11/05/2001

Pre-K Teaching and Learning

Q: I have a concern about my kindergartner, a five-year-old Korean boy. He's very bright, verbal and inquisitive. He's never been very interested in pitching ball, drawing or coloring; he prefers visual learning and conversation (he asks zillions of questions) and loves the computer. The only sport he has shown in interest in is soccer.

We never gave much thought to his lack of interest in drawing. We figured that all kids are different; he doesn't need to be an artist if he'd rather be a scientist or engineer. His kindergarten teacher, however, has expressed concern that he might possibly have slow muscle development (fine and gross motor coordination) and that occupational therapy might be indicated.

Our pediatrician has never expressed concerns about his motor development. In his early months his language development was behind, but it caught up. At 20 months he was speaking full, clear sentences. Our next concern was social -- he is a bit immature, but the pediatrician said that boys typically are less mature socially than girls (in the early years).

One other twist. I have heard that muscle development of Asians is different than in Americans. As an example, many Asians are great gymnasts because of something to do with their muscle development. Do you think there could be a link here to our son's desire not to use his fine and gross motor skills very much? We haven't discussed this with our pediatrician yet, but we're curious to learn another perspective from an education expert.

A: You ask many fascinating questions, none of which has a definitive answer, as far as I know. There is a huge range of normal development among children of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds and, yes, probably some trends in each when looked at separately (such as how Korean children develop compared to Caucasian, Hispanic, African American or other children). The trends, however, don't necessarily mean anything about an individual child, because each child develops in patterns uniquely his or her own.

You are a parent who shows sensitivity to the needs and interests of your son by recognizing his strengths, weaknesses and preferences for favorite activities that seem to mirror his interests. I recommend that you continue this kind of supportive parenting.

Parents also have a responsibility to facilitate development in all basic skill areas, especially those that they know will be essential for mastery of higher level tasks later, particularly for school success. For example, your son will need to refine his motor skills and build the strength and flexibility of his body, whether he decides to pursue athletics or painting or not.

There are dozens of natural techniques for introducing these skills through play. If you would like ideas, your son's pediatrician, teacher and the occupational therapist could probably provide dozens of suggestions. Some appropriate fine-motor activities are: finger painting, play-doh, stringing colored macaroni, simple oragami, cutting, pasting, telling stories about his drawings, tracing leaves and other things he finds in nature. Through these activities your son will show steady growth in fine motor skills.

I am not a proponent of avoiding the teaching and learning of developmental skills just because a child doesn't show an interest. I believe that parents can foster a child's interests in imaginative and creative ways, keeping the learning process fun and full of discovery.

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