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8–20 monthsFine Motor Skills

Makes connections between their movement and the marks they make.

Observe whether the child: makes connections between their movement and the marks they make.

What it looks like

Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.

Emerging

Just starting

Occasionally notices a mark after it happens and may look briefly, but does not reliably repeat the movement to recreate the effect.

What you might see

  • The child holds a crayon/marker but does not move it across the paper; they drop it or mouth it without looking at the page.
  • When finger paint leaves a smear on a tray, the child does not look at the smear and does not repeat the movement to make another.
  • The child makes a random scribble, looks briefly at the page, then moves away without trying to repeat the motion.
  • After an adult makes a mark, the child touches the tool to the surface once but does not continue to explore how movement changes the mark.

Expected

On track

Repeats a movement to make marks and watches the result, showing a clear connection between action and mark in familiar mark-making play.

What you might see

  • The child scribbles back-and-forth and watches the line appear, then repeats the same motion again in the same area.
  • The child smears paint in one direction and then immediately repeats the swipe to create another visible mark.

Exceeding

Going further

Deliberately varies movement (direction, speed, pressure) to see different marks and persists in mark-making, demonstrating a consistent action–effect connection.

What you might see

  • The child switches from dotting to long strokes and pauses to look at the different marks that appear.
  • The child presses harder and then lighter and looks at the difference in darkness, repeating the action to recreate the effect.
  • The child changes direction (circles vs straight lines) on purpose and repeats a preferred movement pattern to make a similar mark again.
  • When a mark is faint, the child adjusts pressure or speed and tries again to get the mark they want, without adult prompting.

Try this at home

Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.

  • Offer chunky crayons and big paper on the floor; notice whether your child repeats a movement after seeing the mark appear (scribble then scribble again).

  • In the bath, put a little foam on the wall and watch whether your child changes swipes (dots, long strokes) and looks at the different marks.

  • At mealtime (with a safe surface), notice whether your child smears a small bit of yoghurt/puree and then repeats the motion after seeing the trace.

  • Outside with chalk, observe whether your child varies pressure or direction (hard/soft, circles/lines) to change what the mark looks like.

Connected behaviours

Behaviours that scaffold, follow, or co-emerge with this one.

Where this comes from

The framework source and supporting developmental research.

Framework source

  • Development Matters in the EYFS (2012) — Physical Development: Moving and Handling (8–20 months).

    The construct is framework-native and operationalises early cause-and-effect understanding in mark-making as an observable behaviour.

Other sources

  • Folio, M. R., & Fewell, R. R. (2000). Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition (PDMS-2). PRO-ED.

    Visual-motor integration is assessed through observable mark-making and controlled movement tasks consistent with linking movement and mark outcomes.

Five-level rubric (detailed)Show

The full progression underlying the three levels above. Used by the platform’s reasoning agent when planning activities and observations.

Not Yet
Does not appear to notice that their movement creates marks; may touch tools/materials without attending to the effect on the surface.
  • The child holds a crayon/marker but does not move it across the paper; they drop it or mouth it without looking at the page.
  • When finger paint leaves a smear on a tray, the child does not look at the smear and does not repeat the movement to make another.
Emerging
Occasionally notices a mark after it happens and may look briefly, but does not reliably repeat the movement to recreate the effect.
  • The child makes a random scribble, looks briefly at the page, then moves away without trying to repeat the motion.
  • After an adult makes a mark, the child touches the tool to the surface once but does not continue to explore how movement changes the mark.
Developing
Repeats a movement to make marks and watches the result, showing a clear connection between action and mark in familiar mark-making play.
  • The child scribbles back-and-forth and watches the line appear, then repeats the same motion again in the same area.
  • The child smears paint in one direction and then immediately repeats the swipe to create another visible mark.
Secure
Deliberately varies movement (direction, speed, pressure) to see different marks and persists in mark-making, demonstrating a consistent action–effect connection.
  • The child switches from dotting to long strokes and pauses to look at the different marks that appear.
  • The child presses harder and then lighter and looks at the difference in darkness, repeating the action to recreate the effect.
Reflexive
Intentionally adjusts action to achieve a desired mark (e.g., longer line, darker mark) and may show or repeat the action for an adult to share the effect.
  • The child changes direction (circles vs straight lines) on purpose and repeats a preferred movement pattern to make a similar mark again.
  • When a mark is faint, the child adjusts pressure or speed and tries again to get the mark they want, without adult prompting.