What is prereaching?

Answer 1

Prereaching is a developmental milestone observed in infants, typically around 3 to 4 months of age, where they begin to extend their arms and hands toward an object of interest, even if they don’t yet have the coordination to grasp it. This behavior indicates the early stages of hand-eye coordination and visual-motor integration. It reflects the infant's cognitive understanding of distance and object permanence, as they anticipate the ability to reach for and eventually grasp items. Prereaching is an important precursor to more refined reaching and grasping skills that develop later.