THE INFLUENCE OF PHONETIC GYMNASTICS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINE MOTOR SKILLS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

The development of fine motor skills of preschool children is extremely important, because this ability refers to the coordination of small muscle groups of the hands, which are used in performing tasks such as writing, coloring and cutting. The aim of this research is to determine the influence of phonetic gymnastics program on the development of fine motor skills of preschool children. The research was conducted on a sample of 30 respondents, children attending a younger educational group. The experimental program consisted of a phonetic gymnastics activities which consisted of three parts: introductory, main and final part of the activity, and was conducted for 12 weeks. The introductory part of the activity lasted for about five minutes and a complex of shaping exercises was conducted in it, followed by speaking exercises, e.g. imitating the blowing wind (whizz), the flying bee (buzz) and others. The main part of the activity lasted for 20 minutes, and in this part, various moving and speaking games and songs were used, in order to stimulate children's interest. For the purpose of this research, two subtests from the battery of BOT2 tests (Bruinkins – Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition) were applied: fine motor integration and manual dexterity. The obtained results confirmed the positive influence of programmed phonetic gymnastics on the fine motor skills of preschool children. The implementation of this type of treatment in preschool institutions would be of great benefit, especially because it is relatively short (about 30 minutes) and does not require special equipment and space.