TEACHING TUESDAY [09.25.23]
Welcome to Teaching Tuesday! If you are new here, I’m a former teacher, have a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and am now a homeschool mom. You can read more about that journey here.
Every Tuesday I’m going to share an at home learning idea for preschool and elementary age kids, new curriculum resources and a freebie or two!
Scissor skills are just as important as learning to hold a pencil, not because we want 3 year olds to learn how to cut in a straight line, but because it is a tool that aids in their development. Here’s 4 ways that scissor skills aid developmental skills:
Hand-Eye Coordination - Cutting is a complex skill that requires a child to use their eyes and hands simultaneously. Using a spoon to eat is a more basic hand-eye coordination skill, whereas using scissors is a more complex coordination skill.
Muscle Development - You can see the difference in the hand development between a 2 year old and a 4 year old in the photo below. The simple action of opening and closing a pair of scissors, continues to build small muscles in the hand.
Bilateral Coordination - This is the process of using each side of the body simultaneously to perform coordinating or opposite actions. For a child who is learning how to cut, they are using one side of their body to hold and rotate a piece of paper and the other side of their body to operate the scissors.
Focus and Attention - Using scissors requires intense whole body concentration. It takes alot of focus for a 3 or 4 year old to hold scissors correctly in one hand, then open and close them and hold a piece of paper in the other hand to cut.
Here are new resources that I’ve been working on this month!
You can purchase the units above through my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking the photos.
These 4 units are also available in my VIP PASS (SEPTEMBER 2023), a low cost monthly subscription for new curriculum resources (or save 15% on a yearly subscription with code VIP15). Once you are a member you have access to all previous VIP PASS curriculum downloads as well, forever!
