Thursday 19 July 2012

Cutting



Oh, we have been and still are busy lately!  Planning for homeschooling and using in part the Montessori method does take... loads of... time.

For the last week, I have been printing and cutting, and cutting some more.  And of course, E, that has already been interested for a while in cutting is more then happy to follow along.

I have set up a special cutting tray for him that  have put in his reach. I fill a new stack of paper cutting pieces almost everyday now.  (I use this file)



I have showed him that cutting should only happen while sitting at the table. He carries his tray, sits, and then happily cuts away.



There are many scissors on the maker for young children. In my opinion, you want to avoid the ones that springs open after the child has pressed the handles.  Re-opening the scissors is a tedious task to learn, but it is very rewarding for the child, and is very good for fine motor skills, which leads to good handwriting.

For a young child you want scissors

  • that do cut well.  Scissors that are dull or not sharp enough are frustrating to about anybody that uses them, so imagine a young child learning on top of it. 
  • that have rounded tips
  • that are sized for a child's hand
  • that are not too heavy, but yet rest well in the hand
  • and soft handles is helpful for little fingers.
The scissors that E is using are my sister's old school scissors.  They are not small enough for my taste, but E clearly seems to be a lefty, and so is my sister.  So it is the best pair that I have found so far for left handed child.  I am still on the lookout for a good left handed child size scissors, so stay tuned for a post on that when I finally find something I am happy with.




Cutting at this age requires all of the child's attention, so having everything prepared before hand and layout the same way really helps the child focus on the actual task of cutting.


Do you know of any good left handed scissors for children?  If so, leave me a comment!

7 comments:

  1. As much as i understand it's necessary to teach them, it still freaks me out lol!

    - Sarah
    agirlintransit.blogspot.com

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  2. It freaked me out too at first!! But now, I know how to react and help, and I feel much more in control of the situation.
    Now I feel it is beneficial to do it as I am not as scared when E finds a pair of scissors (that was not put away properly) He knows how to use them, and how to handle them (taking them by the blade)
    oh how time changes our perception of things!

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  3. My son absolutely loves cutting paper. I'm so amazed at his skill and how careful he is with the scissors and it's only two!

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  4. How old is e? It would be great if you would add (23m) - or how ever old he is - after the first mention of your child in each post for new readers. I would find this especially helpful when going back through previous posts. Thanks!

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  5. Time does change things doesn't it? Jack is quite capable with scissors now but I was quite weary for some time. Also with the left-handed scissors, I'm left-handed and have always used regular scissors and Jack seems to be able to use regular scissors as well even though he is showing a preference to his left hand. The only ones which are uncomfortable are the ones which have a contoured handle, they tend to give me blisters, but the ones with a handle the same shape the whole way around work just fine (does that make sense?)
    Cutting is always a HUGE win in our house too :D

    Kate xx

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  6. Can I ask how old he was when you started letting him use scissors? My daughter is interested and she is only 17months.

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  7. amjwallace: Yes, I have to get better with this. Thanks for reminding me.
    He is almost 24 months old.

    Randalin: they can do so much more then we give them credit for!

    Kate: Yes, it does. I think this is why the ones he has on the picture works. They are symmetrical in the handle, and E can manage them a lot better.
    Cutting is getting huge here too!!

    Joylynn: He started out around maybe 20 months? He didn't show interest before that. If you DD is showing interest, find some really tiny scissors, one that are made to cut paper only (they are kind of plastic-y blades) and give it a try. She won't be perfect, but you'll be able to see if she is there or not. at this age, I would not put the scissors available all the time, I would put them away, and have them out when I can be with the child

    Good luck!!

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