Fine Motor Skills – KiDOTI

Coloring pages are basic activities with lots of benefits for young kids that will contribute to the foundation of many skills and prepare them for school. Besides color recognition, focus and motor skills improvement coloring stimulate creativity preparing kids for handwriting, develop spatial awareness helping children to learn about lines, shapes and setting boundaries. Coloring is also therapeutic, it can improve self expression and build confidence.

Farm Animal Coloring Pages

Chicken Coloring Pages

More chicken coloring pages

Goat Coloring Pages

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Duck Coloring Pages

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Connect the Dots

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:19:46 +0000

Connect the dots exercises are a great activity that have amazing benefits in many different areas of your child’s development. Moreover, kids love them so make sure to keep a few dot to dot worksheets handy at all times.

Connect the dots for beginners

Connect the dots ELEPHANT

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Connect the dots LION

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Connect the dots BABY

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Connect the dots BILLY GOAT

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Connect the dots CIRCLE

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Connect the dots FISH

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Connect the dots FLOWER
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Connect the dots GOAST

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Connect the dots LADY MOUSE

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Connect the dots MOUSE

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Connect the dots MOUSE 2

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Connect the dots OLD MAN

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Connect the dots SNAKE

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Connect the dots STAR (ROCKET)

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Connect the dots TEDDY BEAR

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Connect the dots TURTLE

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Connect the dots MUSICAL NOTE

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Connect the dots PALM TREE

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Connect the dots PAPERBOAT

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Connect the dots PLANE

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Connect the dots and answer (advanced)

Connect the dots TRICERATOPS

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Connect the dots SWAN

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Connect the dots SUGAR GLIDER

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Connect the dots WOMAN

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Connect the dots SQUIRREL

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Connect the dots SHRIMP

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Connect the dots ROCKET

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Connect the dots RABBIT

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Connect the dots POLAR BEAR

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Connect the dots PLATYPUS

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Connect the dots PARROT

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Connect the dots OSPREY

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Connect the dots MOOSE

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Connect the dots MONSTER

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Connect the dots MEERKAT

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Connect the dots LION

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Connect the dots KITTY CAT WITH A HAT

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Connect the dots KINGFISHER

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Connect the dots HEN

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Connect the dots HELICOPTER

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Connect the dots FROG

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Connect the dots FLOWER

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Connect the dots EASTER RABBIT

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Connect the dots DUCK

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Connect the dots DRAGONFLY

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Connect the dots DOLPHIN

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Connect the dots CRAB

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Connect the dots CHRISTMAS TREE

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Connect the dots CASTLE

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Connect the dots BUTTERFLY

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Connect the dots BILLY GOATS

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Connect the dots BAT

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The dot to dot worksheets greatly improve hand-eye coordination as kids will concentrate to trace the lines correctly. Obviously they are great to improve counting skills as kids will need to know the correct way. Some worksheets will have letters instead of numbers as they will improve alphabet skills.

Tracing lines is an activity that will develop and strengthen your child’s pencil grip and fine motor skills. Kids will naturally learn to strengthen their hands in order to move the pencil. These worksheets are a great pre-writing tool.

Lastly the picture comprehension is developed too and completing a dot to dot puzzle that reveals a picture will give kids a sense of fulfillment.

Tracing Letters

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 16:45:20 +0000

Tracing letters is an easy way for children to learn to write each letter and it is an important precursor to freehand writing. Also, legible handwriting depends on being able to properly write each letter. The following letter tracing worksheets include step-by-step directions on how to properly write each letter. Additionally, arrows show your child the order in which he needs to draw each part of the letter.

When first introducing your child to the letters of the alphabet, we recommend introducing them in a specific order (beginning with the letters B, M and F!).

Why tracing letters is important

Before children are able to write letters on their own, tracing letters is a great way for them to learn the basic form of each letter. The above tracing letters worksheets are a great tool for practicing tracing letters since these worksheets show the proper formation of each letter with step-by-step visual instructions and allow plenty of opportunity for your child to practice tracing each letter and then attempt to write the letter freehand on the blank lines at the bottom of the page.

Extra tips for using the tracing letters worksheets

As when completing any tracing letters activity, the key is not simply tracing over each dashed line in the letter. The trick to completing a tracing letters worksheet is to ensure your child traces over each dashed line in the correct order. So, as you introduce your child to the letter tracing worksheet for each letter, be sure to highlight the correct formation of each letter by referring to the step-by-step depiction on the top row of the worksheet.

