Fingergym Fine Motor Skills School Readiness Program

By Gayle Brook, Amy Wagenfeld, and Cathy Thompson

‘Fingergym™ is all about trying’   (Jack, age 5)


The importance of learning fine motor skills early in childhood is well recognised as a major contributor to better adjustment at school. Children who feel comfortable and confident at home with everyday tasks such as tying shoelaces are able to deal better with the challenges of new learnings and social experiences that a classroom brings. In the words of one experienced educator, "Simple skills like the ability to hold a pencil correctly or cut with scissors underpin a child's whole schooling and attitude to learning."
 
The Fingergym™ Fine Motor Skills School Readiness Program was developed by experienced occupational therapy and education professionals in Australia to help young children become more independent in the classroom. Since 2006 it has been used across schools and early learning centres around the country and remains popular with educators for its unique fun-based motivational learning approach. The most common feedback from educators is how much the children and themselves enjoy the program. 

Fingergym is an evidence-based, group rotation program incorporating play-based learning to encourage problem-solving by "having a go", no matter what the outcome. In this way, children learn confidence and resilience in the classroom while mastering essential developmental skills.

This program is a whole-of-school solution for any preschool, kindergarten, prep, or primary educational setting. Fingergym™ incorporates play-based learning to encourage problem-solving by "having a go”, no matter what the outcome. In this way children learn confidence and resilience in the classroom while mastering essential developmental skills.

It includes over 140 activities covering aspects such as strengthening, kinaesthesia, proprioception, spatial planning, eye-hand coordination, fine motor speed, letter and number formation, and cutting.

Published as a book with downloadable resource files, Fingergym™ is based on a firm theoretical background and comes with full instructions, customizable forms, printable templates and sheets, and a timed musical track to guide children through their activities. Helpful curriculum links to such areas as mathematics, science, language, reading, writing, and art allow integration of the program with teaching requirements.

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Impressive results for Fingergym from University of Sydney trial.

... After completing the program, 83 per cent of kindergarten and year 1 students showed improved fine motor skills, with 78 per cent reporting an improved ability to complete self-care tasks independently, such as dressing and shoelace-tying. The survey also revealed 100 per cent of teachers involved in the program reported a general improvement in their students' gross and fine motor skills, confidence and focus in the classroom.
[http://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2015/11/09/-little-hands--makes-a-big-difference-for-lifelong-learning.html]

Why use Fingergym?

• Teaches essential foundation skills.

• Promotes the esteem-boosting value of success.

• Encourages independence in the classroom and at home.

• Inexpensive to implement across an entire centre

• Children love it!

• Based on well-researched, firm theoretical frameworks.

• Already used in over 1000 Australian schools, childcare centres, and clinics.