How to hold scissors correctly? Useful tips. Creating screenshots using the scissors tool How to properly hold scissors in your left hand

The ability to cut is an important skill that a child will have to master. And all because working with scissors develops fine motor skills, thinking and coordination, teaches you to concentrate, be attentive and diligent. We tell you how to help your child learn to cut out and what pictures to choose for the first steps.

KUMON-cutting

Scissors are a complex tool. It’s not the first time that kids understand how to hold them correctly, how to guide them along the picture and how to stay within the line. First experiments with the tool are often unsuccessful. But you can teach a child to carve as early as two years old.

Education - learning through play - is especially attractive to children. After all, the child is ready to regularly do only what he likes. Therefore, in the notebooks “KUMON. Let's cut it!" There are puzzles, labyrinths and “tasty” pictures and stories with funny animals.

Choosing good scissors

You need to learn to cut with the help of a good tool - the right scissors.

Choose scissors with rounded ends.
It should be comfortable for the child to hold them.
The finger holes must be the correct size.
Choose scissors that your baby can open and close easily.

Once you have chosen the scissors, teach your child how to hold them correctly.

Have your child put their thumb through the small hole in the scissor handle and their index and middle fingers through the large hole.
For convenience, the baby can insert his ring finger into the large hole. Safety plastic scissors are suitable for small children, but their large hole is difficult to fit more than two fingers into.
Make sure your child points the tips of the scissors away from him or her while cutting.

Assignment from the notebook “KUMON. Let's cut! Funny animals"

Learning to cut

Confidence. Check if the child can open and close the scissors in one movement, holding them at the correct angle to the paper. As a rule, at first, kids cut paper unevenly. Don't worry: your child will gradually learn to work with scissors confidently.
Workplace. You should not cut out shapes on the floor or sofa: it is much more convenient for a child to work at a table. This way the baby’s elbows rest on the support, and the back remains straight. Our copywriter Liana was convinced from personal experience that this is inconvenient.
Diagonal. Cutting fragments diagonally is quite difficult. Don't worry and remind him to guide the scissors along the cutting line.

Hold the sheet.
Accuracy. It might be very messy at first. Therefore, make sure that the child cuts the paper with the part of the blades that is located at the very point where they are fastened. Open the scissors and cut off 2-3 centimeters, then open the scissors again and cut a little more. Repeat until you cut out the picture. This will make it much neater.

What to cut

Pictures should be bright, clear, without unnecessary details. The KUMON notebooks have many stories that your baby will love. Here, for example, is a task from the “First Steps” series “KUMON. Let's cut it!" : The child needs to be sized diagonally. And then connect the two parts of the ship.

Assignment from the notebook “KUMON. Let's cut! First steps"

When the child masters the first steps, offer him more difficult tasks. In this exercise, the child needs to cut along the line, turning the sheet. Don't be upset if the edges of the cut turn out uneven. The main thing is that the child enjoys completing the task.

Exercise from notebook

It is quite difficult for a child to use scissors, and it is also important that he does not get hurt by them. Basic skills come with age, since it is very difficult for a child under 3 years old to correctly coordinate his finger movements when working with scissors. By school age, the child has already mastered cutting well and he can make not only a circle, but also more complex shapes. However, if this sharp object is interesting at an early age, then it is better to teach children to use scissors correctly, and not to hide them. This way, the baby’s interest will be satisfied, and the parent will be calmer, because everything happens under his supervision.

Preparing for training

Before training begins, you need to select scissors. It is advisable to find special scissors for children, as they are safer and brighter than ordinary ones. Moreover, children's scissors can be selected in the appropriate size based on the size of the baby's hand. It is very important that the tool is sharp, since scissors that are not sharp enough will wring or tear the paper instead of cutting it.

Another important feature of children's scissors is the rounded nose. This makes the tool safer, because it will be more difficult for a child to inject himself or a friend. Scissors for children are decorated in bright plastic and are often in the shape of different animals. This also makes the item safer. Special scissors are made for left-handed people, since when using regular scissors, they cannot see the cutting line, and the paper breaks.

Before you put scissors in your hands, you should talk about the rules for using scissors. We need to show how to correctly pass scissors to other children and adults. And explain why you need to hand over this item to another person. Next, be sure to tell them that the scissors are intended exclusively for cutting paper and prepared materials. Books, mother's hair, father's documents, cat's whiskers, curtains, etc. are not suitable for working with scissors.