If your child struggles to trace the letter in the correct way, try explaining how many steps there are to writing the letter. Then, as your child traces a letter P, for example, call out the number of the step by staying “Step 1: draw the straight line down” and then wait for your child to do it. Then, call out “Step 2: lift up your pencil and put the tip back at the top of the line,” and wait for your child to do it. Then, call out “Step 3, draw a large half circle arc that stretches to the right and all the way down to the bottom of the line.”

While you are printing out tracing letters worksheets, consider focusing on one letter at a time but printing out two or three copies of the tracing letters worksheet for that letter. That way, your child will be able to practice tracing and writing that letter a few different times to really gain proficiency.

Tracing Lines

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 09:06:15 +0000

Successful writing depends on a strong pencil grip. The following tracing worksheets will help your child develop strong writing skills by starting with easy-to-complete activities (like tracing short, straight lines) and progressing to more advanced activities (like tracing loopy curves).

Tracing Lines (1)

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Tracing Lines (2)

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Tracing Lines (3)

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Tracing Lines (4)

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Tracing Lines (5)

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Tracing Lines (6)

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Tracing Lines (7)

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Tracing Lines (8)

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Tracing Lines (9)

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Tracing Lines (10)

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Tracing Outlines (1)

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Tracing Outlines (2)

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Tracing worksheets are helpful for learning to trace lines

Tracing lines gives young children opportunities to practice controlling a pencil while they strengthen their pincer grip. The dotted line serves as a guide and also gives a child immediate feedback regarding his pencil control. A child may decide to slow his speed or press down with less force as he watches his pencil line on the paper and judges his accuracy.

Learning to trace lines also gets a child ready to learn how to correctly form the uppercase and lower case letters as well as the numerals. These tracing worksheets ask children to practice making lines and curves that are used in forming letters and numerals.

Finally, when a child traces lines, he is getting important hand/eye coordination practice. He is learning to move his small muscles in a controlled way that respond to what he is seeing.

Tips for using these tracing worksheets

When you hand your child the worksheet, first ask him to trace the line with his finger. Direct him to put the index finger of his dominant hand down at the point where the picture touches the dotted line. Then ask him to “draw” over the dotted line with his finger, moving away from the picture. Ask him to do this several times so that he will be very familiar with the direction and shape of the line.

Then ask your child to complete the worksheet using a golf pencil. These “half-sized” pencils are the perfect size and weight for little fingers. The #2 lead is soft so that children do not have to apply excessive pressure to see their line on top of the colored dotted lines. Also, the graphite lead provides some “drag” on the paper allowing a young child to feel the pencil move across the page. This makes the pencil easier to control. Make sure that your child is using the proper pencil grip as he works. On the long lines, encourage him to keep the pencil point on the paper as he moves his wrist slightly to the right before continuing to move the pencil along the line.

When your child is comfortable and accurate using the golf pencil, let him try tracing the lines with a fine-tipped marker. While the felt tip also provides some “drag” to help your child feel the marker on the paper, the longer length and smooth plastic barrel often make a marker more difficult to control.

Extra tracing activities to try at home to supplement the tracing worksheets

Beads are a great way to hone fine motor skills that are needed when tracing lines or writing letters and numbers, since a child must use the correct pincer grip to accurately control each bead and maneuver it on the lace. When using beads to practice fine motor skills, tape the free end of a lace onto the table to help stabilize the lace and keep the beads from falling off.
To reinforce the pincer grip, tape a large piece of newsprint or construction paper to a wall or door and let your child paint or draw on this page. When writing on an upright surface, a child will naturally revert to the correct pincer grip is stronger as their hand is flexed back.
Once your child has a strong pincer grip, buy him lace-up shoes so he can begin learning to tie shoe laces.
When you’re finished reading the newspaper, give your child a marker and let him trace the newspaper headlines. Or, put one of your child’s favorite photographs under a piece of white paper and let your child trace the outline of the images.
Challenge your child to move beans from one bowl to another, using only his thumb and pointer finger on one hand. See how many beans he can move in one minute. Or, cut food into small cubes and let your child use a tooth pick instead of a fork. Direct him to hold the toothpick between his thumb and pointing finger to strengthen his pincer grip. Also, medium-sized hair clips are great for practicing fine motor skills. Direct your child to use him thumb and pointer finger to open and close the clip and move cotton calls from one bowl to another. With strong fine motor skills, learning the proper pencil grip becomes much easier.
Let your child use an outdated nail polish to practice writing numbers on a piece of paper. The small brush and handle along with the bright color will add interest to this activity. Encourage him to hold the handle with the proper pincer grip.
Pinching bubble wrap between his thumb and pointer finger to pop the bubbles will strengthen your child’s pincer grip, which is critical for holding the pencil correctly.
Frosty car windows in the winter or steamy mirrors in a bathroom are fun places to practice writing! Remind your child to use the pointer finger of his dominant hand. Also, finger painting is a great way to practice letter and number formation. If your child makes a mistake, he can easily “erase” the error by wiping the paper and beginning again. Or, at bath time, spread some shaving cream on the bath tub wall and encourage your child to finger paint letters with the pointer finger on his dominant hand.

