Fine motor skills and cognitive abilities

Fine motor skill development is directly connected to cognitive abilities as well as to reading, writing and numeracy. Fine motor skill coordination is also a predictor of school readiness (St. John, 2013; Grissmer, et al., 2010).

Fine motor skills are connected with visual coordination

Fine motor skills are connected with visual coordination. Visual coordination is important because the ability to control the eyes is an essential requirement for reading. Reading requires fine motor directional use of the eyes to track letters and words. The same research informs the reader that fine motor skills are involved in the production of sound, suggesting that they are also involved in the production of speech.

Speech and language comprehension

Speech and language comprehension takes place in Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area respectively. Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area are connected by a large bundle of nerve fibres called the arcuate fasciculus.(St. John, 2013; Case-Smith, 2001).

Broca’s area

Broca’s area is located in the frontal lobe area of the brain. Broca’s area is the motor speech area of the brain. Broca’s area helps in the activation of the muscles and the physical movements that are required to produce speech.

Wernicke’s area

Wernicke’s area is posterior to Broca’s area, it is located in the parietal and temporal lobe of the brain. Wernicke’s area is the sensory speech area of the brain. Wernicke’s area helps one to not only understand speech, it also helps in the selection of the correct words that allows us to express our thoughts accordingly.

The profoundly important fine motor skill of writing

Then there is the profoundly important fine motor skill of writing. Writing is an extraordinarily complex fine motor coordination skill. The act of writing involves the fine motor skills of the hand, the fingers and eyes; it also involves the gross motor skills of the arm, shoulders and torso (St. John, 2013; Ritchey, 2006).

Writing requires a wide range of interconnected fine motor components

Writing is an activity that requires a wide range of interconnected fine motor components that include: “(1) the awareness of where the arms and hands are in space (kinesthesia), (2) stable joints above the hand, (3) hand manipulation skills to hold the pencil and control the hand, (4) the ability to track the letters and words being written, (5) the ability to cross the midline of the body, and (6) coordination of both sides of the body” (St. John, 2013, p. 20).

The tripod grip is the ideal pencil grasp for writing efficiency

Before any successful coordinated and efficient writing can take place, the child “must be able to hold and manipulate a writing tool. This process is facilitated by a proper pencil grasp. A tripod grip is the ideal grasp where the thumb and pointer finger grasp the pencil with an open web space, while the pencil rests on the middle finger” (St. John, 2013, p. 19; Bonney, 1992; Chu, 1997; Case-Smith, 2001). Associated with this St John (2013, p. 19) points out that any “difficulty with the grasp development often foretells writing difficulty, so time and effort should be taken to ensure proper tripod pencil grasp. But why does a teacher need to worry about pencil grasp?”

Greater potential for efficient and accurate writing

The research indicates that it is important for children to learn to use the tripod grip correctly (Bonney, 1992; Chu, 1997; St. John, 2013). Like any other skill in any other discipline, the skill in question initially needs to be demonstrated, observed and then practiced. The tripod grip is no different. Because the tripod grip is the most efficient and effective grip, there is greater potential for efficient and accurate writing to take place (St. John, 2013).

Handwriting is a multisensory process

The research also suggests that it is extremely important that the parents, significant others and the teacher should concern themselves about each student having the correct and most efficient pencil grip, which is the tripod grip, because an improper pencil grasp can contribute to hand fatigue, can make handwriting more difficult to execute, and can drastically affect the speed in handwriting. Handwriting is a multisensory process that involves the integration of the visual, motor, sensory, and perceptual systems (Case-Smith, 200; St. John, 2013).

Handwriting is an integration of letter forms

Further to this, “handwriting is an integration of letter forms (orthographic codes), letter names (phonological codes), and written shapes (grapho-motor codes)” (Medwell &Wray, 2008, p. 39). St. John (2013, pp. 19-20), citing Christensen (2004), points out that “this coordination of letter knowledge and fine motor skills is known as orthographic-integration A significant relationship between orthographic-integration and a student’s ability to produce a well-composed text has been shown to exist.”

