Draw roads for toy cars
FINE MOTOR SKILLS • PEDIATRIC OT
FINE MOTOR SKILLS
Pre-Writing Strokes
Learn which lines and shapes build the visual-motor foundation for letters.
Before writing letters, children experiment with vertical and horizontal lines, circles, crosses, diagonals, squares, and simple combinations. These forms grow through movement, imitation, drawing, and play—not worksheets alone.
Why this skill matters
Why this skill matters
Pre-writing combines visual attention, motor planning, hand control, spatial awareness, and the ability to copy a model. Large movement usually comes before small pencil work.
Play ideas to try at home
Play ideas to try at home
Paint lines with water outside
Copy shapes in sand or foam
Build lines and shapes with sticks
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Pre-Writing Strokes
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Consider talking with your child’s pediatrician or a pediatric occupational therapist when difficulty is persistent, causes pain or distress, leads to loss of skills, or regularly limits play, self-care, meals, or preschool participation.
Educational information only. Development varies, and this page does not diagnose a condition or replace an individualized evaluation.