To prepare your child’s hands for a new type of action, start developing your baby’s fingers.

Draw with your fingerprints on a piece of paper. By the way, then you can invite your child to cut out some of these drawings.
Create figures from dough or plasticine with your child. The sculpting process develops the fine muscles of the fingers very well.
Tearing paper into small pieces with your fingers. For this, you can take colored magazine leaves, and also use torn paper for crafts and applications.
Give your child a small syringe, teach him how to squeeze it correctly so that water gets in and then releases the water. Most children are delighted with playing with water.

When your fingers are prepared and already strong enough, you can move on to getting acquainted with children's scissors. And the first thing to do is show your son or daughter how to hold the scissors correctly, what is their correct position in the hand.

Position your child's hand so that the fingers are straight and the thumb is pointing up.
Place one of the rings on the scissors on your baby's thumb.
Help your child insert his middle finger into the second ring on his own. Often the index finger is inserted into the same ring as the middle finger, if the ring allows it.
The little finger and ring finger are hidden in the palm. Sometimes the ring finger takes up space in the ring along with the index and middle fingers, if the ring is oval or long.
Hold a piece of paper in front of the child so that it is hanging (in your hands), and the baby will try to make several cuts.

Then, after the baby has tried to cut the paper, show how you can handle his scissors yourself. Don't rush to get immediate results. Take your time letting your child cut out patterns: circles, ovals and other shapes. Children love to cut out. Over time, he will definitely learn.

What skills should you strive for?

How to determine that the process of mastering scissors is oriented towards success? Watch what your child does and how he does it. The process will be more effective if the training takes place in the following order:

The first success of both the child and the mother or father is when the baby becomes interested in picking up scissors
The second stage - the child himself takes the scissors correctly
Opening and closing of scissors occurs involuntarily, automatically
The baby manages to cut a piece of paper
The child can cut in any direction
The baby makes confident cuts - the fringe
Your child can cut the sheet in half according to the template line you drew.
A child cuts paper in a straight line without a template.
The baby learned to cut zigzags
Cutting shapes with rounded corners or curves (hearts, circles, ovals, wave lines) with scissors
Continue working with drawn figures, with straight lines and right angles (squares, rectangles)
Circles and stars - the baby can cut out more complex drawn figures

Ultimately, a child who has learned to cut well with scissors develops a very important skill - hand-eye coordination. The child must not only learn to “open and close” scissors by moving them according to a pattern, but also learn to turn a sheet of paper to the desired angle with the other hand.

Scissors are a tool that perfectly develops fine finger motor skills and dexterity, which is an important stage in the growing up and development of every child. A child’s use of scissors has a positive effect on the child’s level of readiness for school. Nowadays, children going to first grade often becomes a shock not only for the first-grader, but also for parents in particular. Speaking about the complexity of the program for first-graders, mastery of scissors is mandatory and is taken for granted from the 1st grade. That is why it is better to prepare a child for this from the age of three.

All children love to cut. Let your little one cut out those pictures from the magazine that he likes. He can paste them into his special album. Get at home a set of paper of different colors, cardboard of different textures, pieces of fabric and laces - such different materials will be an excellent tool. At the end of the topic about the question of how to teach a child to use scissors easily and automatically, there are some tips on how to do the right thing, which mothers should not forget about.

Which scissors to choose

On the issue of choosing scissors: go to the store with your child, look through it together and let your child touch the selected product independently. Make sure that the scissors lie comfortably in the baby’s hand. Look at the tip of the scissors. There must be a rounding there. If the scissors are sharp, the baby will definitely get hurt sooner or later, or hurt a neighbor.
For children who have a dominant left hand (left-handers), special scissors should be available, in which both blades are fastened so that the child can see the cutting line.
For very small children, you need to purchase plastic scissors that have a special spring that helps cut paper. Some scissors for babies are designed in such a way that they do not close completely - this is a measure to prevent minor injuries to the baby.
Buy scissors with a curved cut for children. Children really like them, which contributes to the development of the little one’s creative abilities. With their help, even such simple figures as a circle are transformed into original decor and a beautiful appliqué element.

How to diversify the learning process?

