Category Archives: Fine Motor Skills

A to Z Scissor Skills: The Ultimate Guide To Scissor Skill Development

Hey OTs! This one is just for you!

Have kids on your caseload who need to work on scissor skills? Chances are you do. Have a heavy caseload with very little prep time? Chances are you do. Do you find it challenging to set goals that are measurable and easy to take data on? You are not alone! Save loads of time using this resource! Whether you are completing a formal assessment, an IEP annual review, or working with a child to improve their scissor skills, this guide is equipped with all the tools you need to make the process seamless and easy!  A to Z scissor skills boasts clear and concise graphics, making it easy to find information at a glance. The guide includes everything you need from assessment to goal writing, to intervention and data collection. All materials correspond to the developmental progression of scissor skills making the process straightforward and efficient.

12 Ways To Improve Scissor Skills

Scissor skills are essential in both school and life. Solid scissor skills will help children as they learn and play. The maturation of scissor skills requires lots of practice over time. As with all fine motor skills, there is a developmental progression to acquiring scissor skills. Check out my post Scissor Skill Development to read more about this. Some children have trouble with learning how to use scissors, and there can be many reasons why. Using scissors efficiently is a very complex skill that requires many prerequisites. To read more about this check out my post What Skills Are Needed For Scissor Use?  In this post, I will focus on how to help kids who struggle with learning how to use scissors. Here are 12 strategies that can help!

Good Scissor Skills…What Does It Take?

In this post I will cover the prerequisite skills needed to be able to use scissors efficiently.  Scissor use, like most fine motor tasks, is a complex skill requiring many underlying components. It may not seem like it, but children are tapping into many skills when they are using scissors.

Scissor Skill Development… What To Expect

Early on, around 1.5 years old, children will use both hands to open and shut scissors. Around age two, he or she can do so using only one hand. In this post, I will cover the developmental progression of scissor skills. You’ll learn what to expect from the very beginning, til when scissors skills have matured, around age 6.

Hand Dominance: How to Help Kids Who Switch Hands

Most people are inclined to use one hand over the other.  Repeated use of the preferred hand leads to hand dominance.  Your dominant hand is your skilled hand, the hand that is better at performing intricate tasks like drawing, handwriting, and using a fork or a spoon.  Try writing a note or spreading peanut butter on a piece of bread using your non-dominant hand. You will quickly see how one hand is more skilled than the other. This post explains how to help children who have difficulty establishing hand dominance.

Benefits of Working on a Vertical Surface

There are many reasons to use a vertical surface like an easel or whiteboard when working with children. Your child will attain so much more by simply changing tabletop activities to vertical surface activities. In this post I share the many benefits your child will gain.