01/10/2025
✂️ It might look like “just snipping”, but there’s a lot more going on here!
In this video, our OT, Lyn, is working on early scissors skills with Mr. T – building the critical foundations for independence at both school and home.
Here’s what we’re targeting:
🖐 Hand strength & dexterity – manoeuvring scissors strengthens the small hand/wrist muscles needed for gripping pencils and using cutlery. Opening and closing the scissors repeatedly builds strength in these muscles, and controlling each snip accurately builds dexterity and finger dexterity.
🧠 Bilateral coordination – developing the ability to use both sides of the body together in a controlled and organised way. Here, Mr. T uses his dominant hand to cut while the other hand stabilizes the paper - just like when we write! This also develops the brain’s ability to communicate across hemispheres – a crucial skill for school readiness.
👀 Eye–hand coordination – as the child watches the scissors move along a line or shape, their brain is constantly guiding their hand to match what they see. This strengthens the visual-motor connection – the ability to process what the eyes see, and then translate it into precise hand movements. This is critical for writing within lines, drawing shapes, completing puzzles, and even playing sports/games.
✏️ Pre-writing readiness – scissor works develops a child’s ability to move their fingers independently, manage small and precise movements (e.g. for letters and numbers during writing), as well as muscle endurance of the hand and forearm. As children learn to control their scissors, they are also learning how to control a pencil.
🧩 Focus & persistence – cutting tasks require visual attention, endurance, and problem-solving skills. This builds the mental stamina needed for classroom learning, routines, and independence.
