It’s important that when children reach the age of approximately four years old they begin to work on developing their hand muscles for other fine motor skills using scissors. By the age of four, children’s hands have grown large enough to fit scissors and they have the hand strength to cut paper without causing it to tear.
When holding a pair of scissors, the tips of the thumb and middle finger should be in the holds of the handles. The index finger should be on the outside of the scissors for stabilization and the ring and little finger should be curled into the palm, out of the way.
Cutting activities use the muscles in the fingers and require separation of the two sides of the hand. It’s important that the scissors are held correctly and that the scissors be of an appropriate size, or else the child will use the large muscles of the hand and decrease precision while cutting.
When teaching a child to cut, it is easiest to use training scissors so you can help the child and guide him or her initially during cutting activities. Start with thicker materials when you begin teaching your child to cut. Construction paper is a good place to start, even play dough as the child begins to understand how to operate the new scissors.
For more cutting tips or to purchase a pair of training scissors for your own child, visit us online at ShopScissors.com.
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