There are lots of reasons why it’s important to teach kids to use scissors. I’ve compiled some reasons that talk about The Importance Of Teaching Kids to Use Scissors
The Importance Of Teaching Kids to Use Scissors
Learning to use scissors is a childhood rite of passage. At first it can be be frustrating for both the child and the parent. It can also be a scary one because we all know that kids can get a little too creative with scissors sometimes.
However, did you know that scissor skills are important for things besides cutting paper? Learning to use scissors actually has many benefits and skills that will follow children for years to come and area also important in their Early Childhood development? Here are five skills that children develop just by learning to use scissors and why Teaching Kids to Use Scissors is extremely important in their Kinder Readiness.
Learning to use scissors builds fine motor skills.
Using scissors is a very important part of fine tuning motor skills. These are skills we all need for things like brushing our teeth, using utensils, painting, coloring, or even getting dressed. With the opening and closing motion of cutting, it allows children to develop the small muscles in their hands.
Learning to use Scissors Helps develop hand-eye coordination.
Hand-eye coordination is developed when you have to use your hands and eyes in unison, which is an important part of cutting. Hand-eye coordination is also necessary for tasks such as catching and throwing a ball, zippering a coat, or eating with a spoon or fork.
Learning to cut increases bilateral coordination.
When children use scissors it requires them to use both the right and left sides of their body at the same time. This is because each hand performs its own task. One had does the actual cutting while the other hand manipulates the paper. This is an essential skill in order to do things like wash dishes, button a shirt, or even opening an envelope.
Using Scissors Helps improve focus and attention.
It takes concentration and attention to detail when using scissors. Which will be used in all aspects of your child’s future life and are vital in tasks such as following instructions, doing projects, and possibly playing an instrument.
Using Scissors Helps determine hand dominance.
In preschool not all children have determined which is their dominant hand. By using muscles in addition to the ones needed to write with, it helps children determine which hand is more comfortable to write with.
As you are preparing your child to start kindergarten, be sure to encourage them in skills such as writing and reading, but also be sure to encourage them to develop additional skills such as cutting with scissors!
Here is a fun activity to help your little ones practice using scissors! Just print them out and get them a good pair of scissors and let them have fun!
Just click here to grab the printable pdf and give your little one some great cutting practice!!
Aren’t these cute?
Comments & Reviews
A good list of reasons for why it’s important to learn to use scissors. Most kids begin their school years without having this skill, and with cursive & penmanship going the way of the dinosaur parents need to help children develop their fine motor skills.
My little girl has been using scissors since she was two. She is very indpendent and likes to do things on her one. I taught her and remind her often of what we can and can not cut and if she forgets, she looses her privelages of having them for a day or two. So far she has done very well with them and uses them a lot while she “teaches” her baby dolls. 🙂
I’m excited to teach my daughter how to use the scissors. She will start preschool next fall.
Both my kids ages 4 and 2 love Cutting projects!
Very interesting! I like that it helps with coordination!
I was not aware of this. I am going to have to encourage my son to use his scissors a lot more.
I had no idea the use of scissors could be so helpful in encouraging the continued development of fine motor skills! I’ve thought of introducing them to my 2.5 year old while doing crafts together (we have yet to actually do this other than color lol) & allowing him to use the “safer” child’s scissors. I definitely will be allowing supervised use soon!
Lots of great information!
This is a great article, as I’m trying to do this with my 4 year old to learn properly. She loves using scissors!
This has a lot of important information. Some that I never even thought of. Thanks for posting this.
It is HUGE for fine motor. I work in a preK and you can easily tell which kids fine motor skills are more developed by their cutting.
I’m still working on this with my LO!
Taught preschool for years.. One thing to enforce to the kids .. THUMB UP!
Thanks for this post. I have been working on coloring and connect the dots with my almost 3 year old and will introduce scissors soon. I hadn’t thought to do so!
I taught prek for 16 years and I felt this was a top priority! I now teach first grade and see so many who struggle to cut!
My son is in 1st grade now and knows how to use scissors, but I didn’t teach him before kindergarten ? woopsy ? I’ll make sure to teach my daughter though, but that’s a bit of a way off since she just turned 1 ?
It looks like I need to go buy some scissors so my daughter can start practicing.
My son started using scissors when he was 3 and he’s a pro at cutting now.
So important! Safety first! Plus it’s. Ice when you’re not doing all the cutting too!
I didn’t realize that a task so simple has so many aspects to it. It’s so much more than “don’t run with scissors.”
Yes yes yes!! Hand eye coordination and safety when using sharp objects!! Both so important!!