Objectives : This study evaluated norms for fine motor dexterity skills on kindergarten and elementary school children. Method : Participants were recruited from five kindergartens and two elementary schools in Seosan area. The sample consisted of 160 healthy students ranging in age from five to eight years. The Grooved Pegboard Test (GPT) was utilized to investigate fine motor dexterity. Results : The GPT showed statistically significant differences in hand dominance based on the findings that the scores of nondominant hands were substantially lower than those of dominant hands (p<0.05). The GPT showed significant age group differences in which 8 year old group demonstrated substantially higher scores than those of all other younger age groups (p<0.05). The results indicated a positive relationship between age and GPT scores. Conclusion : The results of this study support the results of previous studies that compared hand function between healthy children and abnormal children. These data will provide standard value of GPT for occupational therapists.

Dexterity is defined in the present study as interdigital manipulative skill or the fine manipulative movements of objects held between the thumb and fingers. The Grooved pegboard test has been used to evaluate dexterity requring visual-motor coordination. The purpose of this study was to standardize the completion time of the Grooved pegboard test in different age groups and gender. Normative values for the Grooved Pegboard Test was developed on the sample of 282 healthy volunteers (89 men and 183 women). Subjects were stratified according to gender and dominant hand and were subdivided into six groups by blocking. The results of this study were as follows: 1) There was a significant difference in completion time between dominant and nondominant hand in both men and women groups (p<.05). 2) There were significant differences in completion time between men and women group (p<.05) 3) There were significant differences in completion time among age groups (p<.05).