SPECIFICS OF SPEECH THERAPY WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINE MOTOR SKILLS AS AN ELEMENT OF GRAPHOMOTOR SKILL IN YOUNG SCHOOLCHILDREN WITH GENERAL SPEECH UNDERDEVELOPMENT

Abstract. This article deals with the features of developing fine motor skills as an element of graphomotor skill in young schoolchildren with general speech underdevelopment. Special attention is given to the specifics of speech therapy work, which is based on diagnosing the main problems arising in children and developing an individual plan to address them.

Keywords: general speech underdevelopment, graphomotor skill, speech therapy work, fine motor skills.

At present, the issues have become particularly relevant to the specifics of speech therapy work on the formation and development of fine motor skills in children with general speech underdevelopment. It should be noted that over the past decade, there has been a trend of increasing numbers of children with speech impairments. According to statistical data from neurologists, about 5-10% of children in Russia have speech problems. Tatiana Solovyova, Director of the Institute of Special Education of the Ministry of Education of Russia, notes that there are more than 75 thousand schoolchildren in Russia suffering from severe speech disorders who require special conditions for getting general education.

Difficulties in the formation and development of graphomotor skills are the result of both the specifics of child raising and chronic diseases. General underdevelopment of speech is a disorder that affects all components of the language system. Primary speech apparatus disorders, articulation problems, and low sensitivity of the speech-motor apparatus impede the development of fine motor skills of the hand, which are important for writing or drawing. Speech pathologies create significant obstacles to the formation of mental abilities and the development of normal speech intelligence function, without which it is impossible to ensure the correct construction of written speech, the ability to perform writing, and the drawing of objects on paper.

The main method of working with children who have general speech underdevelopment is speech therapy work. At the initial stage, there is a need to diagnose the child’s overall developmental condition. According to N.A. Shirko, in the content and organization of diagnostics by a psychologist and speech therapist, there are three independent directions – psychological, clinical, and pedagogical. During the diagnostics, the speech therapist should identify specifically those deficiencies in the development of the child’s graphomotor skills. Based on this, exercises and tasks should be selected that are primarily aimed at eliminating a specific deficiency, and only subsequently at developing the child’s ability to use the acquired skills and knowledge in writing.

It should be noted that the main problem highlighted by speech therapists is the low level of fine motor skills development. The particular importance of developing this skill is emphasized by I.V. Markuvinas, who points out that speech areas are formed thanks to impulses coming from the fingers. Speech movements, like finger movements, begin with muscle tensions, where the first sensations originate. Sensations are the source of our thoughts, which only later transform into words.

Moreover, fine motor skills are one of the components of graphomotor skill, along with such elements as visual perception, spatial orientation, and attention.

For the development of fine motor skills, as one of the most important elements of graphomotor skill, it is used a sufficient number of games and exercises, since this disorder is one of the most common. Let’s consider several groups of exercises and games that are used in speech therapy work with children who have certain disorders:

Firstly, articulation gymnastics exercises, the goal of which is to develop the coordination of the movements of the articulation organs and to strengthen the muscular apparatus of the tongue, lips, and cheeks. Their systematic practice contributes to the activation of the cerebral cortex and “warms up” the brain before work, focusing attention on important points. Examples of such exercises are: special movements of the tongue and lips; work of the jaw and facial muscles according to various methods.

The second group consists of ball games, the goal of which is to develop the ability for precise muscular effort, to improve coordination on the “eye-hand” principle, and to strengthen arm muscles. Moreover, such games serve as additional physical activity, which is important for both children and adults. Ball games help develop agility, arm strength, and precision of the wrists and forearms. Constantly increasing and complicating the task ensures the development of the connection between the eyes and hands. For example, games such as “catch-and-throw” and “hot potato,” whose essence is quickly moving the ball from one player to another.

The third group is represented by various forms of modeling with different materials, most commonly clay or plasticine. Modeling helps develop finger dexterity, muscle strength, spatial imagination, and tactile sensitivity, and creating small details promotes fine motor skills and sensorimotor coordination. The most common way to engage a child in modeling activities is to suggest making a character from a cartoon or an object from the surrounding world. During the process, the child uses various techniques: squeezing, kneading, pinching, joining, and others.

The fourth group of exercises is the most common and used not only in sessions with speech therapists but also by parents at home – drawing. It stimulates creative potential, develops movement variability, forms new motor patterns, and contributes to strengthening the hand and fingers through unconventional drawing methods. The use of non-traditional drawing techniques develops movement flexibility, variability, the ability to interact with various objects; new tactile movements allow the formation of motor skills that contribute to increasing interest in the drawing process.

We have listed not all types of exercises used to develop fine motor skills. These exercises most often serve as a “warm-up” in classes, as they help, in the form of a game, to prepare the child for performing more complex tasks that develop other aspects of graphomotor skills. A feature of fine motor development is virtually any activity of the child related to small objects in the surrounding world. An important part of playing with them is the purposeful alteration of either their structural integrity or their location.

Analysis of the presented exercises and games aimed at developing fine motor skills is an integral part of a speech therapis’s work on the effective development and formation of graphomotor skills in younger school children with general underdevelopment of speech. It is undoubtedly evident the effectiveness of a comprehensive approach, which includes the use of various exercises and games aimed at developing specific skills of the child that were identified as underdeveloped during the diagnostic process. Regular attendance at speech therapy sessions contributes to the improvement of various skills – both fine motor skills and coordination of movements. The exercises, which have presented, used in speech therapy work, are only of a recommended nature, based on general practice in working with children. An individual approach should be selected for each child, and a list of exercises and games should be developed that will engage that specific child. Additionally, it should not be forgotten that the work on developing individual elements of graphomotor skills  of graphomotor skills is of a complex nature and should not be based solely on speech therapy sessions. Such work must be carried out continuously and systematically, which indicates the necessity of involving parents in this process.