Efficient writing and writing automaticity

Extensive, accurate and deliberate conscious practice, irrespective of the discipline, leads to efficient automaticity; for efficient automaticity to take place, the key phrase is accurate practice, and it is the ongoing constant accurate practice that leads to smooth and efficient action (Bonney, 1992; Christensen, 2004; Medwell & Wray, 2008; St. John, 2013). Efficient automaticity also allows for proficient and accurate accomplishment “of a task without the need for direct attention to the task” (St. John, 2013, p. 19; Christensen, 2004).

Further to this, St. John (2013, p. 39) found that Gray (2004) “concluded that ‘an association between deficits in automaticity and difficulties in reading, reading comprehension, reading fluency, writing, numeracy, spelling, memory, speed, hearing, vision and balance exists’.”

Content quality and higher-order thinking skills

The skill of automaticity does have an impact on handwriting efficiency and fluency, and it has an impact on content quality (Bonney, 1992; Chu, 1997; Case-Smith, 2001). Medwell & Wray, 2008; St. John, 2013). The question is, why does this occur? St. John (2013 p. 20), citing Lambert, Alamargot, Larocque & Caporossi (2011) notes that “automaticity allows a student to allocate attention from a lower-order process (handwriting) to the higher-order thinking skills needed for composition.”

About the author

Dr Ragnar Purje holds the position of Adjunct Lecturer School of Education and the Arts, Central Queensland University. Under the supervision of Professor Ken Purnell Ragnar’s thesis focussed on the success of his pioneering form of acquired brain injury complex movement therapy. The therapy is now referred to as CBBMMT (Complex Brain-Based Multi-Movement Therapy). Ragnar’s thesis has also added two new descriptors into the lexicon of human biology; these are neurofluidity and hólos. Neurofluidity are the neurological processes that lead to the condition of brain plasticity. Hólos is a descriptor which, for the first time in history (to the best of Ragnar’s research and understanding), provides a category which unifies the brain and the body, with one word.

Prior to this the brain and the body had always been referred to as two separate entities, i.e. the brain and the body. Hólos derives from the Greek: ?λο? ? ? ólos. The English word holistic is derived from hólos. Holistic and hólos offer the same classification. Holistic and hólos incorporate the concept of holism.

Ragnar is the author of Responsibility Theory? (A new consideration in neuroeducation). A brain-based immersive systematic self-talk sequence learning program. The purpose of which is to empower teachers and transform students. Responsibility Theory? presents ten powerful precepts which provides teachers, educators, and parents with additional pedagogical and social tools, that fits in with any teaching style, any classroom behavior management program, and all school rules. The Responsibility Theory? program also fits in with all parental home rules.

Once teachers are informed about what Responsibility Theory? is and how it should be applied, the next stage is for the teachers, in accordance with their own personality and teaching styles, to begin introducing the program to their students. As part of this process the students are informed by their teacher that each student can immediately use this knowledge and power to take control of their thinking and behavior, which will help them to constructively advance their well-being, their social skills and academic potential; not only for today, but forever.

Associated with this is Ragnar’s Responsibility Theory? NeuroEducation Self-Empowerment Project. The Project is based on neuroscience and brain plasticity research. It is suitable for schools, colleges, corporations, or any organisation interested advancing personal and social wellbeing by constructively and systematically especially dealing with negative influences such as bullying, cyberbullying, or negative life-style choices and/or negative peer influence. If I can change my thinking, I can change my behaviour and my life.

Ragnar is the initiator of NeuroNumeracy?, an intensive self-motivating and transformative neuroscience brain-based numeracy learning program for children, the purpose of which is to enhance their skills, knowledge and understanding of the four operations in mathematics. Ragnar has completed three Master of Education degrees (one in education; one in guidance and counselling; and one in leadership and management). He has two Bachelor degrees (Physical Education and Psychology). He has also completed five Post-Graduate awards (education; sports science; exercise and the sports sciences; health counselling; and communication studies). Ragnar is a former Australian karate champion.