Observation Checklist for Hand Preference

Observation Checklist for Hand Preference

Year Level: Early Years, Foundation

Help your students establish a dominant hand.

Research suggests that the majority of children show a hand preference by 3 years of age, however, some children actually establish dominance as late as 8 or 9 years old. Making a preference is important as it allows the child to develop skill and endurance with that hand.

If a child has not yet made a preference by the Foundation Year, it is suggested that the child is encouraged to participate in activities that involve:

  • crossing the midline
  • activities using both hands together
  • activities were both are active and others where one hand does the work and the other helps

If you would like to help your students establish a dominant hand, download this handy checklist or read additional tips here on our blog: https://pld-literacy.org/product/observation-checklist-for-hand-preference/

See our Copyright Terms of Use at https://pld-literacy.org/help-pages/copyright-policy/

Books: PLD’s books may be used by the authorised purchaser within their classroom, however there are restrictions regarding modifying, copying or sharing. Full details can be found here.

eBooks: eBooks will be stamped with the name and email address of the purchaser and may only be used by the authorised purchaser (an individual user) within their classroom. eBooks may NOT be shared with other users or stored on a shared drive/portal/server/LMS. Learn more here.

School Licences: A School Licence allows access to a resource to be shared with an unlimited number of employees who are employed by the ‘Authorised purchaser’. These resources can be accessed by multiple users simultaneously and can be printed (subject to restrictions) or displayed by employees of the ‘Authorised purchaser’ within their classroom. Learn more here.

Downloadable resources & screening tools: These resources can be viewed, downloaded, printed and shared providing the resources are not modified in any way. Learn more here.

Breaches of Australian Copyright Law are taken seriously and may result in legal action being taken. Full copyright information can be found. Learn more here.

  • Foundation Parent Education Sheets and Downloads - Semester 1
    Foundation Parent Education Sheets and Downloads – Semester 1

    This booklet outlines key information to be provided to parents, caregivers and the wider community within semester one. Children benefit when home and school work together. To support this, PLD offers an extensive range of parent milestone information sheets and videos. These resources are ideal to be disseminated to parents and the wider community through […]

    This booklet outlines key information to be provided to parents, caregivers and the wider community within semester one. Children benefit when home and school work

    Add to cart
  • Fine and Gross Motor Developmental Milestones - 4 years old
    Fine and Gross Motor Developmental Milestones – 4 years old

    This fine and gross motor development milestone poster/sheet for 4 and 5 year old children outlines tips for home and causes for concern.

    Designed by Occupational Therapists this resource promotes awareness of early motor developmental milestones. The sheet outlines: What children be able to do with their body. Tips

    Add to cart
  • Early Years Language, Literacy & Motor Developmental Milestones
    Private: Early Years Language, Literacy & Motor Developmental Milestones

    A booklet that provides an overview of Oral Language, Literacy and Motor for children in the early years (3 and 4 year olds). Tips for home and causes for concern are also outlined. The booklet can be photocopied back to back and then folded in half to provide a compact reference.

    Three and four year olds approach the world with great curiosity and a desire to explore. As a result, this age range is considered to

    Add to cart
  • The Development of Appropriate Pencil Grip & Drawing Skills - 1 to 6 Years Old
    The Development of Appropriate Pencil Grip & Drawing Skills – 1 to 6 Years Old

    These milestone and information sheets identify the age-related milestones for hand function, pencil grip (grasp) and drawing skills in children aged 1 to 6 years. They present images of good and NOT good pencil grip and also outline hints for making a good pencil grip easier.

    When children first begin to draw using crayons, pencils or brushes they use a dagger grasp. In a natural developmental sequence, they will hold the

    Add to cart

People who viewed this also viewed...

  • Preparing Children for Handwriting – Step 1
    Preparing Children for Handwriting - Step 1

    The range of motor skills that support handwriting in Early Years students.

    Early childhood education is a critical time for consolidating the fine motor skills necessary for efficient pencil grasp, developing good strong habits for directionality and pre-writing skills, making sense of increasing complex visual information and storing and retaining information for future use (memory). For this reason, we have created a 232-page Movement and Motor teaching guide to complement any early years program. The book contains clear information on developmental expectations for 4 and 5-year-olds and the foundation skills necessary for handwriting development, with a guide to handwriting readiness in addition to a wide range of activity suggestions. Features: Developed by an Occupational Therapist, this resource provides early childhood workers and parents with easy-to-understand information and activities focused upon fine and gross motor skill development for 3 to 4 year olds. Contains cutting, colouring, drawing, playdough, pre-writing, along with ball, balance, eye tracking, and body control activities Expectations, support, and guidance on pencil grip and posture, among other skills.   Following Step 1 with Preparing Children for Handwriting – Step 2 provides children with the essential preparation that is needed for letter formation. This product is mentioned in the Early Years Teaching Sequence Manual on page 10.

    From $65.00$65.00 incl. GST
    [flipbook-popup id=''][/flipbook-popup]
    Select format
  • Preparing Children for Handwriting – Step 2
    Preparing Children for Handwriting - Step 2

    The range of motor skills that support handwriting.

    Early childhood education is a critical time for consolidating the fine motor skills necessary for efficient pencil grasp, developing good strong habits for directionality and pre-writing skills, making sense of increasing complex visual information and storing and retaining information for future use (memory). For this reason, we have created a 232-page Movement and Motor teaching guide to complement any early years program. The book contains clear information on developmental expectations for 4.5 and 5.5 year olds and the foundation skills necessary for handwriting development, with a guide to handwriting readiness in addition to a wide range of activity suggestions. Features: Developed by an Occupational Therapist, this resource provides early childhood workers and parents with easy-to-understand information and activities focused upon fine and gross motor skill development for Early Years students. Contains cutting, colouring, drawing, playdough, pre-writing, along with ball, balance, eye tracking, and body control activities. Expectations, support, and guidance on pencil grip and posture, among other skills.   Starting your students with Preparing Children for Handwriting – Step 1 provides children with the essential preparation that is needed for letter formation. This resource is mentioned in the Foundation Teaching Sequence Manual on page 14.

    From $65.00$65.00 incl. GST
    [flipbook-popup id=''][/flipbook-popup]
    Select format
  • Pre-Writing Patterns
    Pre-Writing Patterns

    Preparing children for letter formation

    Throughout the Early Years, children are encouraged to participate in a range of fine motor activities that develop: their manipulative skills a dominant hand the ability to use both hands together Introducing Pre-writing Patterns for 3 to 5 year olds which aids the smooth transition to writing alphabet letters. Pre-writing patterns presents a simple, systematic and fun approach for teaching the foundation skills that are necessary for fluent handwriting. This resource for parents and teachers provides information on posture, grasps, pencil control and pre-writing patterns. The manual outlines big body movements, art activities and pre-writing pattern worksheets. It outlines six basic movements that are essential for children to learn the pre-writing patterns used to make pictures and then combined to make letters and numbers.   The six basic patterns that form the basis of all alphabet letters are: Sideways, sideways left to right. Tall lines and short lines. Zig Zags. Circles, drawn forwards and backward. Up and overs. Down and unders. Down, back and unders.   This product is mentioned in the Early Years Teaching Sequence Manual on page 4 & 5.

    From $65.00$65.00 incl. GST
    [flipbook-popup id=''][/flipbook-popup]
    Select format