Tuesday, September 18, 2012

CUT AND GLUE


After sharing the pencil grip ideas yesterday, I found some tips to help children cut and glue.
School Glue
(Tune:  “This Old Man”)

School glue, school glue,
Just a little dot will do.
Put a dot and spread it around.
It will hold your paper down.

School glue, school glue,
Don’t use more than a dab or two.
When it dries up, it will disappear.
Your work will look good never fear.

Hint!  Remind children that most of the time they will only need to use a “baby dot.”  You’ll tell them when they need a papa dot or Goldilocks.  (Goldilocks is when you put curly cue glue all over the page.)

Cutting Song 
(Tune:  “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

Our thumb is on the top when we cut.
Our thumb is on the top when we cut.
Put your scissors in your hand
Make sure your thumb is the top man.
Our thumb is on the top when we cut.

Our thumb is always the top man.
Hold the paper with the other hand.
Just take little bites
And you’ll cut it out just right.
Our thumb is always the top man.

Hint!  Have children lay on their tummies with their elbows on the floor.  This position will give them more control when they cut.
You can also have them wad up two sheets of paper and place these under their armpits.  Keeping their elbows close to their bodies will also provide more control with the scissors.

Cutting Caboose
This is an idea from long ago when we focused more on developmental skills.  (I just can’t let some of these things die!  Surely, somebody out there will be able to do this!)  Take a large appliance box and cut one of the long sides off.  Place two chairs in the box facing each other.  Put scissors and scrap paper in the box.  Children can climb aboard, look at their friends, and cut away!

Cutting Tub
This activity is probably more doable for most of you.  Get a plastic tub and fill it with junk mail, book order forms, catalogs, wrapping paper, scrap paper, etc.  Children can take safety scissors and cut away in the tub.  You could then use the scraps for an art collage.