Teaching a three year old to use a scissors

scourpad · 11-14-2009, 07:05 PM

Am I trying too hard, my three year old holds the scissors awkwardly when he is cutting paper, is this normal or should he have gotten it by now?

alygirl · 12-03-2009, 08:01 AM

This is normal... I have worked in a million daycares and they may be 5 or 6 before they get it right. Just give them some magazines or old paper to cut up while you supervise they'll have a ball and it will help them learn.

nylorac · 12-03-2009, 09:23 AM

Alygirl is right. It takes quite a while before a youngster can hold scissors properly. Just have fun with it. Give him colored paper to practice cutting on. Once he masters holding the scissors, start having him cut on a straight line. This takes time too.

craftymama · 12-03-2009, 04:39 PM

I agree with the 2 former posters, just let him keep trying and practicing. My youngest didn't quite get how to hold the scissors until she was actually in kindergarten. I think kids get what they get when they are ready to.

ClutterFree · 12-04-2009, 04:14 AM

Cutting is considered a Pre-k to Kindergarten Mastering Task. Being as he is 3 if he is holding the scissors and attempting to cut then he is doing great for his age. I would make sure he is using nothing but safety scissors though.

chunk · 12-04-2009, 05:37 PM

We were all new once, with everything that we do. I see no difference with this, sometimes I still hold scissors awkward, then again I am not always the most "normal" either.

italialover · 01-20-2010, 02:00 PM

There are some great books you could get that have some fun activities and build up from straight lines to squiggly lines, etc. Check out the books-- they are the best! I use them with my pre-k kids all the time.

scourpad · 01-26-2010, 04:45 PM

Thanks for all the comments, he's holding the scissors better, by the way, he has a ball using them and wants to cut everything. And yes he has safety scissors.

HomeRepairsDude · 01-26-2010, 10:03 PM

Kids are usually going to need a little bit of time to get everything down, and I am pretty sure that I probably held my scissors awkwardly at 3 also, but once they get a bit older...everything should be fine. Honestly I wouldn't worry at all about this, especially with kids that young.

homemaker · 01-27-2010, 01:45 PM

Scourpad you can also get worksheets online that you can print for free that have little cutting activities on them if you wanted to try that.