Preschools and kindergartens have traditionally focused on teaching children basic skills like cutting and coloring. However, new research suggests that these spatial and fine-motor skills learned in early childhood not only help children complete their math homework neatly, but also enhance their ability to learn math and think abstractly.
According to Claire E. Cameron, a research scientist at the University of Virginia, early-childhood classrooms often require children to engage in visual-motor and fine-motor tasks, which in turn exercise their executive functions. For young children, tasks like copying a shape from a blackboard onto a piece of paper can be cognitively complex. It requires understanding the design, holding that shape in mind, and deciding how to start copying, all of which rely on working memory. Additionally, fine-motor skills such as gripping a pencil properly and applying the right pressure to avoid tearing the paper also require focus and self-control.
Ms. Cameron emphasizes that children learning to write have not yet automated these skills, making even simple tasks like sitting up straight and facing the paper challenging for them. Furthermore, children who are considered "typically developing" can still demonstrate a wide range of visual-motor skills. In tests conducted as part of the Minds in Motion project at the University of Virginia, researchers found that children of the same age but different levels of executive-function and fine-motor skills produced significantly different results when copying simple designs.
Other researchers at the University of Virginia have also discovered that executive function, fine-motor skills, and general knowledge in kindergarten are better predictors of academic achievement in 8th grade than early-literacy skills. Additionally, the black-white achievement gap in elementary school may be partially attributed to differences in foundational skills. The center’s research has shown that black children tend to enter kindergarten with less developed executive function and visuo-spatial skills compared to their white classmates, though the reasons for this discrepancy are not yet known.
In a separate study of nearly 500 preschoolers, Ms. Cameron found that about a third of the children who demonstrated high executive-function and visual-motor skills performed well in math, reading, and classroom behavior in the early elementary grades. Children with low skills in both areas tended to struggle academically. The ability to quickly coordinate actions and repeat designs automatically allows children to free up working memory and effectively problem solve.
To address these findings, a team led by David W. Grissmer from the University of Virginia is working on a pilot project in high-poverty elementary schools. The project aims to provide after-school programs that promote the development of executive-function and fine-motor skills in children.
Overall, this research highlights the importance of early childhood education in developing spatial and fine-motor skills, which not only contribute to neat handwriting but also support academic success in math and abstract reasoning.
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