How to Teach Important Scissor Skills to Early Childhood Students
If I told you that I often lead students in Montessori early childhood scissor cutting, I’m sure you—and many other teachers—might be a little concerned (to say the least). Giving scissors to a young child might seem crazy, or dangerous, at the very least. But it’s an essential skill everyone needs, and if it’s taught correctly, early childhood students can master it too.
You see, using scissors is a great way for young students to develop their fine motor skills. So while it can be a little scary to hand a pair of (blunt-tip) scissors to a three-year-old, it’ll eventually help them perform many other activities around the classroom.
In fact, the earlier a child can learn to use scissors, the better. The activity provides so many benefits to early childhood students! Being able to properly use scissors opens the doors to many other important skills, such as writing their names or ABCs, tying shoes, zipping jackets, cleaning up, and feeding themselves.
So, how do you know when your early childhood students are actually ready to start using scissors?
If your students can sit and focus on an activity for at least 15 minutes, they should be able to learn and start practicing their scissor cutting. You’ll need your students to be able to sit through a complete Montessori early childhood scissor cutting demonstration, where you present the basic movements and show how to safely handle the tool. So, if they can keep their attention on your presentation and understand the necessary outcome, then they can start practicing. Just make sure you’re supervising early childhood students any time they are using scissors.
Importance of Scissor Cutting to Early Childhood Development
By showing young students—even as young as two or three years—how to use scissors, you’re helping them reach critical milestones that directly related to other areas of childhood development. The dynamic motion that comes from cutting activities—specifically, opening and closing scissors along a distinct path—helps them build muscle control, develop eye and hand coordination, deepen their tactile spatial awareness, and hone their fine-motor movements. It also helps them develop the coordination needed for handwriting, eating, dressing, and holding and carrying small objects.
A child that has scissor practice will be able to excel in complex steps to create and work independently. And they’ll be able to do so many artful and creative things in the classroom, such as cutting paper, following patterns, cutting strings and yarn, and cutting fabric.
Where to Start: Montessori Early Childhood Scissor Cutting Lessons
You can’t hand your early childhood students a pair of scissors and then walk away expecting them to create, it’s an early childhood art material that needs to be taught how to use. It’s important to give them time to practice the simple movements of just using scissors. Once they have that down, then you can start introducing students to cutting for copy-mode or process-based activities.
Materials:
- Safety scissors (with a blunt tip)
- Soft, thick yarn
- Styrofoam sheets
- Construction paper
- Clay
Early Childhood Scissor Cutting Lesson Ideas:
- Have children cut small and large lengths of yarn
- Students can cut large shapes from styrofoam, and then glue them onto paper
- Show students how to roll out coils of clay, and then cut those into small pieces
- Give students pieces of construction paper that have lines or shapes drawn onto them (or ask the kids to draw their own lines and shapes), and have them cut along the lines
Try incorporating some of these lesson ideas with other topics you’re already teaching in the classroom. For example, make some of the shapes organic, like leaves or simple animal silhouettes.
One Step Further: Sign Up for My FREE Art Phases Mini-Course
Knowing that your early childhood students are capable of safely using scissors opens up so many doors for all the amazing art projects and activities you’ll be able to do in your classroom! In order to keep them interested in the lessons you’re presenting—and able to handle whatever it is you’re teaching—you have to first be able to understand exactly how they learn art. I’ve developed a FREE online mini-course to help you do just that!
Sign-up to receive video course & Montessori art teaching e-newsletter.
The Phases of Art Development is a quick digital course that explains how art making can help students develop their creativity, fine-motor skills, and focus. More importantly, I share what types of projects students at every age are capable of completing safely, and without making a mess.
Best of all—it’s free! To sign up for the course, click here.
The Phases of Art Development is a quick digital course that explains how art making can help young children develop their fine-motor skills. More importantly, I share what types of projects early childhood students are capable of completing safely, and without making a mess.
Best of all—it’s free! To sign up for the course, click here.
A Short Cut Just for You – Early Childhood Art Guide
And if you want an even fuller picture of how to really help your young students learn art, check out my new book, Early Childhood Art: Visual Arts Teaching Guide. It’ll help you understand the importance of art language for early childhood students and lay the groundwork for what your students need to know about art. I also provide tips and tricks for setting up an art environment, using proper art materials and mediums, and planning level-appropriate art lessons. Click here to get your copy of my Early Childhood Art guide!
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