Cutting Skills

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:42:24 +0000

Successful cutting depends on a proper scissors grip, so one hand can smoothly open and close the blades of the scissors while the other hand holds the paper steady. The following worksheets will help your child develop basic cutting skills by starting with easy-to-complete activities (like making a single cut) and progressing to more advanced activities (like cutting many times on long curved lines and cutting shapes).

Cutting Lines (1)

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Cutting Lines (2)

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Cutting Lines (3) Intermediate

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Cutting Lines (4)

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Cutting Lines (5)

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Cutting Lines (6)

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Cutting Lines (7)

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Cutting Shapes -Advanced

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Cutting worksheets help children learn proper cutting technique

Children will be asked to cut throughout their primary education years and beyond. Bad habits are difficult to break, so learning the correct way to hold and manipulate scissors is a skill that will be used for a lifetime.

Cutting worksheets are an easy way to help children develop solid cutting skills. By printing out numerous copies of a worksheets, your child can practice cutting on the line, as well as cutting around curves and sharp corners. Also, consider buying at least two pairs of child-sized scissors. That way more than one child can cut at a time which lends itself well to fun group cutting activities and crafts.

Tips for using these cutting worksheets

For the beginning worksheet and the first two intermediate worksheets, cut along the dotted black lines to separate the page into strips. Before you give your child the strips to be cut, watch him as he picks up the scissors. Make sure that he is “shaking hands with the scissors” by turning his hand so that his thumb is on top. You may want to hold the blades of the scissors with the thumb hole on top so that your child can grab them correctly.

Hand your child one strip at a time, directing him to use one, two or three snips to cut through the strip of paper. If the long strip is floppy and difficult for your child to manage, cut it in half between the green and yellow lines. For the last intermediate worksheet and the two advanced worksheets that involve cutting lines, you can cut the page in half by cutting between the green and yellow lines once again. This will make the sheet easier for your young child to hold and manipulate.

After your child has picked up the scissors correctly, hand him a sheet of paper to cut. Remind him that the scissors hand is responsible for opening and closing the blades of the scissors. His other hand is in charge of moving the paper to line up the cutting line with the blades of the scissors. Also remind your child to stop and turn the paper to get a sharp point before making another cut on the pages with the zigzag lines. This will take practice.

Once your child can comfortable use the scissors to cut lines and curves, encourage him to complete the cutting worksheets that involve cutting out shapes. This is an advanced cutting activity that typically requires lots of practice to do correctly.

Extra tips to ensure proper cutting technique

Encourage your child to watch the tip of the scissor blades as he cuts, making sure he closes the scissors completely to the tip before opening them again to make another cut.

Instruct your child to open the blades of the scissors as wide as possible before closing them to cut the paper. Encourage him to say “open” and “close” as moves the blades of the scissors to remind him to finishing opening the scissors before he begins closing them.

When cutting curves or corners, direct your child to hold the hand with the scissors straight in front of him and then move his other hand holding the page so the page rotates with each cut.

Cutting activities to supplement cutting worksheets

After your child has cut out all the shapes on a cutting worksheet, have him put the cut shapes in an envelope and mail the letter to grandparents or friends. Loved ones will love seeing your child’s work and he’ll love hearing their excitement.
When you are finished reading a magazine, give it to your child to use for cutting practice. A younger child can cut out random lines and curves while an older child can challenge himself by cutting out the shapes he sees on the magazine pages.

