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Manipulation

This document discusses the importance of developing manipulative skills in young children. It identifies three key skills needed - eye development, hand-eye coordination, and tactile experiences. It provides examples of activities to develop these skills, such as using slow moving objects, throwing and catching different types of balls, and engaging in messy play.

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Christopher Valle Argel
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7 views2 pages

Manipulation

This document discusses the importance of developing manipulative skills in young children. It identifies three key skills needed - eye development, hand-eye coordination, and tactile experiences. It provides examples of activities to develop these skills, such as using slow moving objects, throwing and catching different types of balls, and engaging in messy play.

Uploaded by

Christopher Valle Argel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Manipulation skills

Manipulative skills are the skills we need for moving balls and objects around. It is important that we develop
our manipulative skills as small children because:
• We require manipulative skills in many areas of life e.g. hammering a nail, writing, knitting etc. These skills
are influenced by what children have been exposed to when young.
• Manipulative skills are involved in sport and recreation.

Effort- All of these manipulation skills can be done with different levels of effort- hard/soft, fast/slow, smooth/
jerky etc. E.g. kick softly or hard, depending on the situation and activity.

There are 3 skills needed for manipulating objects: Eye development, hand-eye/foot-eye coordination and
tactile, touch experiences.

Eye development
The eyes are a muscle and we need to train them. Under 5’s eyes are still developing so by using slow moving
objects this gives the eyes time to track the object, send the information back to the brain and then for the
brain to send information out to the body to have an appropriate reaction e.g. catching – sending information
to the hands.

Tracking skills also are vital for reading. By using slow moving objects and playing/ experiencing things
children gain strength in their eyes to be able to control their eyes alone without moving their head. So when
it comes to reading they can read across their page with just their eyes and with their head still (later on
when reading books some children will move their whole head to read, or move the book to read). Lying on
the ground looking up and watching objects is a great way to practise this.
Hand-eye/foot-eye coordination
This is the ability of the vision system to co-ordinate information received through the eyes to control, guide
& direct the hands and feet. Hand eye & foot eye co-ordination uses the eyes to direct attention and the
hands/feet to execute a task.

Hand eye/foot eye coordination involves eye control, timing and skill development. The eyes are dominant
and they talk to the hands and feet. By using slow moving objects e.g. balloons, feathers, bubbles, scarves,
light balls – give the child time to practice those skills and achieve.

Throwing
Use soft items. Children learn to throw with a small ball, catch with a large ball.
1. Children must become familiar with the throwing action first. (Make a muscle man; point with your finger and
toe, where you want it to go; make a big arm circle; step and let it go. Strong arms, point & throw past ear)
2. Throw at a wall, then large target.
3. As child becomes more proficient, decrease the size of the target.

Bouncing
Begin with large playground ball or small beach ball.
1. Bounce and catch with two hands, vary the number of bounces between catches.
2. Bounce continuously with both hands.
3. Bounce with dominate hand.
4. Bounce with non-dominant hand.

Manipulation of an object with their feet


1. Use a beanbag to start with.
2. Later, use a small beach ball or a large playground ball. Encourage use of inside and outside of foot.
3. Provide a pathway to dribble through, e.g. two ropes lying parallel on the ground.
4. Obstacle course to dribble through. Encourage them to alternate feet.

Striking
Use large soft balls to begin with
1. At first object and child should be stationary, e.g. striking a large ball off a cone or tee.
2. Next the object moves, but the child remains still, e.g. hitting a pitched beach ball with a bat.
3. Both child and object are moving, e.g. keeping the ball in the air with a paddle.

Tactile and touch experiences


Before children can use their hands for fine motor
movements they need TACTILE experiences
everyday. This helps them to develop their hands.

Messy play- encourage whole hand immersion,


not just the finger tips. Ideas for developing
the senses in the hands- round and round the
mulberry bush, feathers, feely bag.

ECC’s are great for tactile experiences, all these


things help build the muscles in the hands so
children can eventually pick up a pencil and write
– before this there is lots of play with paints,
crayons, manipulating objects, finger painting,
messy play etc.

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