Fine Motor Skill & Gross Motor Skill Progressions by Age

Question 1

Fine Motor Skills: newborn to 1 month

Answer 1

• acknowledges objects within direct vision
• follows moving object to midline
• hands fisted (cortical thumb)
• jerky arm movements
• movements may be purposeful or random

Question 2

FMS: 2-3 months

Answer 2

• can see further distances
• hands open more
• visual tracking 180 degrees
• reflexive (palmar grasp)

Question 3

FMS: 4-5 months

Answer 3

• grasps and releases toys

- uses ulnar-palmar grasp

Question 4

FMS: 6-7 months

Answer 4

• approaches objects with one hand
• arm in neutral when approaching toy
• radial-palmar grasp
• “raking” to pick up objects
• voluntary release to transfer objects between hands

Question 5

FMS: 8-9 months

Answer 5

• develops active supination
• radial-digital grasp develops
• uses inferior pincer grasp
• extends wrist actively
• point and poke with index finger
• refined release of objects
• takes objects out of a container

Question 6

FMS: 10-11 months

Answer 6

• fine pincer grasp developed
• puts objects in to a container
• grasps crayon adaptively

Question 7

FMS: 12-15 months

Answer 7

• marks paper with crayon
• builds tower with two cubes
• turns over small container to obtain contents
• opens book
• stirs spoon in cup
• turns bottle over and dumps out pellet
• places 7 cubes in a cup
• places 3 pegs in peg board
• taps cup with spoon
• places 1 shape into correct hold in form board
• puts pellet in bottle
• makes scribble more than 1” long on paper

Question 8

Gross Motor Skill: newborn to 1 month

Answer 8

• prone: physiologic flexion, lifts head briefly, head to side
• supine: physiologic flexion, rolls part way to side
• sitting: head lag with pull to sit
• standing: reflexive standing and walking

Question 9

GMS: 2-3 months

Answer 9

• prone: lifts head to 90 degrees briefly, chest up in prone with some weight through forearms, rolls prone to supine
• supine: ATNR with strong influence on movement, reciprocal kicking, prefers head to side (asymmetry)
• sitting: variable head lag in pull to sit, needs full support to sit, head upright but bobbing
• standing: poor WB, hips in flexion and behind shoulders

Question 10

GMS: 4-5 months

Answer 10

• prone: bears weight on extended arms, pivots in prone to reach toys
• supine: rolls from supine to side, plays with feet to mouth
• sitting: head steady in supported setting, turns head in sitting, sits alone briefly
• standing: bears all weight through legs when supported

Question 11

GMS: 6-7 months

Answer 11

• prone: rolls from supine to prone, holds weight on one hand to reach for toy (weight shift)
• supine: lifts head (antigravity neck flexion)
• sitting: lifts head and helps when pulled to sit, gets to sitting independently, sits independently
• standing: stands holding on when placed, bounces in standing
• mobility: may crawl backward

Question 12

GMS: 8-9 months

Answer 12

• prone: gets to quadruped
• supine: transitional
• sitting: moves from sitting to prone, sits without hand support for longer periods, pivots in sitting
• standing: stands at furniture, pulls to stand at furniture, lowers to sitting from supported stand
• mobility: creeps forward, cruises

Question 13

GMS: 10-11 months

Answer 13

• standing: stands without support briefly, pulls to stand through half-kneeling, picks objects up from floor from standing with support
• mobility: walks with both hands held, walks with one hand held, creeps on hands and knees (plantigrade creep/bear walk)

Question 14

GMS: 12-15 months

Answer 14

• mobility: walks without support, fast walking, walks backwards and sideways, bends over to look between legs, creeps or hitches up stairs, throws ball in sitting