and more.

Language and Speech
Infants begin to develop language and
speech skills well before they utter
their first word. However, these skills
can only be measured as the child
begins to use language. In order to
use language effectively, children
must
develop
receptive
and
expressive
language
abilities.
Receptive abilities refer to the child's
ability to understand the messages
that are being communicated to them.
For a young toddler, this may mean
understanding
simple phrases
like "all gone",
and for an
older toddler,
this may mean
developing the
ability
to
understand
simple requests. Expressive abilities
refer to the child's ability to use
language to express themselves. This
ability first presents itself in gestures.
In fact, many
parents find
sign
language to
be a helpful
tool
in
promoting

Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills refer to the
coordinated use of large muscle
groups and whole body movements
like
walking,
running,
and
jumping. Babies
start to develop
gross
motor
skills very early
in their lives,
and the skills
are
typically
developed in a head to toe order. That
means that babies develop head
control, core stability, and walking in
that order, and the child continues to
develop these skills into their early
childhood. Toys that encourage your
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