What fine motor skill is expected from a child at 4 months?

At 4 months of age, a child's fine motor skills are still developing, but reaching with the whole hand is a significant milestone. At this age, infants typically begin to demonstrate the ability to reach for objects, which involves extending their arms and using their hands to grasp items. This whole hand reach is a precursor to more advanced fine motor skills that will develop as the child grows.

The emphasis is on the gross motor milestone of reaching rather than the more refined actions of transferring objects or grasping with the fingers specifically, which typically emerge later. Therefore, the appropriate developmental milestone for a 4-month-old involves the ability to reach for objects using their whole hand, laying the groundwork for further exploration and interaction with their environment as they continue to grow.