Pre-Cutting
or Tearing for a Toddler:
Before
a child is ready to use scissors, introduce her to cutting
by letting her tear paper, old magazines or paper bags.
Supervise the child to be sure she does not put the paper
in her mouth.
Snipping
for a Toddler and Preschooler:
Provide good quality, blunt-edged, child sized safety scissors.
Teach young children how to hold the scissors, how to open
and close them.
Cut a 1-inch wide strip of paper and let her snip pieces
off of it.
Provide opportunities to practice.
Cutting
on a line and cutting shapes for a Preschooler:
With a thick marker, draw lines one or two inches apart
around the edge of a piece of paper. Allow the child to
cut on the lines.
Draw circles, squares,
and triangles with a thick marker on paper and ask the child
to cut it out.
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Yale School of Medicine