First, teach your child to correctly pick up scissors and hold them, and only after the child remembers how to hold scissors correctly, start cutting.
You can use this life hack - use a felt-tip pen to draw marks on your child’s fingers where the scissors should lie when he holds them.
The cardboard is not very thick, but dense. If the cardboard is too hard, it will be difficult for the child to cut it and this activity will quickly begin to irritate the baby. The ideal thickness of cardboard sheets is like a magazine cover.
Let your baby cut different and unusual materials. These include not only paper of different textures, but also fabrics, drink straws, leaves from trees, foil, and more. Imagine what a huge supply of new tactile impressions the baby will receive during such an exercise.
Play gently with your baby with his scissors. Let him tell you what they look like. Show how the scissors open the “mouth” and how they bite.
Draw patterns on paper, such as a circle, triangle, month, etc., so that the child can cut along the line correctly.

Remember: It is important to organize a convenient place for your baby’s creativity. Start by having your baby sit on your lap and watch you cut it out with scissors. When children work with paper and scissors, as a rule, a lot of scraps remain. Therefore, prepare a container where the baby will put them himself. This way you can simultaneously teach your child to be neat.

When a mom or dad thinks about how to teach a child to cut with scissors, the first thing they need to remember is that the child must find the activity fun, then he will be interested. Don’t expect much from your baby right away and don’t force him to wield scissors for a long time. Unaccustomed hands get tired quickly.

The ability to use scissors is often not easy for young preschoolers. After all, in order to master this skill, a child must be able to use the index, middle and thumb separately from the ring and little fingers. Despite the fact that children begin to use scissors at the age of three or four, they fully develop this skill only by the age of six. You can help your preschooler master the ability to cut with scissors with special exercises that develop fine motor skills.

How to teach a preschool child to use scissors

1. Develop motor skills

There are many interesting ideas for developing a child's fine motor skills and bilateral coordination that need to be applied from early childhood, even before he starts using scissors.

Let your child move blocks or other objects using kitchen tongs, he will definitely love it.
Encourage your child to squeeze water out of a water toy or sponge during bath time.
Fill the eye dropper with paint and ask your child to draw a picture by squeezing the paint out of the dropper a little at a time.
Invite your child to punch holes in a sheet of cardboard with a hole punch, this will strengthen his arm muscles.
Let your child play with finger puppets more often. This is a great way to learn how to use your fingers individually.
Your child will also enjoy tearing the paper into small pieces. This will help develop dexterity and dexterity.
Attaching clothespins to the edges of a paper or plastic plate is ideal for developing bilateral coordination.

2. Choose the right scissors

Be thoughtful when choosing the right scissors for your baby. There are no universal scissors that would suit everyone. Have your child try out the scissors to make sure they are sharp enough to fit their hand.

Scissors for right-handers and left-handers. The scissors you buy for your child should match the dominance of one of their hands. Most scissors are designed for right-handed people. However, a left-handed child should use scissors designed specifically for left-handed people. Left-handed scissors have the top blade on the left so your child can see the cutting line. There are scissors that are advertised as universal scissors, but these models may not give a left-handed person a clear view of the line.
Adaptive scissors. Children with weak arm muscles, special needs, or any other limitations require adaptive scissors. There are several shapes and designs of these scissors to suit specific needs. There are scissors with a spring that open themselves after compression; tabletop scissors for one-handed users and training scissors that are great for teaching your child how to position the scissors correctly in their hand.
Safety scissors. Some professionals working with preschool children prefer to use scissors with blunt (rounded) ends for beginners. They are commonly called safety scissors. You need to buy ones that will cut paper well, since some of the scissors of this type practically do not cut. If your child finds cutting paper too difficult, he or she may become reluctant to learn cutting skills with scissors.

3. Teach your child how to use scissors safely

It is important to teach your child the rules for safe handling of scissors and repeat these rules before each lesson with them. There are two main points that should be emphasized. First, children should know that scissors can only cut paper and nothing else. Secondly, make sure that the child does not walk or run with scissors. If your child needs to go somewhere, show him how to hold the scissors correctly when walking, that is, with the blades closed, in the fist and the rings on top. His hands should be close to his body.

4. Teach children how to hold scissors correctly

Start with the handle in the correct position in your hand. Show your child the correct way to hold the scissors and ask him to repeat your actions. You may need to help your child place his fingers in the appropriate holes. Teach and demonstrate that the thumb always goes into the smaller hole, and the index and middle fingers always go into the larger hole. Drawings with a schematic representation of the correct position of the scissors in your hand can help you with this. Let your child also practice opening and closing the scissors. This will help him gain the strength needed to work with them.

