Stages of Pre-Writing Skill Development (Physical Domain)

Fine and gross motor skills, body awareness, physical health

Stage 1 Palmar-Supinate Grasp (1 and 1.5 year olds) Held with fisted hand
Wrist slightly flexed
Wrist slightly supinated away from mid-position
Arm moves as a unit

 

Stage 2 Digital-Pronate Grasp (2 and 3 year olds) Held with fingers
Wrist straight
Wrist pronated
wrist slightly ulnar deviated
Forearm moves as a unit

 

Stage 3 Static Triposture (3.5 and 4 year olds) Held with crude approximation of thumb, index, and middle fingers
Continual adjustments by other hand
Ring and little fingers only slightly flexed
Grasped proximally
No fine localized movements of digit components, hand moves as a unit

 

Stage 4 Dynamic Tripod Posture (4.5 and 6 yaer olds) Held with precise opposition of distal phalanges of thumb, index, and middle fingers
Ring and little fingers flexed to form stable arch
Wrist slightly extended
Grasped distally
MCP joints stabilized during fine, localized movements of PIP joints (Test by drawing tiny circles)