Fine motor activities are so important for young children. If you follow my blog, you know that I am a huge believer in learning through play. Almost all of my learning activities contain some hands-on aspect, so that children are able to access information through kinesthetic learning.

So, I was delighted when I was asked to review the book Fine Motor ABC. Fine Motor ABC is an amazing book written by Stacie Erfle, MS, OTR/L. Fine Motor ABC includes an alphabet themed activity for every letter of the alphabet and each activity is designed to strengthen fine motor skills.

WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK SPECIAL?

Let’s face it- this is the age of easy accessibility. Need an activity to practice fine motor skills and the alphabet? Just search Pinterest and instantaneously find 50 amazing activities. I feel confident in knowing why each of these activities is valuable in building foundational literacy skills. While I know the importance of fine motor skills, I am not an occupational therapist and I don’t have confidence in knowing the “WHY” behind each of these fine motor skills.

Fine Motor ABC immediately spoke to me, because it addresses the WHY of each foundational and functional fine motor skill.

Easy-To-Use Format

Each letter activity is laid out in an appealing and easy-to-use format. There are 5 consistent parts to each page.

1. Upper and lowercase letter
2. Picture with the letter hand sign
3. Rhyme that explains the activity
4. Action picture of the activity
5. Easy-to-understand explanation of the skill and its’ importance                                                                   

HOW DO I USE THIS BOOK?

When I used the activity with my children, we viewed and interacted with each page. The page is perfect for young children, because it is well laid out and not cluttered. Since the format is the same on each page, my kids were able to anticipate the structure of each page.

Identify the Written Letters

The first thing we did was to identify the letters at the top of the page. We spoke the letter name and then traced the upper and lowercase letter with our fingers.

Sign Language

Then, we practiced using our hands to form the letter in sign language. As we traced and created the hand sign, we were repeating the letter name and the sound that it makes. Pairing the repetition of letter name & sound with the kinesthetic movement and a picture, allows kids to access the information through visual, kinesthetic, and aural learning.

Read the Rhyme

Next, read the engaging rhyme. Every rhyme is catchy and includes a word that begins with the targeted letter. Kids are not only practicing literacy skills through rhyming, they are also identifying words with the targeted beginning sound.

Picture Directions

The picture reinforces the rhyme and provides children with a visual picture of how to perform the activity. The pictures are clear and explicitly show each task.

Adult Education

The last component of each page is what makes this book so special. At the bottom of each page Stacie provides a concise description of the specific fine motor skills that are addressed in the activity; as well as, the importance of attaining this skill. Priceless!

This book allows parents and teachers to feel confident in helping children develop fine motor skills. As you move through the alphabet, children are building literacy and fine motor skills. As the educator, you can feel empowered to know what to do to build fine motor skills, how to go about it, and WHY the skills are important.

GET YOUR OWN COPY OF FINE MOTOR ABC

Head over to the Skill Builders website to check out Fine Motor ABC! Fine Motor ABC is available as an e-book and in print. Keep an eye out for the new books Gross Motor ABC and Sensory ABC. These books should be available sometime this year!

I received Fine Motor ABC as a gift from the author. This review is written with my own opinions. I shared this review, because I found the book valuable and think it is a great resource for parents and teachers! I’ve used my affiliate link to connect you with resource, but it may be available in book stores or libraries.

Giveaway!

Want to win your own copy of Fine Motor ABC? Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below or on my Facebook page. This contest runs from 4/4/17 to 4/11/17.

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