Tips for improving scissor skills.

1. Body Positioning:

a. Sit upright with feet flat on the floor

b. Elbows at their sides (Very important! Kids tend to raise their arms, taking their elbow further away from their body)

c. Stay centered - Keep the project at midline when cutting/holding the paper

2. Material: Thicker paper such as card stock or construction paper is best for developing scissor skills because it is easier to handle when cutting, in comparison to regular sheets of paper. Cutting through thicker paper also helps increase hand strength.

3. THUMBS UP: Encourage the student to keep the nail of their thumb pointed upward when using scissors. You can place a sticker (star) on the nail bed of their thumb and say "Stars in the sky" as a way to get them to remember to keep that thumb up when cutting. If the star isn't visible then the student most likely needs to reposition his/her elbow back at their sides.

4. Hand strengthening activities such as squeezing play-doh or putty are good for building up their endurance for cutting.