Photo Source: www.kidslearningstation.com

As adults, it's difficult to remember that cutting with scissors is not an instinctive or natural action. It takes time (and practice!) to develop such fine motor mastery. The creators of Kids Learning Station provide an excellent series of scissor skill worksheets where your preschoolers can practice cutting everything from straight and curved lines to more challenging operations like zig zags and waves.

Not only are these practice sheets great for repetition, you can also increase their difficulty level by printing them on paper of different weights (e.g. regular printer paper, 60 lb. cardstock, 100 lb. cardstock, etc.). Be sure to check out Kids Learning Station and their sister site, All Kids Network, for these and other wonderful learning aids!

If your students are new to the art of cutting, these worksheets may seem a bit advanced. Here are a few tips for helping your students work their way up!

Proper Grip. Begin by demonstrating how to properly grip the scissors. Invite your students to place their thumb in the upper hole, their middle and ring fingers in the lower hole, and let their index finger rest lightly on the outside of the handle to act as a stabilizer. Scissors should be held in the student’s dominant hand.
Snipping. Have your students start small. Provide them with 1? strips of paper and invite them to practice snipping through the paper in just one cut. This will help them learn the motion needed for extended cutting exercises.
Fringing. Fringing is another great way to help students learn the quick open-close motion required to cut. Don’t have them worry about uniformity, just the movement.
Line & Shape Cutting. After they’ve mastered snipping and fringing, graduate your students to cutting worksheets like those found at Kid Learning Station. Begin with straight and slightly curved lines, then move to zig zag and wavy lines, and finally, have your students begin cutting shapes.

Developing the dexterity, coordination, and control needed to perform challenging cutting tasks takes time and patience, but is such a benefit to your preschoolers. Happy cutting!

P.S. You could also use these awesome worksheets for pre-writing practice! Just print, place in plastic document sleeves, and invite your students to trace the lines using dry erase crayons! They'll have oodles of fun!

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