Scissor cutting opens up the doors to so many creative opportunities!
When you think of teaching art, what do you think of? Painting? Drawing? Maybe some sculpting? While those are all important parts of visual arts, a surprising component that also needs to be taught to Montessori upper elementary students is scissor cutting skills. This might seem like an obvious skill—especially for upper elementary kids, but you would be surprised at how many students still struggle at this age. They need scissor practice! That’s why I’ve put together this Montessori scissor cutting guide for upper elementary. To help you teach your students this essential art skill.
Being able to use safely and properly use scissors means students are able to do a wide variety of artful things. For example; cutting paper, following patterns, cutting strings and yarn, and cutting fabric. Scissor cutting opens up the doors to so many creative opportunities!
Importance of Scissor Cutting for Upper Elementary Students
Cutting enhances eye-hand coordination (using vision, processing what is seen, and moving the hand simultaneously to accomplish a task). Other examples of eye-hand coordination are weaving, folding, creasing paper, catching/throwing a ball, scooping food with a spoon, and zipping a coat.
Cutting also encourages your child to use bilateral coordination (which means using both sides of the body at the same time, in a coordinated way, while each hand is performing its own task). For example, when cutting a circle, a child must hold the paper with one hand (and continuously turn it) while the other hand is opening and closing the scissors and moving forward to cut. Other examples of bilateral coordination include: zipping up a coat or pants, washing dishes, and opening an envelope.
Cutting helps stimulate the brain
Some research suggests that hand-eye and bilateral coordination exercises may stimulate the parts of the brain that are needed for thinking and focusing attention. In my experience, these types of motion and practice also give students keen observation skills, which allow them to notice details and follow patterns.
For upper elementary students, having greater fine motor skills means they can attempt intricate scissor cutting designs. For example, following detailed patterns and more complex instructions that might take four to five steps to follow. Students at this age will be able to make paper art like gift tags, ornaments, snowflakes, paper lanterns, paper chain dolls, thought-out collages, and stunning bookmarks and cards.
Scissor Cutting Leads To Creativity
Strong scissor-cutting skills lead to lots of independent creating at all levels of crafting and design. It’s important that students are given plenty of time to practice before they take on trickier, more detailed cutting patterns. When Montessori upper elementary children attempt to create such designs without scissor cutting practice, the art projects and activities will become too challenging to follow and they may lose self-confidence.
I recommend using design templates for Montessori upper elementary to practice their scissor cutting. There are some super fun paper 3-D art templates they can cut out, then construct the pieces with glue, to create objects like fruit, flowers, and fun characters. Mr. Printables is one of my favorite websites for simple cutting template practice.
Where to Start: Give Your Montessori Upper Elementary Students Scissor Cutting Practice
Another fun practice can be to cut, and then gluing, 2D symmetrical designs. If you are not sure if your students have developed their scissor skills sufficiently, ask them to cut basic geometric shapes. You should be able to observe where their skill level is currently. I have met plenty of upper elementary students who need a bit more practice before jumping into complex projects.
Always remember: practice is the best way to support kids’ artistic skills and literacy.
I recommend testing your students’ abilities by practicing cutting out:
- Straight lines
- Corners
- Curves
- Geometric shapes
- Symmetrical designs
- 3D objects (like mini furniture or buildings)
- Basic quilt patterns
- Basic stencil patterns
- Chinese paper lanterns
- Magazine images (for collaging)
- Papel Picado (Mexican paper flags)
- Paper snowflakes
- Tangram paper designs
Once upper elementary students are able to cut straight lines, corners, and simple curves, they may be able to move on to using an artist’s Exacto knife. But I recommend they only do this with proper supervision and parent consent. I’ve met many crafty students who want to work on very intricate designs, which calls for using an Exacto knife.
One Step Further: Sign Up for My FREE Digital Mini-Course
Knowing that your 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 and understand whatever it is you’re teaching—you have to first be able to know exactly how they learn art. I’ve developed a FREE online mini-course to help you do just that!
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.
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