Scissor Skills

We've been talking a lot lately at Spokane Valley about scissor skills…or rather, the lack of scissor skills among our young (and not so young) members.

Children need lots of opportunities to practice cutting before they become proficient.  Storytime is an ideal place to practice scissors skills with children and to instruct parents and caregivers in teaching their children how to use scissors as well as the importance of scissor skills.

Reminders about scissor skills you may want to reiterate in storytime and one-on-one with the children:

1. Thumb on top, three fingers on bottom
2. Always keep the thumb on top when opening and closing the scissors.  I have even seen someone put colored tape on the handle to remind students to keep the scissors the correct direction.
3. Sometimes cutting just for the sake of cutting is fun!  Not every cutting activity needs to part of a larger product.  For example:

• Cut playdough “snakes”
• Cut straws
• Cut small pieces of paper (that can be cut in half with just one snip)
• Cut “fringe” along a sheet of paper (just one snip, then later longer snips)
• Place stickers in a line and have the child cut through the stickers

We have found several websites that offer scissor skill practice sheets.  These are easy to print off and have available during the play and learn part of storytime.  Here are a few:

http://www.worksheetworks.com/miscellanea/hand-eye/scissors.html

http://www.kidslearningstation.com/fine-motor-skills/scissor-skills.asp

http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/cutpaste-seasons.htm

http://www.aussiechildcarenetwork.com/cutting_skills.php

I have a Pinterest board with some websites that may be helpful to you as you plan activities that involve cutting or plan specific cutting activities.

http://www.pinterest.com/slowpoke132/scissor-skills/