5. Cut along the lines with children

In order for a child to learn how to handle scissors, he must first learn to cut along a line. At the same time, use relatively thick paper, and not too thin and light, which is easy to fold and bend. Help your baby by initially guiding his hand with your hand until he masters this skill at the proper level.

6. Cutting out shapes

Once your child is comfortable with the previous steps, they can move on to cutting out different shapes. You can draw different shapes and figures yourself with a thick tip marker, or use color printed images of triangles, circles or squares, as well as other images.

7. Cutting with paper rotation

Show your child how to cut by rotating the paper. Help your child when he tries to cut out with one hand and turn the sheet with the other. This will help him learn not to turn the scissors upside down (which happens quite often). Teach him to cut slowly, gradually, while controlling the position of both the scissors and the paper.

Using scissors requires special skills and abilities from a child. For a baby, the task of cutting something out can be very difficult, since he has to use all the fingers of his hand not synchronously (thumb, index and middle fingers - each does its own job).

At what age can a child be given scissors?

The smaller the child's hand, the more difficult it is for him to use scissors. However, many children, from the age of 2 to 3 years old, are ready to learn how to make cuts on paper. And only by the age of 6, the skill of using scissors will not require any effort from the child - everything will happen “automatically.”

Is it time to give your child scissors?

If your baby shows interest in scissors and tries to cut out a picture on his own, then you can try to teach him this33; How to do it?

Step 1. Buy quality children's scissors.

You can find scissors of almost any size in stores, so try to choose ones that will fit well in your child’s hand. Good children's scissors, on the one hand, should be sharp enough (so that it is easy for a child to cut) - dull scissors tear paper rather than cut it. On the other hand, children's scissors must have rounded tips so that the baby does not prick himself and injure a friend. If your child is left-handed, you should try to find scissors designed specifically for left-handed children (using regular scissors and holding them in their left hand, children cannot see the cut line).

Step 2. Discuss with your child the rules for using scissors.

First, tell your child that scissors can only be used for cutting paper (you cannot cut clothes, tablecloths, crayons, fingers, hair, etc.). If your child is caught trying to cut off the cat's whiskers, take away the scissors. Do not give them away until the child says that he is ready to use the scissors for their intended purpose.

Secondly, tell them that you can’t walk, run or jump with scissors. Show how to correctly pass the scissors to your friend (handles forward).

How to teach a child to cut with scissors (cut with scissors)

Before you give your baby the scissors, play fun games with him that will help improve his hand-eye coordination and also make his fingers stronger.

To develop the ability to use both hands (coordinate the movements of both hands), give the task to tear a piece of paper into very small pieces. These pieces can be glued to paper (if you tear white paper and glue the pieces onto blue paper, it’s a snowball; if you tear brown paper and then glue it onto the silhouette of a bird, these are feathers for a freezing sparrow).

Let your child try to make holes in the paper using a hole punch (under your supervision, of course) - this will make his hands stronger.

Fill the rubber toy with water. Let the baby squeeze out all the water - it will also help make his fingers stronger.

Play finger games using finger toys (this helps your baby learn to use her hand by using different fingers at the same time).

Once the child's hand is ready to do the "hard work", teach him how to hold the scissors correctly.

How to hold scissors correctly

1. Let the baby hold the pen with the thumb facing up. Place one of the scissors rings on your finger.

2. Let the baby thread the tip of his middle finger into the other ring.

3. Place your child's index finger on the second ring (outside).

4. The ring finger and little finger should be tucked (rest against the palm). Sometimes the ring finger is inserted into the second ring along with the index finger.

5. Place a piece of paper in front of the child (above his eye level). When a child cuts paper in an upward direction, he automatically picks up the scissors correctly.

Next, show your child how you yourself cut the paper into strips, cut out circles and triangles. Be patient and support the child, even when he fails to make the cut. Over time, the child will master the skills better and better (he needs practice). Here's how your baby develops his skills in using scissors:

1. The child begins to show interest in scissors and working with them.

2. The child holds the scissors correctly.

3. The child opens and closes the scissors randomly.

4. The child can cut off a piece of paper.

5. The child cuts a piece of paper, making two or more consecutive cuts.

6. The child can cut a piece of paper in half.

7. The child can cut out a square.

8. The child cuts out figures of more complex shapes.

Children begin to become interested in scissors around the third year of life. They watch with curiosity the manipulations that an adult performs with an unfamiliar object. Most parents make the mistake of not allowing their baby to start using scissors. After all, it is this skill that is closely related to a sense of confidence in oneself and one’s actions. The main thing is to teach your child the correct technique and, of course, not leave him alone with scissors until he grows up.

