Which gross motor skills would the nurse expect children 3 to 5 years of age to develop?

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Chapter 33: The Preschooler and Family

Perry: Maternal Child Nursing Care, 6th Edition

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which accomplishment would the nurse expect of a healthy 3-year-old child?

Balance on one foot for a few seconds

ANS: D

Three year olds are able to accomplish the gross motor skill of balancing on one foot. Jumping

rope, riding a two-wheel bike, and skipping on alternate feet are gross motor skills of

5-year-old children.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension

OBJ: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Health Promotion and Maintenance

2. In terms of fine motor development, what could the 3-year-old child be expected to do?

Use scissors or a pencil very well

Draw a person with 7 to 9 parts

ANS: D

Three-year-olds are able to accomplish the fine motor skill of drawing a circle. Tying

shoelaces, using scissors or a pencil very well, and drawing a person with multiple parts are

fine motor skills of 5-year-old children.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension

OBJ: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Health Promotion and Maintenance

3. In terms of cognitive development, the preschooler would be expected to engage in what

behavior?

Understand conservation of matter

Be able to comprehend another person’s perspective

ANS: A

Preschoolers’ thinking is often described as magical thinking. Because of their egocentrism

and transductive reasoning, they believe that thoughts are all-powerful. Abstract thought does

not develop until school-age years. The concept of conservation is the cognitive task of

school-age children ages 5 to 7 years. Five year olds cannot understand another’s perspective.

PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension

OBJ: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: Client Needs: Health Promotion and Maintenance

4. What is descriptive of the preschooler’s understanding of time?

Has no understanding of time

NURSINGTB.COM

MATERNAL CHILD NURSING CARE 6TH EDITION PERRY TEST BANK

(colouring, cutting, beading, lego, drawing)

“Fine motor” refers to the movements we make with the small muscles of the hands. Children start to use their hands right at birth to explore their own bodies and the world around them. Their fine motor skills develop as their whole body starts to move and become more stable.  They also learn to do more things with their hands as their cognitive and social/emotional skills improve.  

Below are some of the typical developmental milestones for fine motor skills.  After each age group, you can find some “red flags” that might indicate a problem.

Between the ages of 3-4 years, your child will:

• Build a tower of 9-10 small blocks
• Use playdough to make balls, snakes, cookies, etc.
• Build things with large linking blocks, such as Megablocks or Duplo
• Draw a circle by herself
• Copy a cross (+)
• Imitate you drawing a square

• Start to hold a crayon or pencil with a mature grasp (like an adult)
• Cut across a piece of paper
• Start to cut along a straight line
• Manage buttons
• Put on most items of clothing by herself, but may still need help with shirts and jackets
• Feed himself well with a spoon and fork

Red Flags for Fine Motor Development (4 years)

If you notice some of the following things about your child by the time he is 4 years old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional such as an occupational therapist.

• His movements seem shaky or stiff
• Her arms and hands seem very weak
• She is not able to cut across a piece of paper with scissors
• He cannot copy a cross (+)

• She is not able to draw a circle and straight lines by herself
• She cannot string ½ inch beads onto a lace
• He cannot use a fork and spoon well
• She is not able to put on her own pants, loose socks and shoes

Between the ages of 4-5 years, your child will:

• Start to use one hand consistently for fine motor tasks
• Cut along a straight line with scissors
• Start to cut along a curved line, like a circle
• Draw a cross by herself (+)
• Copy a square
• Begin to draw diagonal lines, like in a triangle
• Start to colour inside the lines of a picture

• Start to draw pictures that are recognizable
• Build things with smaller linking blocks, such as Duplo or Lego
• Put on his own clothing, but may still need help with fasteners like buttons/zippers
• Start to spread butter or cut soft foods with a small table knife (with supervision)
• Start to learn to print some capital letters

Red Flags for Fine Motor Development (5 years)

If you notice some of the following things about your child by the time she is 5 years old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional such as an occupational therapist.

• His movements seem shaky or stiff
• Her arms and hands seem very weak
• He is not able to cut along a straight line
• She is not holding her crayons or pencils with her thumb and fingers

• He is not able to draw a circle, square and cross (+)
• She is not able to put on her own shirts, pants, socks, and shoes (with some help with fasteners)
• He is not able to feed himself well with a spoon and fork

If you have concerns about your child at any age, please feel free to contact us to speak to a professional. You can also make a referral to our centre at anytime.

Which is a useful skill that the nurse would expect a 5 year old child to be able to master?

What fine motor skills would a child age 3 be able to?

Which behavior should the nurse expect a 3 year old child to be capable of doing?

Which of the following gross motor skills does a five year old possess?