Cutting Skills

Cutting Skills are also great for fine motor.

Children with additional learning needs may need altered scissors. These are available from thinkingtoys.ie

http://www.thinkingtoys.ie/fine-motor-skills---all/fine-scissors

Your class kit of scissors may have left-handed scissors in it. They overlap on the opposite side and are much easier for children who cut with their left hand. Sometimes they are the two colour ones (yellow and green).

Cutting skills can begin with fringes. Children can cut 'grass'. 

The next progression is curvy and zig zag lines.

When the children have mastered these, shapes that have curved and sharp edges will work well. 2-D shapes are good to use too, start with straight edge shapes- squares, rectangles, triangles and then introduce circles (these are tricky!). 

Encourage the children to turn the page as they cut. Maybe cutting a general line around the shape will work and then cutting the details.

Remind them to have smooth edges- not jagged. 

A 'Cutting Skills' copy is useful to stick the shapes in. It is also a good running record of their progress! 

Keep challenging them with harder shapes.

I found these pages on : http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/