How to choose the “right” scissors?

There are three main criteria that the scissors you buy for your child must meet.

Safety. They must have blunt ends and be in a case.
Convenience. It is better to choose non-slip material from which the handles are made. They should be the right size for the child: not too small, but not too big so that the child can comfortably hold them.
The baby should like scissors. Usually children choose something bright and colorful.

Based on this, it is worth buying scissors with your child. Let him take an active part in the purchase, then he will have more desire to do it.

Safety precautions

It is difficult for carefree kids to understand the worries parents feel when giving their child cutting objects. To ensure that your baby understands your requirements, the rules for handling scissors should be repeated to him repeatedly. It would be good if you could illustrate these rules.

Scissors must not be waved, thrown or passed forward with the blades. Show your baby where the blade is and where the handles are.
Scissors should not be taken without permission, especially if there are no adults nearby.
Do not run scissors over the body or touch the blades with your fingers.
When you are done with the scissors, you need to close them and put them in the case.

Be sure to put these rules into practice. In order for your baby to remember them well, you will need to repeat them every lesson.

How to teach a child to hold scissors correctly?

All of you, most likely, remember how in childhood, in a dark room, against the backdrop of a burning candle or lamp, they staged a shadow theater. Remember how the dog's shadow opened its mouth from the hand? The same technique can be used to teach a child to hold scissors correctly and use them.

Show him how a dog or a bird, or maybe even a dinosaur, can open its mouth. Do it with your hand first. Then show how you insert your thumb into the top ring of the scissors, and your index finger into the bottom, and make the first movement, opening the scissors.

You should have separate scissors so that your baby can immediately imitate your actions. Give your child time to get used to the instrument. He should confidently close and open them, only then proceed to cutting them out of paper.

Examples of exercises

Classes should start with basic exercises. First you need to teach your child to cut paper randomly with scissors. The baby will undoubtedly enjoy the process itself. In addition, fine motor skills, attention and perseverance will develop. At this point, try cutting out strips. You can fold the paper in half to compact it and show your baby how to cut out the stripes. You can make beads or garlands from them by gluing them together. Gradually make the exercises more difficult.

You can make a prefabricated applique.

"Grass". Use green construction paper for this activity. Draw lines with a pencil perpendicular to the base. Show your child how to cut along the lines. At first it will be difficult for him to hit the line exactly, but he will still be able to cut out something like grass. Praise him and glue the grass to the album sheet. This will be the beginning of the composition.
"House". It will consist of a square, which the baby will need to cut along two lines. To do this, add lines to one edge of the sheet so that a square is formed along with the corner. The baby will need to first cut along one line and then along the other. Glue the resulting square on top of the grass.
"Roof". Cutting on a diagonal is more difficult, so help your child by slightly guiding his movements. Draw two lines from the base, forming a triangle. Let your child cut out the roof for the house along the lines and then glue it to the square.
"Sun". The circle is the most difficult exercise for such a small child. Of course, he won’t be able to cut an even circle. Not even all adults can do this, so the task is this: cut out a figure that is as similar to a circle as possible. Believe me, even a clumsy circle, but yellow in color, will remind the baby of the sun. The important thing here is to show your child how to rotate the paper as the scissors move. He will do this very slowly and with concentration, so this exercise should be done when the baby is in a good mood and is not very tired. Glue the resulting sun over the house. Hang the finished applique in a visible place so that your child can enjoy his new skill.

Conclusion

There are many different exercises for working with scissors. Special magazines are sold, where lines and shapes for cutting have already been drawn. You can make them yourself, based on pictures from the Internet. Give preference to large figures and make sure that the baby does not get tired or lose concentration, otherwise he may get hurt. The child can also cut out favorite characters, cars or flowers from magazines, from which they can create appliqués and posters.

Don’t put off these exercises: the sooner you start teaching your child to use scissors, the sooner he will be able to handle it on his own. This develops creative thinking, fine motor skills, perseverance and attentiveness, which will certainly come in handy for your child when he goes to school.