byThe Shoreline Occupational Therapy Staff

last updated May 2004

Contents• What Problems Do You See?• What is the Progression for Holding

Scissors and Cutting?• Planning a Cutting Task• What is the Progression When

Executing a Cutting Task?• Activities Which Support Hand

Development• Activities Which Support Thumbs In

Upward Position• Activities That Support Finger Control

For Holding Scissors• Activities Which Support Using Both

Hands• References and Resources

What Problems Do You See?• Thumb down and/or fingers splayed• Scissors close to palm vs. in fingers• Jagged cutting and poor control of opening

and closing of scissors• Paper and scissors are resting on the table

throughout the cutting task• Child has difficulty controlling paper and

scissors at the same time • Child doesn’t know where to start first cut• Child cuts without ever rotating paper

Do you see this?

on jointthumb down

two hands fingers splayed

Child uses table for support. Child’s thumbs are down for both the working and holding hand.

Child cuts without ever letting go of the paper. Notice that both hands are at the right of midline.

Child cannot figure out how to get to the shape without a marker line.

Or this?

Why?• Scissors are “sprung”- blades do not meet• Finger and hand control are immature

– Using whole hand to cut versus using thumb and first two fingers to control scissors

– Using the table to support themselves because they have limited control in the fingers

• Poor Motor Planning– Lack of specific instruction on how to approach

and execute cutting task– Some children with motor planning problems need

more opportunities with specific instruction

Progression for developing control of scissors Part 1

• Child demonstrates interest in scissors• Child experiments with opening and closing scissors,

not necessarily cutting paper(hand position may vary)• Child orients scissor blades to paper to begin

snipping (hands do not rest on table)

Progression for developing control of scissors Part 2

• Child gains more finger control with the scissors positioned toward fingertips

• Child begins to cut in a forward motion across a 4-inch strip of paper without adjusting holding hand

Progression for developing control of scissors Part 3

• Child uses one hand to adjust paper while the other hand controls the scissors, cutting across an 8-inch wide piece of paper• Move holding hand forward as the scissors pass

Progression for developing control of scissors Part 4

• Child cuts forward on a line

• Child cuts turning corner(s) – Cutting past the shape/line to the edge of the paper before

rotating object (Note: We don’t teach this, they just do it… however, we will sometimes structure a project this way to teach those that can’t break down the steps for organizing the sequence on their own.)

– Rotate object (the paper, not the scissors) to cut around the corner

Progression for developing control of scissors Part 5

• Child cuts out straight-line shapes (square, triangle)• Child cuts out curved-line shapes (circle, oval)• Child cuts out simple shapes (heart, moon)• Child cuts out complex shapes (star, hand)• Notice that the two hands must shift between the tasks of moving and

holding. For example, one hand holds while the other opens and closes the scissors blades, then the scissors hand must hold while the holding hand shifts position on the paper.

Planning a Cutting Task

Pick up scissors with thumb in small hole and fingers in large hole

Hold onto the piece you want to keep when you cut If there is more than one shape on the sheet, cut shapes apart

from each other Cut out each shape If the child can’t figure out how to get to the shape with the

scissors, the child could draw a line to the shape from the edge of the paper

Child pre-plans where there are corners/curves

What is the progression when executing a cutting task?

• Thumbs point upward for both the paper-holding hand and scissor-holding hand

• Looks ahead to plan size of cuts and speed of cutting• Begins cutting task• Keeps scissors pointed forward and rotates paper with

helping hand when turning corners or curves – (Does not turn scissors)

• Takes smaller snips (i.e, when turning corners)

Right-handed: cut in a counter-clockwise direction around shape.

Left-handed: cut in a clockwise direction around shape.

Activities Which Support Hand Development

• Lying on your stomach, supported on forearms while playing games or doing class work

• Playing on bars (hanging, swinging)• Playing with clay• Turning a jump rope for peers• Chair push-ups when seated at desk• Working on upright surfaces such as the

chalkboard or easel

Activities Which Support Thumbs In Upward Position

• Playing card games, especially being the dealer

• Hole punch• Squirt bottle for watering plants• Snapping fingers• Games with small pieces to manipulate

(Tricky Fingers or tiddly winks)• Turning a key in a lock or on a wind-up toy

Activities That Support Finger Control For Holding Scissors

• Eye droppers• Tongs• Clothes pins• Pennies in bank• Pegs• Unifix cubes• Opening bottles, jars

Activities Which Support Using Both Hands

• Stringing beads• Lacing cards• Cooking activities (cutting,stirring etc.)• Ripping, tearing, crumpling paper• All dressing activities. Try a dressing

relay race

References and Resources

• Klein, Marsha, Pre-Scissor Skills, Therapy Skill Builders, 1987

• Knight and Gilpin Decker, Hands at Work and Play, Therapy Skill Builders, 1994 (activities only)

Web pages

• http://www.neelb.org.uk/cass/earlyyears/downloads/Developing Scissor Skills.pdf