Tracing Numbers

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 11:55:57 +0000

Introduction to tracing numbers

It is important for all children to be able to properly write the numbers. Practice with tracing numbers worksheets is the easiest way for children to quickly master this skill, since learning to properly write each number requires lots of practice. The tracing numbers worksheets above highlight the correct formation of each number and will give your child numerous opportunities to trace each number and also practice writing each number freehand. Each tracing numbers worksheet also includes a tip for helping your child quickly master the proper formation of that number.

Tracing Number 0

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Tracing Number 1

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Tracing Number 2

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Tracing Number 3

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Tracing Number 4

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Tracing Number 5

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Tracing Number 6

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Tracing Number 7

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Tracing Number 8

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Trace Number Formation 0-4

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Tracing Number 9

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Trace Number Formation 5-9

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Tracing Number 10

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The importance of number tracing worksheets

Numbers are used to communicate information such as monetary amounts or important values and need to be written legibly to be accurate. An improperly formed 2, for example, could be misread as a 7. Or, an upside-down 6 could be misread as a 9. In order to properly complete kindergarten math activities (and any math or number activity thereafter), your child will need to know how to properly write each number. Using tracing numbers worksheets will ensure that your child learns the proper formation of each number and gets ample opportunities to practice writing each number.

Tips for using the tracing numbers worksheets

Start with the writing numbers worksheet for number 1. That is not only the first number your child will begin counting with, but it is also the easiest number for children to write.

Direct your child to trace each number following the direction of the arrows to learn the proper formation. Remind him that, except for number 4, all the numbers are written in one stroke, without lifting up the pencil. After he has traced the number a few times, challenge him to try writing the number freehand on the blank line at the bottom of the writing numbers worksheet. Once your child writes the number freehand a few times, you can go back to the tracing portion of the worksheet to help your child hone the proper formation of the number, if necessary.

If your child is struggling to write a particular number, try breaking the formation of that number down into steps and focus on one step at a time. For example, have your child try writing the “first loop” of the 3 or the “hat and neck” of the 5 repeatedly before adding the rest of the number. Once your child is comfortable writing the first part of the number, he can focus on simply finishing the number correctly.

Children can also become confused about which direction to move the pencil when beginning a number, and for good reason. The 2, 3, and 7 begin on the left and move to the right. The 5, 6, 8, and 9 begin with the pencil on the right and move “backwards” to the left. And then the 4 moves down before moving to the right.

When learning to write the numbers, children often get confused and reverse the number because they begin on the wrong side and move the pencil in the opposite direction. They often don’t even recognize their error as they are concentrating on the numeral formation. Simply let your child know that the formation was correct but that he “turned the number around” and ask him to try again by helping him position his pencil in the correct starting place. Bringing back the writing numbers worksheets for review can be very helpful in this instance as practice usually resolves these reversal issues.

Extra tips for helping your child practice tracing numbers

Number 0. Tell your child that the zero is similar to an uppercase O except that it is an oval shape instead of a round circle.

Number 1. This is the easiest numeral to write! Direct your child to simply draw a straight vertical line from the top of the writing line to the bottom.

Number 2. Show your child how a 2 looks like a slanted cane with a foot. Direct him to start just under the top line so that he can create a nice hook on the cane and to pause briefly at the bottom line to get a sharp point before changing direction to add the horizontal “foot.”

Number 3. Ask your child to try to make two curves the same size without lifting his pencil. To get a sharp point where the two curves meet, remind him to pause briefly before changing direction completely to create the second curve.

Number 4. This is the only numeral that requires two strokes. Direct your child to first make half of a box, going down to the middle line and moving across to the right. Remind him that the second stroke should cut through the first leaving a little tail on the horizontal line.

Number 5. This numeral is made with one stroke. Direct your child to “make a hat” (horizontal line to the left), “then a neck” (vertical line down to the dotted middle writing line), and “then a fat, round belly” (curve up and around, touching the bottom writing line). This numeral is the only one with a horizontal line that moves to the left, so guide him as he gets started.

Number 6. Children often call this the “curly” number! Remind your child to move his pencil down and around to the left as he starts this number.

Number 7. This number is not too difficult once your child moves the pencil in the correct direction to the right. Remind him to stop briefly to get a sharp point when he changes direction to make the vertical, slanted line.

Number 8. Let your child know that this is the most difficult numeral to write. Direct him to start by making an S-shaped line. Then, without lifting his pencil, ask him to complete each small circle.

Number 9. Remind your child to begin with his pencil just under the top writing line to get a nice round circle. When the circle is completed, pause and then draw the straight line without lifting the pencil off the paper.